Midseason Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 7-9

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 three Southeast-based products.

MIDSEASON FARRELL FRESHMAN 15: Nos. 13-15 | 10-12

MIDSEASON FARRELL 50: Nos. 1-50

CLASS OF 2017 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | State

The skinny: While Wilson named a top four of Florida, Miami, Georgia and Ohio State, most assumed it would come down to the Gators and Canes. An overnight visit to Gainesville, and the fact that his older brother, Quincy Wilson, is a defensive back at Florida, was enough to seal the deal for the Gators as he committed in late July. With the Gators losing multiple members of their secondary to the NFL Draft, both Wilson and C.J. Henderson had an opportunity to contribute immediately. And both have prospered, but with 20 tackles and an impressive seven pass breakups, it is Wilson that has made the bigger impact to this point.

Farrell’s Take: We knew about Marco for a while and liked him enough to have him ranked No. 128 and in the top 15 nationally at cornerback. He had good size, solid instincts and he could play off or press coverage. There was little doubt he’d be one of the next great ones at defensive back in Gainesville and his early impact is not a surprise.

The skinny: Thomas trimmed his list to Georgia, Clemson and Notre Dame prior to committing to the Bulldogs at The Opening. Plenty was expected out of Thomas during his collegiate career in Athens, but most people didn’t expect that to start immediately. However, after impressing everyone at camp, Thomas quickly earned playing time and has started at right tackle since the opener. He has helped solidify an offensive line that has the Bulldogs undefeated, averaging 284 yards per game on the ground and 38.1 points per game on the scoreboard.

Farrell’s Take: As a Rivals100 prospect and top 10 offensive tackle nationally, we liked Thomas quite a bit and he got stronger as the rankings cycle progressed. He became more physical with each evaluation and was especially impressive at the U.S. Army Bowl week where he shot up into our final Rivals100. He had a good frame, excellent reach and good feet, but what he’s done as a starter since day one at Georgia is still ahead of schedule.

The skinny: Sermon committed to the Sooners in late April, over an abundance of top programs such as Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Georgia, Oregon and Auburn. With Oklahoma losing a majority of its rushing attack after last season, there was plenty of opportunity for Sermon to contribute immediately. He has grabbed this opportunity and run with it, totaling 487 yards on the ground, 95 yards through the air and five total touchdowns so far this season

Farrell’s Take: Sermon was a Rivals250 prospect with size and power, but it has been his footwork and speed that have impressed early in his college career. We thought it would take a little while for him to adjust to the speed and wide-open play of the Big 12, but he has hit the ground running and become a huge part of an offense in need of replacing Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon.