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. 36-40 led by a do-everything star for the Wolverines.
FARRELL 50: Nos. 41-45 | 46-50
RELATED: Midseason Farrell 50 | Preseason Farrell 50
The skinny: Okoronkwo was an early commitment to Oklahoma State, but flipped to the Sooners in mid-December. He also took an official visit to Missouri during his senior season. After redshirting in 2013 and then totaling only 16 tackles and three sacks in 2014 and 2015, Okoronkwo has become one of the most important players on the Sooners' defense over the last two seasons. Currently with 70 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, eight sacks and three forced fumbles, the Sooners will rely on Okoronkwo if they are to win the national championship.
Farrell’s take: The heartbeat of the OU defense this year, Okoronkwo has been awesome. He didn't have great size, but he could get around the edge, was sneaky strong and powerful. He ran track, was a weight room warrior and, as a flip from Oklahoma State, he was an important get in the 2013 class. He has played above his ranking this season and has the athleticism to convert from end to linebacker in the NFL. His non-stop motor and energy make him a leader on the defense.
The skinny: Outside of the state of Iowa, not much was known of Jewell during his recruiting process. He seemed likely to be headed to Northern Iowa until late interest and an offer from Iowa quickly changed everything. He ended up committing to the Hawkeyes a few days before National Signing Day. Since the 2015 season, Jewell has been one of the more productive linebackers in the country. He has continued his dominant level of play in 2017 with 121 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
Farrell’s take: When you talk about players almost always in position, Jewell is one of those guys. He was a late take by Iowa and a kid who was a star in multiple sports, but never got much recruiting traction. He was undersized a bit as a linebacker and wasn’t much of a quick-twitch athlete, despite putting up massive numbers on offense and defense against weak competition. He’s a good example of a kid who was overlooked because you can’t measure heart in scouting, and he has become one of the best tacklers in the nation.
The skinny: Johnson committed to Miami over Florida State, Florida and South Carolina in August, which came as a surprise to some as the Seminoles were thought to be the leader at the time of his announcement. He also considered taking an official visit to Florida during the winter, but that never materialized. Along with his 85 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one sack, four interceptions and two forced fumbles, Johnson’s leadership and energy sparked the tenacious Miami defense throughout the season.
Farrell’s take: Johnson was a do-everything four-star for us projected to play safety before he had a rough week at the US Army All-American Bowl week where he struggled badly in coverage. He slipped to a mid-range three-star with good potential but a lot of concerns about his on-field eye discipline. He’s played much better than that ranking and is one of the most dynamic defenders in college football and a terrific tackler.
The skinny: Elliott was an early commitment to Texas, but then took official visits to Oklahoma and TCU during his senior season. However he remained firm with Texas and signed with the Longhorns on National Signing Day. Elliott began to flourish last season, but truly raised his game to a higher level this fall. Having already decided to declare for the NFL Draft and also to pass on playing in the Longhorns’ bowl game, he finished his final season in Austin with 63 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, six interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, nine pass break-ups and three forced fumbles.
Farrell’s take: A four-star player outside the Rivals250, Elliott was a talented kid who never really broke out in any setting to push higher in the rankings. We saw him in camps, we saw him in games and we saw him at Under Armour week, and felt he was good but we weren’t sure he was elite, which is why he stayed outside the R250. In fact, he added his fourth star after Under Armour, where he showed better coverage skills than he had previously and started to display those ball skills. Now the NFL has him high on the list at his position.
The skinny: Hudson took official visits to Michigan, UCLA and Penn State before committing to the Wolverines in late January. He also took multiple unofficial visits to Pittsburgh before making his decision. Defensive coordinator Don Brown has a knack for developing players quickly, which definitely was the case with Hudson. After making a minimal impact in 2016, he burst onto the scene this fall with 67 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles for the Wolverines.
Farrell’s take: Hudson was a high three-star athlete for us who could play many different positions in college and came on strong near the end of his senior season. His coming out party was at the annual Big 33 game well after our final ranking, where he showed he had just started to tap into his potential. He was always a great athlete. He just never stood out at one position until that Big 33 game and he has taken things to the next level since then.
