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. 31-35, led by two dynamic running backs.
MORE FARRELL 50: Nos. 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: After originally committing to Michigan during Brady Hoke’s final year in Ann Arbor, Harris then flirted with in-state program Kentucky for several months before finally committing to the Crimson Tide. After being the primary back-up to Derrick Henry as a true freshman and then rushing for over 1,000 yards as a sophomore, Harris is on pace to have his best collegiate season to date this fall. With 697 yards, 10 touchdowns and an eye-catching 8.6 yard per carry average, Harris’ game seems to improve week by week.
Farrell’s take: I liked Harris on film quite a bit, but the level of competition worried me – until I saw him at the Under Armour All-America Game. He was thicker and stronger than I expected, his jump cut was awesome and he had vision and power. He not only held his own against the best in the country, but was dominant at times. A thick, powerful back with the speed to bounce it outside, Harris was our No. 1 running back when all was said and done for 2015. Now that he’s dropped weight and added speed, he’s simply dynamic.
The skinny: Jefferson took official visits to Texas, LSU, Texas A&M and UCLA before committing to the Longhorns a week before Christmas. While Texas has seen its fair share of difficulties on the field since his arrival, Jefferson continue to be an anchor on the defense. Currently in the midst of his best collegiate season, Jefferson has already totaled 68 tackles, six tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks, for a defense that has seen a steady improvement this fall.
Farrell’s take: Jefferson was a fun kid to cover, a driven player who made sacrifices like pushing through family hardship to play in the Under Armour All-America Game when he could have easily gone the local U.S. Army All-American Bowl route. Jefferson was a five-star and he has certainly delivered for Texas. His early impact was a surprise, but the fact that he’s become a defensive leader after two seasons is not surprising at all. He started off poorly in game one but he has been a monster for Texas since then.
The skinny: This was a recruiting battle between Clemson, South Carolina and Virginia Tech, but with the Tigers seen as the leader for months, it came as little surprise when he committed in June. After tearing his ACL during his senior season, Ferrell took a redshirt in 2015 before bursting onto the scene last fall with 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks. He has continued his improvement this fall with 30 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble through eight games for the Tigers.
Farrell’s take: Many felt that this would be Ferrell’s breakout season at Clemson, and so far he has been very impressive, coming a split second away from numerous sacks and still putting up very good numbers. I always liked his athletic upside, although he was a bit stiff at times, but I questioned his aggressiveness, so it has been interesting watch him mature and come into his own in that area. His ceiling is very high for the NFL and keeps rising. He’s playing up to our lofty ranking.
The skinny: With his father being a Florida State legacy, most people assumed the younger Bush was also heading to Tallahassee. However, after taking official visits to Florida State, Michigan and Auburn, Bush committed to the Wolverines, who were actually thought to be his leader for months. After seeing limited action as a true freshman last fall, Bush has quickly become an important part of Michigan’s revamped defensive unit in 2017. Already with 52 tackles, six tackles for a loss and five sacks, the future looks very bright for Bush.
Farrell’s take: We had Bush ranked in the Rivals250 and as a top 10 inside linebacker, but I never expected him to be as dominant as he has been this early in his career. He’s a much bigger hitter at the college level than I expected and his lack of length, something we worried about, hasn’t hurt him at all. He explodes to the football and arrives with a thump and has been a huge key for Michigan’s defense.
The skinny: Jones initially made a commitment to Oklahoma State, but left the door open for other schools. After taking official visits to both USC and Notre Dame, he then committed to the Trojans at the Under Armour All-America Game. After totaling over 2,000 rushing yards during his first two seasons, Jones continues to take his game to the next level. Having rushed for 672 yards and eight touchdowns, plus adding a receiving touchdown, Jones is one of the top playmaking backs in the country.
Farrell’s take: Jones was a speedster and was awesome on film. He was impressive at the Under Armour Game and has put together a strong college career. Running backs and linebackers are the hardest to evaluate in camp settings without pads, so Jones was never penalized in our rankings for not having as much of an impact as expected and it’s a good thing for us. His film and Under Armour week kept him in the Rivals100 and as one of the top backs in the country. He was disappointing at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, but that was the only blip on the radar during his evaluation.
