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With the college football season nearly upon us, it’s time for another installment of the Farrell 50, the top 50 college football players in the country. However, as usual here at Rivals.com, we take a quick look at how each ranked out of high school and if they are exceeding or simply living up to expectations.
We are unveiling five per day leading into the start of the college football season.
Today we continue with Nos. 26-30, headlined by three former five-star prospects.
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report
The skinny: While Texas A&M was always considered a favorite for Kirk, the five-star prospect also took official visits to UCLA, Arizona State and Auburn. Despite a late push to stay closer to home and play for the Sun Devils, the relationship he built with coach Kevin Sumlin was enough to seal his commitment to the Aggies. Kirk had an impressive freshman season at Texas A&M, finishing with 80 receptions for 1,009 yards and seven touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: Kirk’s size was always the only question mark but we pushed beyond that and made him the rare 5-foot-10 five-star wide receiver and he’s living up to that billing. We expected him to hit the ground running with his route-running and ability to separate, but he’s ahead of schedule already with gaudy freshman numbers. His performance at our Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour in Chicago is what sealed the deal for us as he was simply unstoppable.
The skinny: After taking a return visit to Clemson in late March, Hyatt committed to the Tigers over offers from Ohio State, Georgia and a host of other schools. Hyatt’s accomplishments at Clemson during his true freshman season were amazing. He became an immediate starter at tackle, protecting the blindside of Heisman finalist Deshaun Watson on a team that played for the national championship. At the conclusion of the season, Hyatt was named first-team freshman All-American and third-team All-ACC.
Farrell’s take: Hyatt was a long-time five-star but was downgraded at the end of the process because of concerns regarding his ability to fill out his frame and add strength in his lower body. Oops, I’ll take the blame for that one. His technique and footwork helped him overcome a frame that is still filling out. Hyatt seemed to get stronger game by game last year so it’s exciting to see how good he can be in his second year in college.
The skinny: McDowell’s recruiting process was both long and strange. He ended up not signing with Michigan State until early April, approximately two months after he had committed to the Spartans. The biggest reason for the delay was his mother, who wanted her son at one of his other three finalists: Michigan, Ohio State or Florida State. After two months of back-and-forth, he finally put pen to paper. After a rather uneventful true freshman season, McDowell rose to the occasion last fall, finishing with 41 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks.
Farrell’s take: I’ll admit it, the first time I saw McDowell I thought he was a bit soft and too raw to be special despite his size and amazing physical gifts. He was at our first Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour in Atlanta and I was underwhelmed considering the hype. But then the next year in Chicago, he was a different player and he played lower and more physical. Now he’s one of the best gap-shooting defensive tackles in college football with a first-round NFL ceiling if he keeps developing. He’s come a long way for sure.
The skinny: UCLA was always considered one of the front-runners for Rosen, even though he did take a closer look at several other top programs. After taking a few visits, including one to Michigan just days before his announcement, Rosen decided to stay local and committed to the Bruins. As a true freshman, Rosen performed like a veteran, completing 60-percent of his passes for 3,669 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: In all my years of scouting Rosen was the best high school quarterback I’ve seen on film or in person. There’s something about his attitude and cockiness that leads you to believe the game will never be too big for him and he will excel regardless of the circumstances. Yes, there have been some bumps along the way, but he’s shown all the skills we saw in high school and plays as if he’s been in college for years. I’m kicking myself that he wasn’t No. 1 in the 2015 Rivals100. That’s on me.
The skinny: Chubb committed to Georgia over a group of finalists that included Auburn and South Carolina. After a huge season in 2014 with 1,547 yards and 14 scores as a freshman, a great deal was expected out of Chubb in 2015. Unfortunately, six games into what had been an impressive sophomore campaign, Chubb sustained a season-ending knee injury. As he gradually regains his pre-injury form , Chubb looks ready for another big season with the Bulldogs.
Farrell’s take: Chubb was only two spots away from a fifth star as a recruit. Based on the way he has played in Athens, despite the scary injury last season, Chubb has clearly been a five-star college back. He’s a bit lower than most would expect on this list and that’s mainly because of concerns over his recovery. He’s a national top five player when healthy. If he gets back to form, he will shoot up the charts for my mid-season and postseason lists.
