Advertisement
football Edit

Look back at Californias top 10 ranked players

Advertisement
As with Clausen, Powell was also the No. 1 recruit nationally. In the class of 2010 he was ranked ahead of players like Keenan Allen, Marcus Lattimore and Seantrel Henderson. For Powell, his recruitment came down to Florida and USC. Would he stay local or would he go to the Gators? The news that Urban Meyer would be leaving Florida gave the Trojans higher hopes, but at the end of the day Powell still decided to take his talents to Gainesville. Powell experienced an up-and-down career at Florida. After seeing minimal playing time as a freshman, he looked to have turned the corner during his sophomore season. However, a torn ACL during the spring of 2012 derailed progress. Returning in 2013, Powell played in 11 games and finished with 26 tackles and a team-high four sacks. Powell was selected in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, where he saw minimal playing time as a rookie last season.
Farrell's take: Powell took over the No. 1 spot during the final rankings period of 2010 mainly based on his amazing versatility and his dominant week at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He could have played tight end if he wanted to in college or be a pure linebacker, that's how athletic he was. Injuries derailed his career and he was considered one of our bigger No. 1 busts overall and it was a competitive year for that spot in 2010 unlike some other years. Bottom line is Powell was a freakish defensive end and started the trend of ends as No. 1 because he could do so much off the edge. It just never happened to the level we expected at Florida, but he certainly was fun to watch in high school.
3
RB
Reggie Bush
San Diego (Cali.) Helix (No. 2 in Class of 2003)
Bush was ranked No. 2 nationally, only behind Ernie Sims, and No. 1 in California. Bush made his commitment to USC at the U.S. Army All-American Game, which did not come as a surprise. He took an earlier official visit to Washington, but then cancelled previously scheduled visits to Notre Dame, Stanford and Texas that were set for January. Bush's time at USC was full of success. During the 2005 season he finished with 1,740 yards rushing, 481 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns, which earned him several postseason awards, including the Heisman Trophy. He totaled 6,541 all-purpose yards and 39 touchdowns during his three seasons at USC. Obviously Bush was also a black eye for the Trojans during his college career as the recruiting violations surrounding him led to the loss of the Heisman and probation for the program. Leaving USC a year early, he was the second overall selection of the 2006 NFL Draft. During his five seasons with the New Orleans Saints he was never truly utilized as an every-down back and also dealt with several injuries. Making the move to Miami for the 2011 season, Bush was given the opportunity to be a lead running back and responded with 1,086 yards and six touchdowns. He had another productive season with the Dolphins in 2012, but made the move to Detroit via free agency, where spent the last two seasons. Again dealing with injuries, especially in 2014, Bush was released by the Lions in February and has now found a new home in San Francisco. With the departure of Frank Gore during the off-season, playing time is available with the 49ers. If able to stay healthy, look for Bush to make a positive impact this coming season.
Farrell's take: There is no doubt in my mind now and back in 2003 that Bush was the No. 1 player in the country. However, my vote didn't count nearly as much as it does today. Bush has one of the best tapes you will ever see from a running back out of high school and he was simply a freak of nature. His career at the college level played out as expected as he was clearly in the elite running back category and was going to be dominant wherever he went. While Sims had a very good career at FSU and was a first-round pick, Bush would obviously look much better as the No. 1 in the 2003 class historically and that's the way it should have been, hands down.
4
QB
Josh Rosen
Bellflower (Cali.) St. John Bosco (No. 2 in Class of 2015)
Rosen was ranked No. 2 nationally, only behind Byron Cowart, and No. 1 in California. Rosen, the No. 1 quarterback in his class, took a look at programs from coast-to-coast during his recruiting process, however, if he decided to stay closer to home most people assumed that would mean UCLA especially since Stanford inexplicably didn't offer. After taking a few visits, including one to Michigan only a few days before his announcement, Rosen did decide to stay local and committed to the Bruins. Enrolling at UCLA early, Rosen did not disappoint in spring practice. He is already in position to earn significant playing time as a true freshman, especially after Asiantii Woulard, who likely saw the writing on the wall when it comes to playing time, recently transferred to South Florida. Expectations will be off the charts for Rosen at UCLA, so it will definitely be interesting to see how he progresses during his Rose Bowl playing days.
Farrell's take: Rosen is the best quarterback prospect I have seen in all my years of scouting pro-style guys. He's going to be an absolute star at UCLA, a first-round pick (perhaps No. 1 overall) and be an NFL star. He's better than Clausen at the same stage (bigger, stronger arm) and it speaks to the ability of Cowart and his potential that he was able to beat out Rosen for No. 1. Rosen has the cocky attitude of a winner, he has led numerous comebacks in high school and never seems rattled. And unlike Clausen, he had to play in more difficult and closer games and pull them out so his ability as a leader is unquestioned. Some might not like the way he goes about things and he's going to be an in-your-face leader at the college level and beyond, but there is something about this kid, a feeling I can't exactly pinpoint, that leads me to believe he's a star in the making. Who knows, I might be saying the same thing about Rosen being No. 2 as I am about Bush in a few years, but that will be more on me than it was in 2003.
5
CB
Iman Marshall
Long Beach (Cali.) Poly (No. 3 in Class of 2015)
Marshall was ranked No. 3 nationally, behind both Byron Cowart and Josh Rosen, and No. 2 in California, behind only Rosen. While Marshall made his recruiting process a little bit more dramatic than most people thought it would be, waiting until National Signing Day to make it official, he did sign with USC just as expected. Even though he did also take official visits to Oregon, Florida State, LSU and Michigan, USC was the long-time favorite for Marshall. At USC, Marshall will have the opportunity for immediate playing time. After enrolling for the spring semester, he impressed the coaching staff and should slide into a backup cornerback role behind Kevon Seymour and Adoree' Jackson. Look for him to also make an impact on special teams while he gets his feet wet at cornerback.
Farrell's take: As with any position, you can get a feeling about a player and I have that feeling about Marshall. What is that feeling? It's that I'm seeing something special and looking at a kid who will be an NFL star someday. With Marshall he has the size, hips, strength and quickness but it's more about his instincts and ability to see the field than anything else. He's a defensive quarterback at cornerback and by that I mean he's one of the few corners I've seen who could make the defensive calls from out on an island. He just knows where everyone is and where they are going and you simply can't teach his coverage instincts. Am I seeing the next Patrick Johnson AKA Patrick Peterson here? I think I am.
6
RB
Lorenzo Booker
Ventura (Cali.) St. Bonaventure (No. 3 in Class of 2002)
Booker was only ranked behind Vincent Young and Haloti Ngata nationally in the class of 2002. Being the No. 1 running back nationally, Booker had his choice of top programs from coast-to-coast. After a long, grueling recruiting process, it came down to Florida State, USC, Notre Dame and Washington for Booker. Taking official visits to all four of these schools, the Fighting Irish established themselves as a favorite leading up to National Signing Day, but Booker pulled off a stunner during a press conference by announcing for and signing with Florida State. After redshirting during the 2002 season and then seeing minimal playing time in 2003, Booker began to blossom in 2004 when he rushed for 887 yards and four touchdowns on 173 carries. During his 2005 and 2006 seasons he continued to showcase his athleticism and versatility by totaling 1,168 yards rushing, 749 yards receiving and 10 total touchdowns. Booker was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 71st overall pick of the third round in the 2007 NFL Draft. Despite signing a four-year contract with the Dolphins, Booker was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2007 season after having an unproductive rookie campaign. He again failed to live up to expectations with the Eagles in 2008, which resulted in being waived and a stint in the United Football League. He found his way back to the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings for the end of the 2010 season and the full 2011 season, where he was mainly used as a third-down back and on special teams. Finally, he had a short pit stop with the Chicago Bears during the 2012 season before being put on the injured reserve list and later getting waived.
Farrell's take: You want to talk about hype, Booker was one of the most hyped players in the country in a decade and the recruiting battle was made more interesting as there were rumors he told a long-time national recruiting analyst his intention to pick Notre Dame on national television only to select the Seminoles, much to the surprise of the on-air talent at ESPN. That was just the cherry on top of the hyped recruiting process for Booker, a super talented prospect out of California who never really met expectations at FSU or beyond. His size, back in 2002, wasn't as big an issue as it would be today but he was still one of the best all-purpose backs I've seen out of high school. He could cut on a dime and fly.
7
WR
George Farmer
Gardena (Cali.) Junipero Serra (No. 3 in Class of 2011)
Farmer was ranked No. 3 nationally, behind Jadeveon Clowney and Curtis Grant, and No. 1 in California. As the nation's No. 1 wide receiver, Farmer had long been considered a USC lean, and was expected to follow the footsteps of Robert Woods, his former high school teammate. While it may have taken a little longer than expected, and included official visits to Florida, California and Oregon, Farmer's recruiting process ended with a commitment to the Trojans. At USC, Farmer's career was far from illustrious. After seeing minimal playing time in 2011 and 2012, he tore his ACL and MCL before the 2013 season, which caused him to sit out the year. Coming back for the 2014 season, and after totaling 30 receptions during his collegiate career, Farmer surprised many by deciding to leave USC early and declare for the 2015 NFL Draft. After going undrafted, he signed a free-agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys, which is where he will be fighting for a roster spot in August.
Farrell's take: This was a shocking bust because Farmer was so physically gifted. However, I have to give props to our West Coast Analyst Adam Gorney, who was in the minority in saying that Farmer's teammate, Marqise Lee, was a better prospect. Gorney was right and in a big way as Farmer will go down as one of the biggest No. 3 busts in the history of Rivals.com. Of course the injury contributed to this, but it simply appeared that Farmer didn't want it as much as some others and didn't have the work ethic to go from great high school prospect to great college player.
8
ATH
Whitney Lewis
Ventura (Cali.) St. Bonaventure (No. 3 in Class of 2003)
Lewis was ranked No. 3 nationally, behind Sims and Bush, and No. 2 in California, behind only Bush. His recruiting process was an interesting one, with USC and Florida State fighting it out until the end. As has happened several times over the last decade, his mother was the main recruiting tool for USC. She did not like the idea of her son going to school so far from home, and despite his good friend, Lorenzo Booker, committing to Florida State the year before, his mother won this battle. At USC, Lewis never met expectations. After only having three receptions in his Trojans' career, he ended up transferring to Northern Iowa after his sophomore season, where he finished his playing days quietly.
Farrell's take: Another No. 3 bust out of California, maybe this doesn't bode as well for Iman Marshall as I thought. Lewis was a complete bust, no real excuses for him as he just didn't make an impact at the next level as expected. He was a great athlete who could have played many positions, but sometimes the jump in competition is too much for big-time high school players. Or, perhaps he was overvalued because he played with Booker and got so much hype as the next in line at St. Bonaventure. Whatever it was, this kid had a sky-high ceiling and never came close to it.
9
S
Shaq Thompson
Sacramento (Cali.) Grant (No. 4 in Class of 2012)
Lewis was ranked No. 4 nationally, behind Dorial Green-Beckham, D.J. Humphries and Mario Edwards, and No. 1 in California. Thompson's recruiting process was not for the faint of heart, especially for California fans. Thompson originally committed to the Golden Bears after a junior day, then de-committed about a week later. He then re-committed to Cal again during the U.S. Army All-American Game, but soon after began to look at other options when defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi left for Washington. While UCLA and Oregon were also being considered at the end, Thompson decided to follow Lupoi to Washington and made the flip from Cal official in late January, 2012. At Washington, Thompson's versatility and big-play abilities quickly made him a star. His best season came last fall, when he was named first-team All-American after finishing with 81 tackles, four fumble recoveries and an interception on defense, plus 456 yards rushing and 56 yards receiving on offense. Leaving Washington a year early for the 2015 NFL Draft, Thompson was selected with the 25th overall pick by the Carolina Panthers, where he will likely start at outside linebacker this fall.
Farrell's take: Thompson began a string of amazing safeties in the top five nationally followed by Quin Blanding in 2014 and Derwin James in 2015. He was projected as a potential linebacker and was athletic enough to be a running back in college if needed and he played so many different roles at Washington. What I remember about him, aside from the crazy recruiting process, was how fast and quick to the ball he was for a massive safety and how he arrived with a thump. He and Bush are the only first-rounders on this list as Carolina snagged him despite their strength at linebacker simply because he's so good at everything. He was simply a freak athlete.
10
QB
Ben Olson
Thousand Oaks, Calif. (No. 4 in Class of 2002)
Olson was only ranked behind Vince Young, Haloti Ngata and Lorenzo Booker in the class of 2002. His recruiting process was one of the more unique ones for a top-level recruit since 2002. After trimming his list of top schools to BYU, UCLA and Stanford, Olson decided to leave California and committed to the Cougars. After redshirting his freshman season in Provo, Olson went on his required two-year mission. However, upon his return, he decided to transfer to UCLA in 2005. Finally earning the starting position for the 2006 season, Olson finished with 822 yards and five touchdowns before an injury caused him to miss a few games and as a result lose the starting job. Injuries followed Olson to the 2007 season, when he only played six games and finished with 1,040 yards and seven touchdowns, and then again in 2008, when he broke a bone in his foot in preseason camp and never saw the field. He went undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft and after breaking his foot yet again during a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles, he decided to hang up his football spikes.
Farrell's take: The saga of Ben Olson is a long one that ends with disappointment for UCLA fans. He signed with BYU and took that mission but he was supposed to be a savior of sorts for UCLA, a program that was suddenly battling for attention in LA with Pete Carroll and USC on the rise. Injuries ruined his career but I don't think the mission, transfer and everything that happened between his high school days and the time he landed at UCLA did him any favors. So many years away from the game and then a few injuries can turn a five-star quarterback into a two star college player.
Mike Farrell
National Recruiting Director
Click Here to view this Link.
Advertisement