Midseason Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 10-12
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
The college football season is past the halfway point so we have a good sample size to work with when it comes to true freshmen. The annual midseason Farrell Freshman 15 continues today led by two early impact offensive linemen.
MIDSEASON FARRELL FRESHMAN 15: Nos. 13-15
MIDSEASON FARRELL 50: Nos. 1-50
The skinny: Ingram never claimed a favorite, but LSU was always thought to be in very solid standing. With Alabama, Oklahoma, Baylor and Missouri also pushing for a commitment, Ingram chose the Tigers the day before their spring game in April. There has been some upheaval on the LSU offensive line this season, but one benefit of that has been the emergence of Ingram. Now starting for the Tigers, he has quickly grabbed hold of the right guard spot and looks more than able to not let go of it for several seasons to come.
Farrell’s take: Ingram was a huge kid who was impressive as a run blocker but struggled a bit with his footwork so it’s surprising to see him make such an immediate impact. He hasn’t been perfect, far from it, but it’s so hard to go from high school to starter along the offensive line in college and he’s making a smooth transition. I remember him at Under Armour All-America Game week when he had to be moved from tackle to guard and how much he improved moving inside. He is just starting to reach his potential.
The skinny: Becton took January official visits to Louisville, Virginia Tech and Oregon before committing to the Cardinals a few days prior to National Signing Day. While Lamar Jackson obviously had an amazing Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2016, it was noticeable that the Cardinals would need immediate help on the offensive line to help him further in 2017. The play of Becton as a true freshman has answered some of these problems, as he has proven to be invaluable to the Cardinals this season while he became an immediate starter at tackle.
Farrell’s take: Becton was very high on my ACC Commit Fit list after National Signing Day. I liked his athleticism and footwork at tackle to help Louisville early, but I didn't expect this type of transition. He’s been excellent in a tough situation as it’s often harder to block for a mobile quarterback such as Jackson than some people think. Becton was a huge get for Louisville out of Virginia. He was the Offensive Line MVP at our Rivals Camp Series Charlotte stop heading into his senior season after showing size, reach and footwork, as well as a physical nature we weren’t sure was there.
The skinny: Etienne was initially committed to Texas A&M, but re-opened his recruitment after two months. There was a flurry of late recruiting activity surrounding Etienne who eventually trimmed his list down to Clemson, LSU and Tennessee, with official visits going to Clemson and Tennessee in January. However, it was Clemson that caught his interest the most and led to his commitment a week before National Signing Day. In Death Valley, while his workload has been rather low, his productivity levels have been extremely high. Etienne has rushed for 489 yards and seven touchdowns on only 58 carries this season.
Farrell’s take: This is a kid I thought might be underranked because he had size, speed and shiftiness. LSU really coveted him in the end and Clemson did a great job winning this battle. He’s faster than I expected and his burst has improved. As a guy just outside of that four-star ranking, he might make us look bad during his career based on early returns.
