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. 6-10, highlighted by the best rush end in the country.
MORE FARRELL MIDSEASON 50: Nos. 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: Washington’s process was slow to take off, so when he received his offer from Oklahoma State during a summer visit, he quickly committed to the Cowboys. With Oklahoma State, Washington’s game and productivity has increased from year to year. After grabbing 28 receptions in 2014, 53 in 2015 and then 71 in 2016, he is on pace to have his best season yet this fall with 38 receptions for 914 yards and six touchdowns through seven games. He is also averaging an amazing 24.1 yards per reception.
Farrell’s take: Washington was a very fast, straight-line receiver from a small school who can be billed as a “diamond in the rough” recruiting find for Oklahoma State. We liked his speed enough to make him a low three-star, but he has turned into something fun to watch at the next level. Not only is he fast but he’s elusive and sneaky strong. He’s having an excellent season, could be the best 50-50 ball receiver in the nation and is a true deep threat as well as a catch-and-run home run waiting to happen.
The skinny: Barrett committed to Ohio State in April, approximately three weeks after he spent two days on campus during a visit. His time in Columbus started off amazingly in 2014 before an injury cut his season short. That was followed by the 2015 season when he split time with Cardale Jones, and then peaked again last season as he helped the Buckeyes into the playoffs. This season started off bumpy with a loss to Oklahoma, but he has responded exceptionally well since that game to put the Buckeyes into position for the playoffs yet again. Currently with 1,827 yards and 21 touchdowns through the air, plus 370 yards rushing and five touchdowns on the ground, he once again has the Ohio State offense buzzing.
Farrell’s take: Barrett’s senior season in high school was cut short due to an ACL tear, which hurt his dual-threat QB ranking because it led to some questions about his mobility. Even then, we ranked him as the No. 7 dual-threat signal-caller, so it was clear we liked him quite a bit. I remember him at the Elite 11 the summer before his senior year and he made some amazing throws, especially on longer passes and during the more pressure-filled periods of the camp, but he also didn’t look overly comfortable as a pocket passer and has struggled in that capacity many times during his career. I expected downfield improvement under new coordinators and have seen that for the most part, but the Oklahoma game still sticks out.
The skinny: Jackson committed to Louisville during the summer after his junior year but he still took official visits to Nebraska, Florida and Mississippi State. The biggest push came from Florida, but Jackson decided to stick with his original commitment and signed with the Cardinals. Coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning sophomore season that saw him throw for 3,390 yards and 30 touchdowns and rush for 1,538 yards and 21 touchdowns, many wondered what Jackson could do for an encore. While the Cardinals haven’t experienced the same level of success this fall, Jackson has continued to tear apart defenses with 2,478 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air and 868 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground through eight games.
Farrell’s take: Jackson was known for his arm – he has a cannon with that whip delivery – but in high school he did a ton with his legs as well. But there was no way to see how explosive he’d be at the next level. His speed has translated much better to college than I expected, as I've been surprised with his ability to run away from people so easily. Jackson is still a bit raw as a passer, but he is so dominant as a runner that he gets a lot of a space when inside or outside the pocket as the entire pass rush is geared toward run containment. He is simply the most dynamic player we’ve seen in college football in quite some time despite his occasional struggles. I’m happy we are only one of two sites to have him as a four-star (the others saw three-star), but it’s clear now we were watching a future five-star.
The skinny: Chubb committed to NC State a few days after picking up an offer from the Wolfpack in June. He had taken a visit to Raleigh earlier in the month and made his decision on his birthday. Chubb began to show his potential in 2015, but really took his game to an entirely new level last fall with 56 tackles, 21 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks. With more attention on him in 2017 he has continued to improve his game with 37 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks through seven games for the surprising Wolfpack.
Farrell’s take: Chubb missed much of his junior season of high school due to an ACL injury, so he was under-recruited a bit and perhaps underrated because of it. He had a solid senior season and showed athleticism as a pass rusher, but also someone who could drop into coverage. His lack of natural length kept him rated a bit lower, but his relentless motor and technique make him an elite pass rusher in college and the best defensive end around.
The skinny: Taylor initially committed to Rutgers in early May, but then flipped to Wisconsin after an official visit to Madison in October. With the Badgers’ long history of producing elite college backs, expectations were high for Taylor, but not many people envisioned this level of production as a true freshman. Already with 1,112 yards and 11 touchdowns on 149 carries, which gives him a 7.5 yard-per-carry-average, Taylor has quickly become one of the more dominant backs in the country in less than two months.
Farrell’s take: I had Taylor on my Commit Fit list when he signed in February because of his combination of size, power and quick feet in the Wisconsin offense, but I never expected him to reach this level so fast. The Badgers have done so well with New Jersey/New York-area running backs over the years, and this kid is clearly next. He broke former Badgers star running back Corey Clement’s South Jersey rushing record his senior season and has been compared with Clement often, although he’s a bit more physical. Taylor’s balance, especially, stood out when scouting him.
