Midseason Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 13-15
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 starts today led by two quarterbacks out of Texas.
MORE FARRELL 50: Midseason top players
The skinny: Ehlinger committed to Texas during the summer before his junior season and never wavered on his word. As an early enrollee, and after a positive spring performance, there was immediate debate regarding Ehlinger and his opportunity to play this fall. He started the season as a back-up, but with Shane Buechele going out with an injury in the opener against Maryland, Ehlinger was thrown into action even sooner than expected. As should be expected, Ehlinger’s performance this fall has been inconsistent, but promising. However, his progress will be hampered as he is currently dealing with concussion-like symptoms leading into the Baylor game. He has thrown for 1,419 yards and six touchdowns against four interceptions and rushed for 265 yards and two more scores battling through his own injuries.
Farrell’s take: I had Ehlinger in my Commit Fit after National Signing Day for a reason because he had the skill set that a Tom Herman offense covets. His injuries during his high school career, from his knee to his wrist, led to some question marks but he was still so prolific as a stat stuffer there was no question he was in the Rivals100 range and a top 150 talent. He wasn’t the tallest quarterback, but he had a good arm, compact release and was powerfully built, which helped his running ability and ability to bounce off tackles. He’s lived up to his ranking so far and gets into the Farrell Freshman 15 because of how hard it is to play as a true freshman quarterback compared to other positions.
The skinny: Mond originally committed to Baylor, but decommitted and ended up signing with Texas A&M. While he finished his high school career at IMG Academy, Mond’s Texas roots always made it very likely that he would play his college ball in the Lone Star State. Coming into the season, it was a three-horse race between Mond, Nick Starkel and Jake Hubenak to control the offense, with Starkel starting the opener. However, an ankle injury and resulting surgery quickly put Mond in charge. Mond has responded nicely, with 1,281 yards and seven touchdowns through the air against six interceptions, plus 350 yards and another three touchdowns on the ground.
Farrell’s take: Coming off his worst game of the season, this seems like an odd choice but Mond has been key for Texas A&M this year and has handled the pressure of being thrust into a starting role before he was ready. Mond was a guy I stood on the table for as a five-star with zero agreement from our staff so if he fails, it’s on me for this eval. He reminded me of a young Deshaun Watson with slightly less accuracy but better running ability. So far it’s been up and down. But there have been more ups than downs. Same as Ehlinger, he gets the nod because of the difficulty of the position he plays.
The skinny: With offers from Arizona, Hawaii and Idaho, an early April visit to Tucson was more than enough to put the Wildcats over the top and earn a commitment. Early playing time was a key factor in his decision, which has proved important as Wilborn has made a huge impact this fall. Lining up at defensive end for the Wildcats, he already has 24 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, as part of a young and improving defensive unit.
Farrell’s take: We didn’t see this one coming. We had Wilborn as a low three-star who could play a hybrid role in college, but we didn’t see the natural athleticism and quick twitch ability we are seeing on Saturdays now. He was an athletic kid who played running back as well as defensive end in high school and had good size but his transition to college has been fun to watch.
