Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance looks at some great assistant coaching hires, the top-10 returning offensive linemen and compares some 2021 prospects to past stars.
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1. TOP ASSISTANT COACHING HIRES
Here are the recent assistant coach hires that stand out to me:
1. Tim Brewster, Florida — Brewster is a polarizing guy as most either love him or hate him, but he can recruit with the best of them. He will take the Gators' recruiting efforts to a new level.
2. Kerry Coombs, Ohio State — I love this hire as Coombs is one of the best defensive back coaches in football and will now run the Buckeyes' defense.
3. Mike Bobo, South Carolina — Bobo is a good offensive mind with head coaching experience and he can recruit the Southeast.
4. Azaar Abdul-Rahim, Boston College — This might not have made a national splash but watch how many Maryland/D.C. kids end up at Boston College as recruits or transfers.
5. David Johnson, Florida State — The best hire by Mike Norvell? I think so. Johnson can coach and he is an excellent recruiter.
6. Demarco Murray, Oklahoma — I’m not sure how well Murray recruits but he’s a former NFL star that will draw in big names.
7. Chris Hawkins, Arizona State — Hawkins may not have a ton of experience as a coach but he’s young and he has many contacts in California so he will do some recruiting.
8. Barry Odom, Arkansas — Odom is a terrific coach and has head coaching experience he can sell.
9. Jay Graham, Tennessee — Graham has recruited at a high level for a long time and will be a great addition to the Vols' staff.
10. Matt Luke, Georgia — Luke did what I felt was a solid job at Ole Miss and he’s an excellent OL coach and recruiter.
2. THE TOP RETURNING OFFENSIVE LINEMEN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
I continue my position-by-position look at the best returning players in college football with a look at the offensive linemen.
1. Penei Sewell, Oregon — Sewell is hands-down the best in the college game and would be a top-five pick in this year's NFL Draft if he were eligible.
2. Wyatt Davis, Ohio State — Davis is a road grader with great feet who is also special in pass protection.
3. Samuel Cosmi, Texas — An elite pass blocker, Cosmi is underrated as a run blocker as well.
4. Trey Smith, Tennessee — Smith has returned from blood clots with a vengeance and was All-SEC last year with the same expected this season.
5. Darrian Kinnard, Kentucky — You may not have heard about Kinnard but, trust me, he’s one of the best linemen in the SEC.
6. Jackson Carman, Clemson — Carman is emerging as one of the best linemen in the country and really came on at the end of last season.
7. Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma — The best center in college football gets better each time I see him play.
8. Alex Leatherwood, Alabama — Leatherwood is a monster and will be the next high first-rounder for Alabama if he continues to develop.
9. Cole Van Lanen, Wisconsin — A Wisconsin lineman in the top 10? No way! Van Lanen wasn’t as reliable last year as he was in 2018 but he will bounce back.
10. Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame — Eichenberg is efficient and a strong leader on the Notre Dame offense who doesn’t get enough credit.
3. COMPARING 2021 PROSPECTS TO PAST STARS
An early look at the class of 2021 has a few prospects reminding me of stars of old. Some of these names are a blast from the past and only for the long-timers.
OT Amarius Mims — At first, Mims reminded me a bit of Cyrus Kouandjio but he’s gotten much bigger and now he looks like Andrus Peat. He’s more physical than Peat was at the same stage and if he follows a similar career path that’s not so bad, right?
DT Maason Smith — At first glance on film, Smith reminds me of Gerald McCoy because of his height and great athleticism. I’m going to stick with that one for now. A better comparison may come down the line but likely not a better prospect to be compared to. McCoy was a freak.
DE Tyreak Sapp — This one is easy for me: Carl Lawson. Sapp isn’t long for an end but he’s powerful and very physical. Lawson was well ahead of him when it came to pass rushing moves, so Sapp has a long way to go.
CB Tony Grimes — Marlon Humphrey came to mind when I watched Grimes recently at the Future 50. He’s fluid and makes things look effortless and he has good length.
LB Terrence Lewis — Lewis reminds me of a guy we referred to as Eugene Hayes way back in the day, who of course was known as Geno Hayes at Florida State.
