Ten redshirt freshmen that have stood out in 2016

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

With so much attention being paid to seniors, NFL Draft prospects and true freshmen, the redshirt freshman gets lost in the shuffle. Here are 10 guys that stood out after sitting out their first year.

Note: This isn’t a ranking of the 10 best redshirt freshmen in the country, just players that impressed me and that I remember well from their high school days.

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The skinny: Francois committed to Florida State during the summer before his junior season, but a late January visit to Florida caused some angst for Seminole fans. However, when it was time to put pen to paper, he signed with Florida State. Francois beat out Sean Maguire for the starting job during the summer and has not looked back. He has led the Seminoles to a 9-3 record, passing for 3,128 yards, 18 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Farrell’s take: Francois has a cannon of an arm and his accuracy improved as he progressed, which led to his No. 1 dual-threat ranking in 2015. He can extend the play and move the chains on the ground when needed, but he’s still at his best in the pocket. If there was one issue with Francois coming out of high school, it was touch on longer passes. He is off to a great start at Florida State and should have a great career.

The skinny: Darnold took an aggressive approach with his recruiting process, as he took unofficial visits from coast-to-coast. He checked out schools such as Duke, Oregon, Northwestern and Utah, but ultimately Darnold’s familiarity with the in-state Trojans put USC over the top. While Darnold began the season backing up Max Browne, he took over the top spot on the depth chart by the end of September. Darnold has passed for 2,502 yards and 24 touchdowns in his nine starts while leading the Trojans to an 8-1 record.

Farrell’s take: Darnold is obviously playing better than his four-star ranking. He slid considerably after an underwhelming performance at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where his arm strength was questioned, but that was clearly an anomaly. While Darnold had some throwing issues mechanically, he could run and hurt you with his arm or legs. He's playing like a five-star.

The skinny: Weber's recruitment came down to a classic Ohio State-Michigan head-to-head battle. He committed to Ohio State, but the Buckeyes had to fight tooth-and-nail to keep him from flipping to Michigan. With the departure of Ezekiel Elliott to the NFL, a great deal was expected from Weber this season. He has not disappointed, rushing for 1,072 yards and nine touchdowns despite a nagging shoulder injury.

Farrell’s take: Weber ran low to the ground and with good leverage, had a great jump cut and made people miss. He was also very strong and powerful. The running back class of 2015 is showing well with guys like Weber, Derrius Guice, Kerryon Johnson, Saquon Barkley, Ronald Jones and others making a huge impact.

The skinny: Williams committed to Washington State over offers from Arizona and California. He has split carries with Jamal Morrow and Gerard Wicks this season, but has emerged as a reliable and game-breaking option for the Cougars. He has rushed for 573 yards and six touchdowns, while averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

Farrell’s take: Williams had a solid junior season but his senior season was cut short due to injury, which hurt both his recruiting stock and his ranking. He could catch the ball and was shifty and strong for an average-sized back.

The skinny: Giles-Harris checked out several programs unofficially during his junior year, and his visit to Durham was enough to put the Blue Devils over the top. It also helped that his younger brother, Joe, was already committed to play lacrosse for Duke. Giles-Harris has made an immediate impact for Duke. He currently leads the team with 107 tackles to go along with his 9.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks and an interception.

Farrell’s take: Giles-Harris looked like a million bucks and played for a top program but struggled a bit in space. He was a bit of a ‘tweener to us, a kid with a frame where he could grow into a defensive end but also the coverage skills to stay standing up. He improved as a senior in the tackling area but we still didn’t pull the trigger on that fourth star. So far, he is making that look like a bad decision.

The skinny: Williams took official visits to Michigan State and Iowa during his senior season before committing to the Spartans in late December. Despite defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi making his move to Pittsburgh, Williams stayed firm with his commitment. Despite missing two games due to an injury this fall, Williams has still been able to showcase his array of abilities with 28 tackles, five tackles for a loss, two sacks and one forced fumble.

Farrell’s take: We liked Williams as a strongside defensive end and he’s starting to show us why after redshirting last year. He’s tall but played with good leverage, could play inside or outside and was very active. Williams was an excellent tackler and was a leader on a team that wasn’t winning until he helped them break through. He's a hungry kid with a good motor and a bright future.

The skinny: Miller took official visits to Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Arizona State before taking his final visit to Penn State. He committed to the Nittany Lions during that trip in January. Despite only playing in seven games this fall, Miller has shown a great deal of potential. He has accumulated 22 tackles, five tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble this season and is positioning himself for a big follow-up in 2017.

Farrell’s take: Miller was tall and long but just lacked the explosiveness and outside pass rush to be a four-star. He could be on his way to reaching that level if he continues to improve. He was a very good athlete, but was skinny and not so strong on his frame. Now that he’s filled out and added strength, he needs to get a bit more sudden off the ball to hit the next level.

The skinny: Jefferson originally committed to Georgia prior to his senior season but continued to visit other schools in the following months. Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Michigan and Florida became serious contenders, and he ultimately decommitted from the Bulldogs and signed with the Rebels in February. Ole Miss needed wide receiver help with the departure of Laquan Treadwell, and Jefferson has responded with 49 receptions for 543 yards and three touchdowns this fall.

Farrell’s take: We liked Jefferson a lot, especially as a catch-and-run guy who could also stretch the field. He was skinny and not overly strong, but ran excellent routes and was sudden in and out of his breaks. Jefferson made a big rankings jump after being one of the better receivers at the Army Bowl, showing he was a technician when it came to setting up talented defensive backs.

The skinny: Gallimore took official visits to Oklahoma, Ohio State, Florida State and Auburn before committing to the Sooners at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Gallimore has quickly become a mainstay on the Oklahoma defense this season and has slid into a starting spot. The additional playing time has been beneficial for Gallimore and the Sooners as he has totaled 36 tackles, four tackles for a loss, one sack and one forced fumble.

Farrell’s take: Gallimore was the rare Canadian Rivals100 prospect, but that’s how much potential he had. He was obviously raw, but his size and athleticism were excellent and he had a great motor. The first Canadian player to be invited to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Gallimore held his own against top competition at camps we scouted but missed the action in San Antonio due to a knee injury. We expected a transition period and it has occurred, but his future looks bright.

The skinny: Nelson originally committed to Iowa State in June, but he flipped to Iowa after the Hawkeyes offered late in the process. He started off this season on fire and, despite tailing off a bit in the last month, his overall performance has been impressive. Nelson has accounted for 32 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles in 2016.

Farrell’s take: Nelson was relatively new to football when he signed with Iowa, having started just two years in high school. He was long, lanky and raw but his athleticism allowed him to not only make plays in the backfield but also bat down passes. Nelson was a definite late bloomer, but he has a bright future ahead of him at Iowa.