Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
The regular season has ended so it’s time for the final Farrell 50, the top 50 players in college football and how they looked out of high school. Today we continue the countdown with Nos. 31-35.
FARRELL 50: Nos. 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
RELATED: Midseason Farrell 50 | Preseason Farrell 50
The skinny: Jackson originally planned to take a few official visits before making his decision, but an August trip to Iowa changed everything. Soon after his visit he committed to the Hawkeyes over offers from Colorado State, New Mexico State and Nevada. Jackson made minimal impact on the field during his first two seasons, which made his performance in 2017 that much more surprising. Currently with 47 tackles and an NCAA-leading seven interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, he quickly became one of the leaders of the Hawkeyes' defense.
Farrell’s take: Jackson was a lightly-recruited two-star prospect out of high school and it was unclear whether Iowa would use him on offense or defense. He had good length but was very light and not very strong or physical. He has taken the next step in that department in college. One thing he always had was ball skills which he showcased on offense in high school. He’s among the best in the country out of the defensive backs in that category.
The skinny: Lawrence took official visits to the Clemson, Florida, Ohio State, N.C. State and Alabama before committing to the Tigers. The Wolfpack made a late push to keep him in-state but couldn’t beat out Clemson. Lawrence had a memorable true freshman season for the Tigers last fall and returned in 2017 as part of the top defensive line in the country. While his stats did not reach the same levels as last season, he still dominated the interior with 32 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks and one forced fumble.
Farrell’s take: The unsung hero of the Clemson defensive line? That could be the case with Lawrence, who takes up so many blockers. He was a massive high school prospect, tall and big, who had exceptional pass-rushing moves and worked off contact extremely well for a taller interior lineman. He had light feet, always had a counter for whatever an offensive lineman threw at him and was well-coached in the nuances of the position. He finished as our No. 2 overall player behind Rashan Gary in 2016, but was No. 1 at one point. The NFL scouts are drooling.
The skinny: Penny took official visits to San Diego State, Utah State and Fresno State before committing to the Aztecs a few days before National Signing Day. After rushing for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, despite playing behind Donnel Pumphrey, a great deal was expected from Penny in 2017. He responded by rushing for a nation-leading 2,027 yards, along with 19 touchdowns and two more touchdowns through the air.
Farrell’s take: Penny was a mid-level three-star prospect who had to overcome some speed questions and didn’t earn a ton of big offers. He was a good-sized runner and had good feet, but we didn’t see breakaway speed at the next level, and he didn’t turn the corner that well. He’s improved greatly since then and has turned into one of the best running backs in the country by cracking the 2,000-yard mark.
MORE SAN DIEGO STATE: AztecSportsReport.com
The skinny: UCLA, along with Stanford, was always considered one of the front-runners for Rosen. After taking a few visits, including one to Michigan just days before his announcement, Rosen decided to stay local and committed to the Bruins. After a huge true freshman season, Rosen’s sophomore season was derailed due to injuries. Healthy this fall, Rosen enjoyed his best statistical season at UCLA with 3,717 yards and 26 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 (although Trevor Lawrence is quickly changing that). There’s something about his attitude and cockiness that leads you to believe the game will never be too big for him and that he will excel regardless of the circumstances. We saw that this season against Texas A&M, and others and he won the head-to-head scouting battle against Sam Darnold this season as well. I’m kicking myself that we didn’t keep him as No. 1 in 2015, and flipped him and Byron Cowart. That’s on me. His outspoken nature could drop him on some boards, but talent-wise he’s the best NFL quarterback prospect.
The skinny: Hurts named a top four of Alabama, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Florida before committing to the Crimson Tide less than a week later in early June. Not many expected Hurts to make an immediate impact as a true freshman, but that is exactly what he did in 2016. He has continued to improve his game this fall while leading the Tide back to the College Football Playoff. This fall he has passed for 2,005 yards and 15 touchdowns, while throwing only one interception, and added 768 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
Farrell’s take: Hurts was always known for a big arm, but his touch wasn’t consistent. However, he was the kind of kid who seemed very relaxed on and off the field and never shrunk from the moment. Hurts was smart with the football and his accuracy improved greatly between his junior and senior seasons. I certainly didn’t see him heading to Alabama and taking the starting job in game one, however, and he has been improving as a pocket passer. Teams schemed differently for him this season but he has adjusted well to that and a new offensive coordinator. A true freshman leading his team to a national title game shows Hurts' maturity and he could still win it all this year.
