Mark Pszonak contributed to this report
With the college football season just beyond the halfway point, it’s time for another installment of the Farrell 50, the top 50 college football players in the country. We take a quick look at how each ranked out of high school and if they are exceeding or simply living up to expectations. Today we look at Nos. 11-15 led by the best offensive lineman in the country.
MORE FARRELL 50: Nos. 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: Nelson trimmed his list down to Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State and others, but always held the Irish in very high regard. A spring visit to South Bend put the Irish over the top and a commitment followed in early May. Nelson redshirted in 2014, received valuable playing time in 2015 and earned a starting job in 2016. As he consistently improved last season, he has done the same this fall. Now leading an impressive Irish offensive line, Nelson has Notre Dame looking towards a big season while his status in the 2018 NFL Draft also improves week by week.
Farrell’s take: I really liked Nelson on film, but when I first saw him in person at our New Jersey RCS Camp, I remember being wowed and felt he was a five-star prospect. He was huge, had good feet and he was a physical kid. It’s not shocking to see him working inside, but he could play tackle as well if needed and play either guard or tackle in the NFL. He was raw as a prospect out of high school so his best football is still ahead of him. He was always trying to prove he should be higher ranked as a prep and I would imagine he’s still trying to improve his stock now.
The skinny: Harrison originally committed to North Carolina after his sophomore season, but after earning an offer from the Crimson Tide at an Alabama, camp he flipped a couple of weeks later. He did also take official visits to Georgia and Notre Dame during his senior season, but never seriously wavered from the Tide. Harrison, who enjoyed a big sophomore season last fall with 83 tackles, which was second on the team, and has followed that up with an even more impressive season in 2017. Already with 44 tackles, three tackles for a loss, two sacks and two interceptions, Harrison has quickly become a leader on Alabama’s dominant defense.
Farrell’s take: Harrison was a tall and filled-out safety prospect who could also play corner and had very good ball skills. He wasn’t a burner on the field, which is what held him back from being a Rivals100 prospect, but he had good hips, excellent instincts and he could catch anything. When Nick Saban covets you as a defensive back, and he wanted Harrison, then you know you’re likely looking at a playmaker. Harrison was perhaps a bit undervalued.
The skinny: McSorley initially committed to Vanderbilt, but he eventually flipped to Penn State after James Franklin made the move from Nashville to Happy Valley. After surprising some with his performance last fall during his first season as a starter, McSorley has continued his steady improvement. A threat through the air or the ground, McSorley has passed for 1,879 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 254 yards and seven touchdowns for the undefeated Nittany Lions.
Farrell’s take: I would have never expected this a few years ago as we had McSorley as a mid-range three-star athlete. I didn’t think he was a college quarterback based on size for the most part and his potential to play other positions. McSorley has always been an accurate and athletic passer, so Penn State played to his strengths tremendously last year and even more so this season. He’s a proven winner and his best asset has always been keeping his eyes downfield while he shifts around and scrambles.
The skinny: Rudolph trimmed his list to Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and LSU before committing to the Cowboys. In Stillwater, Rudolph continues to be one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country. After passing for 7,861 yards and 49 touchdowns over the last two seasons, Rudolph has continued his high-level of play this fall with 2,650 yards and 19 touchdowns through seven games. Maybe most impressive is that he has only thrown eight interceptions in his last 445 pass attempts.
Farrell’s take: Rudolph, a four-star coming out of high school, was a huge kid with a live arm who showed excellent accuracy for a signal-caller who could be tempted to just fire the ball on every throw. He chose the right offense because he’s a quick decision-maker who is made for a spread, throwing offense where he can put up huge numbers. He’s been up and down this season but has had many more ups than downs despite coming off his worst game of the season.
The skinny: Adams committed to Notre Dame in late June over Penn State, Pittsburgh and Stanford, approximately a week after his first visit to South Bend. Adams had a productive first two seasons for the Fighting Irish, but has definitely raised his level of play to the next level this fall. Leading what has become a potent Notre Dame rushing attack, Adams has already rushed for a career high 967 yards and eight touchdowns on only 105 carries, which gives him an impressive 9.2 yards per carry.
Farrell’s take: Adams had a major injury in high school as he tore his ACL his junior year. He rebounded with a big senior season but never cracked four stars again for us because he didn’t look like he had the same burst he had as a sophomore when he rushed for over 2,000 yards. Now he’s showing that sophomore burst again and is having a season that is making everyone wonder why we had him rated so low.
