The Midseason Farrell 50 is here, my list of the top 50 players in college football and I can say that this season has been like no other so far.
Here’s Nos. 41-45.
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45. QB Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
The skinny: With his other two offers coming from Army and Tennessee-Chattanooga, McCall committed to Coastal Carolina on the early National Signing Day. Since he took over the offense in 2020, McCall has been one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Leading the undefeated Chanticleers this fall, he has passed for 1,478 yards, 14 touchdowns and only one interception, while rushing for two touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: McCall was clearly not heavily recruited and he found the right fit at Coastal. Now he’s a guy who’s starting to get second-round buzz for the NFL Draft.
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44. DB Verone McKinley, Oregon
The skinny: McKinley committed to Oregon during the summer prior to his senior season over Washington, UCLA, Penn State and Nebraska. There was a bit of concern in Eugene after the departure of coach Willie Taggart, but his official visit to Eugene ended any doubts. Following up on two productive seasons with the Ducks, McKinley has had a huge first half of the season with 34 tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble and two pass breakups.
Farrell’s take: McKinley was always a slightly undersized kid with a chip on his shoulder and this season he’s flashed his ball skills and made some future money with his game against Ohio State.
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43. DL Zachary Carter, Florida
The skinny: Carter committed to Florida over Clemson during the summer leading up to his senior season. Late offers from Alabama and Oregon caused a little bit of tension in Gainesville, but at the end he never seriously wavered from the Gators. In his last season at Florida, Carter is playing his best football to date, with 17 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
Farrell’s take: Carter came back to boost his NFL Draft stock and he’s getting closer to first-round status with an impressive season. He can play outside or inside as a pass rusher and that makes him hard to handle.
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42. WR Calvin Austin III, MemphisÂ
The skinny: Austin, who was more known as a track star in high school, walked on at Memphis in 2017. Over his last two seasons with the Tigers, Austin has become one of the more explosive receivers in the country. After sliding a bit under-the-radar last season with his accomplishments, this fall his performance has turned heads nationally as he already has 50 receptions for 857 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has one rush attempt, which he took 69 yards for a touchdown and has added a punt return for a touchdown, on only four attempts.
Farrell’s take: Austin was a tiny receiver out of high school that no one wanted and now he’s one of the most reliable targets in the country and so dangerous after the catch with his ability to cut.
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41. Riley Moss, Iowa
The skinny: While Moss had to wait some time for his dream to come together, the Iowa native received a late greyshirt offer from the Hawkeyes which quickly led to his commitment in early December. At that time he also had offers from North Dakota State, North Dakota, South Dakota State and Northern Illinois. Moss has become a big play defensive weapon for the Hawkeyes this fall, having totaled 23 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one fumble recovery and four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: Moss has become a big play guy for Iowa and has a knack for being around the football as we’ve seen. He’s another in a long line of Iowa defensive backs playing above their ranking.
