Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

With the college football season just beyond the halfway point, 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.

Today we start off with Nos. 46-50 and lead with two Big Ten stars.

RELATED: Preseason Farrell 50: Nos. 1 - 50

The skinny: Winovich trimmed his list of favorites to Michigan, Ohio State and Pittsburgh before committing to the Wolverines in early June. After redshirting in 2014 and seeing minimal playing time in 2015, Winovich has become one of the keys to the Michigan defense over the last two seasons. Currently enjoying his best season in Ann Arbor, Winovich has totaled 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks and one forced fumble so far this season for a defensive unit which is once again one of the best in the country.

Farrell’s take: Winovich earned his fourth star late in the process and we had him ranked as a big, physical outside linebacker who had a chance to move down to defensive end and that’s exactly what happened. He always played well off of contact while struggling a bit in coverage in space so the move to end has been a natural transition. He benefits greatly from the talent on the inside at Michigan but his effort and motor can’t be questioned.

The skinny: Ward held offers from Kentucky, Syracuse, Rutgers, Washington State, Cincinnati and others, but when he earned his offer from the Buckeyes at the Ohio State summer camp, his commitment came only a few minutes later. He saw minimal playing time as a true freshman, but has quickly become one of the leaders of the Buckeyes’ secondary during the last two seasons. Currently with 20 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one interception and a very impressive nine pass breakups, Ward has become one of the top cover cornerbacks in the country.

Farrell’s take: Ward wasn’t filled out in high school despite having a solid frame and average height to work with. He was better on offense than he was on defense, so you can see where his ball skills come from and despite his lack of size he was a willing tackler. He has benefitted from learning from some elite talent ahead of him at Ohio State and is continuing the recent trend of athletic freaks to play in the backfield.

The skinny: Burnett originally committed to Washington State, but an offer from USC, his dream school, on National Signing Day pushed him to flip to the Trojans. He had also taken official visits to Michigan and Utah before his flip. Burnett jumped onto the national spotlight last year during the Rose Bowl when he had 13 receptions, 164 yards and three touchdowns against Penn State. He has carried that over to this season, as he already has 57 receptions, 739 yards and seven touchdowns for the Trojans.

Farrell’s take: Burnett was a late blueshirt offer from USC, so he almost wasn’t a part of the Trojans' class at all. He wasn’t very big but had explosion and excellent route-running ability as a potential slot receiver. He hasn’t added much size but he’s become even more polished as a route runner, has great hands and has added speed. He continues the pipeline of Serra standouts to succeed at USC.

The skinny: Blanding, who had offers from a majority of the top programs in the country by the end of his sophomore season, committed to Virginia almost a year before his National Signing Day. Blanding has been as productive as any safety in the country since he stepped foot on campus in Charlottesville. Totaling 123, 115 and 118 tackles during his first three seasons in Virginia, Blanding is once again producing at an elite level with 74 tackles, one tackle for a loss and one interception this fall for the surprising Cavaliers.

Farrell’s take: I always liked Blanding a lot as a hard-hitting safety, but the more I saw him in high school I became enamored with his ball skills, smooth coverage ability and underrated offensive potential. We projected him as a safety, but he reminded me of Keenan Allen a bit, a kid who could play offense if he wanted. Unlike Allen, Blanding stayed on defense and was my “can’t miss” prospect of the class of 2014, at least among the big names. He hasn’t disappointed, although he is under the radar at Virginia. If Blanding were at Alabama or Ohio State, everyone would be talking about him but his consistency at Virginia is worth noting even in a smaller market.

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 of the most important players on the Sooners defense over the last two seasons. Currently with 41 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, six sacks and three forced fumbles, he will be a major key for the Sooners if they hope to still make a run to the College Football Playoffs.

Farrell’s take: Okoronkwo 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 makes him a leader on the Sooners defense.