Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s thought-provoking Three-Point Stance is here with some thoughts on Maryland's decision to reinstate D.J. Durkin, some headlines you would have never expected and some breakout players this season.
MORE FARRELL: Saturday's Shine & Shame | Twitter Tuesday
1. Bad move, Maryland
I’m very confused. After all the negative publicity regarding Maryland head coach DJ Durkin and the alleged toxic football environment he allowed to fester there, how on earth could the University System of Maryland Board of Regents keep him on as head coach?
After all, this is a coach who let his strength coach run amok and had a player, Jordan McNair, die on his watch. McNair, a 19-year-old offensive lineman, passed away in June and the university even admitted fault in the tragic loss.
Durkin’s strength coach, Rick Court, was forced to resign in August and even McNair’s family feels that Durkin should be ousted. The easiest thing for Maryland would have been to rid itself of Durkin, hire a new coach and rehab its reputation.
FORDE: Maryland makes unfathomable decision
So what happens now? How can Maryland recruit elite student-athletes to its football program with Durkin back in charge? What parents are going to send their children to a coach accused of festering an environment of bullying and abuse?
I, and many agreed, thought for sure that Durkin would be gone long before this decision and his retention is a shock. Maryland is 5-3 without him and 3-2 in arguably the toughest division in college football under interim coach Matt Canada. Not only have the Terps not missed a beat from last year’s 4-8 season, they seem to be a better football team without Durkin in charge.
I have no clue why they would bring this guy back, but they will get what they deserve on the recruiting trail moving forward.
Honestly, I’m simply stunned.
TerrapinSportsReport.com: Durkin to be reinstated
2. Surprise challengers
Who would expect Virginia to be winning the ACC Coastal at this stage of the season? That’s just one example of some positive headlines I am most surprised to see:
1. UVA leads the ACC Coastal: Who would have thought that the Cavaliers would be ahead of Miami, Virginia Tech and others at this stage in the Coastal? Virginia isn’t getting as much attention as it deserves. Its defense has played well, leading the division by giving up just 18.8 points per game.
2. Northwestern leads the Big Ten West: Remember when Wisconsin was a lock for the division and a playoff contender? Northwestern is now a big-time threat to take the division and would be in better shape had it hung on to defeat Michigan.
3. Washington State is the best of the Pac-12: Washington was supposed to be the class of the Pac-12 but Washington State is the top 10 team and has taken the conference by storm.
4. Kentucky is playing for the SEC East: Kentucky is playing an important game in November and has playoff, that’s right, playoff chances riding on this weekend’s game against Georgia. That’s surprising.
5. Boston College and Syracuse closest to Clemson: With Florida State a disaster and NC State falling apart, it's BC and Syracuse at 6-2 and the closest challengers to Clemson. No one is going to knock off the Tigers, but by all accounts no one would have expected the Eagles and Orange to be doing this well.
3. Big seasons, big surprises
After compiling my updated Farrell 50, which published last week, I noticed a few guys that deserve props for having big-time seasons despite being off the preseason radar. Here are a few of them, listed alphabetically:
Grant Delpit, LSU – Delpit was a four-star and a player I felt might have been undervalued back in the rankings process so this isn’t a stunner either. But he has become one of the top defensive backs in the country and perhaps that’s a bit ahead of pace.
Jerry Jeudy, Alabama – Not a huge surprise to us as a former five-star, but I don’t think many expected him to be one of the most productive players in the country. The Alabama passing game, something that is new, has done wonders for him.
Gardner Minshew, Washington State – The unexpected Heisman candidate has led his team into the top 10 and been one of the most efficient passers in the country.
Laviska Shenault, Colorado – I didn’t see Shenault on anyone’s preseason top 50 and he ended up in my mid-season top 10. He’s a dynamic playmaker for the Buffs and still doesn’t get the attention he deserves.
Quinnen Williams, Alabama – The guy that every NFL scout has fallen in love with should rise by the final release. He’s been amazing for the Alabama front.
