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 26-30, led by a couple of elite offensive linemen.
MORE POSTSEASON FARRELL 50: Nos. 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: Brown took official visits to Alabama and Cal in late January, but he decided to stay in-state and committed to Ole Miss over Mississippi State on National Signing Day. After a promising true freshman season last fall, Brown jumped into the national spotlight this fall with 75 receptions for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has positioned himself to become one of the top returning receivers in the country next fall.
Farrell’s take: Brown has had a breakout season, for sure. He was a big and thick receiver with great physical skills coming out of high school. He was our No. 9 wide receiver and No. 53 player overall in our 2016 Rivals100, and there were some internal arguments that he should be ranked higher. At Under Armour week, he was one of our top performers all week, showing excellent hands and great ability to make big catches in traffic. He may be the most complete receiver in the country when you consider his size and power.
The skinny: Brown was an early commit to Tennessee and stayed that way until a surprising flip to Oklahoma on Signing Day occurred when the Vols ran out of spots. After redshirting in 2014, Brown has started every game at left tackle since the start of the 2015 season. He only gave up one sack last season and has continued his dominant play this fall for a Sooners offense that has become the most lethal in the country.
Farrell’s take: Brown had an excellent year, especially in pass protection, for the high-flying Oklahoma offense. He was a massive kid out of high school with great bloodlines (his dad was Orlando “Zeus” Brown, who played 11 seasons in the NFL) but lacked the footwork and discipline to be rated higher than a high three-star. If you told me back then that he’d become an All-American offensive lineman and one of the best in the country, I would have told you that you’re crazy – he was just flat-out out of shape. He’s done a great job putting in the work and making himself better, and he deserves all the accolades he’s receiving.
The skinny: Freeman trimmed his list to Oregon, UCLA, USC and Florida before committing to the Ducks in July. While Oregon has experienced a few ups and downs the past couple of years, Freeman has continued to be an anchor for the Ducks. Playing his final season in Eugene as the unquestioned leader of the offense, Freeman has totaled 1,475 yards and 16 touchdowns for the young but improving Ducks.
Farrell’s take: We knew Freeman was good as a top 60 prospect with great size, but we didn't know he'd fit so well into the speedy offense of Oregon, where smaller, slashing backs tend to get the attention. He has increased his quickness in college and he's tough to bring down the way he was out of high school. Last year was a down year for the entire team, but this season he bounced back and has displayed the skills that made him so heavily recruited and such a success his first few years.
The skinny: Jefferson took official visits to Texas, LSU, Texas A&M and UCLA before committing to the Longhorns a week before Christmas. While Texas has seen its fair share of difficulties on the field since his arrival, Jefferson continues to be an anchor on the defense. This season he also established himself as one of the top linebackers in the country, leading the team with 110 tackles while also adding 10 tackles for a loss and four sacks.
Farrell’s take: Jefferson was a fun kid to cover, a driven player who made sacrifices like pushing through family hardship to play in the Under Armour All-America Game when he could have easily gone the local U.S. Army All-American Bowl route. Jefferson was a five-star, and he has certainly delivered for Texas. His early impact was a surprise, but the fact that he’s become a defensive leader after two seasons is not surprising at all. He started off poorly in the season-opener, but he has been a monster for Texas since then.
The skinny: Williams played his high school football in California, but he actually grew up in SEC country, which is why Alabama became an immediate player for him. After the Crimson Tide offered in March and he took a visit to Tuscaloosa, he committed in early April. Williams made an immediate impact with the Crimson Tide as a true freshman and has continued to improve his level of play during the following two seasons. This fall, as one of the veterans on the line, he helped pave the way for 265 yards per game on the ground for the Tide.
Farrell’s take: Williams was the rare five-star prospect who didn’t attend camps, didn’t care about all-star games and just dominated on the football field with pads and a helmet on. We saw him in game action but never got to see him go against the elite defensive linemen in the country at any events. But it didn’t matter to us, because he was so good in person and on film, and he had that throwback, nasty attitude of the greats of yesteryear. Williams just wanted to destroy the player in front of him and help his team win - he didn’t care about gear, free trips or rankings. He’s clearly showing our faith in his film was warranted.
