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With the college football season nearly upon us, 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 continue with Nos. 15-11, highlighted by two lockdown corners from the Big Ten.
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report
The skinny: Lewis was a long-time Michigan lean before the Wolverines even offered. So when Michigan finally did a couple of months after his junior season, he only waited a couple of weeks before committing. During the 2015 season, Lewis further established himself as a lockdown corner for the Wolverines. Accumulating 52 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and an extremely impressive 20 pass break-ups, Lewis established himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the country.
Farrell’s take: It's hard to find a cornerback who played the ball better than Lewis last year, and his instincts and ability to make a play on the ball have been unmatched. We liked him quite a bit as a top-150 player, but of course his size was a concern in regards to handling bigger receivers. That hasn't been a problem mainly because of his hops, his knack for getting his head around just in time, and he's been an effective tackler as well. He made some huge plays in high school and on the camp circuit, but he's taken his game to the next level in Ann Arbor.
The skinny: Robinson's recruiting process was an Alabama-LSU battle from start to finish. With Alabama coach Nick Saban making Robinson a recruiting priority, he committed to the Crimson Tide early during his senior season. A great deal was expected out of Robinson last season, and he responded by helping pave the way for Derrick Henry’s Heisman Trophy winning season. Now with Henry moving onto the NFL, Robinson will anchor an offensive line that will try to blast holes for Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris.
Farrell’s take: Robinson is an elite talent and we saw that in high school as evidenced by his lofty ranking. The fact that he's in the discussion for best offensive tackle in the country is not a surprise, but I’m still impressed by how quickly he adapted to college football because he was so raw in high school when it came to technique. He is a very good run blocker and his pass protection has improved steadily.
The skinny: Smith-Schuster always seemed to be USC’s to lose from the start. Despite some intense efforts by UCLA to change this, USC managed to hold onto Smith-Schuster, as he committed to the Trojans on National Signing Day. He has impressed since the day he stepped on campus at USC. Smith-Schuster took his game to the next level last season with 89 receptions for 1,454 yards, which led the Pac-12 and was fourth in the nation, and 10 touchdowns. Will he continue to improve with newly named starting quarterback Max Browne?
Farrell’s take: An amazing athlete, JuJu reminded me a bit of Marqise Lee because he could be dominant on defense or offense in high school. But unlike Lee, I didn't freeze up when it came to giving out a fifth star here, and Smith-Schuster is proving worthy. He's one of the best weapons in the country and has emerged as a dominant, physical receiver that scouts will be drooling over next season. I’m convinced he’d be an All-American safety as well if he went that route.
The skinny: Ridley was an early commitment to the Crimson Tide despite having offers from coast to coast. Rumors persisted through his senior season and leading up to National Signing Day that he was taking a look at other programs, but he stuck with his word and signed with Alabama. He already looks to be the next great Alabama wide receiver, following Julio Jones and Amari Cooper. After grabbing 89 receptions for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns as a true freshman, it will be interesting to see how high he can take his game as a sophomore.
Farrell’s take: Ridley set freshman records at Alabama as a receiver, the same place where Jones and Cooper dominated, so that's heady stuff. Ridley was always an elite prospect in high school and a no-brainer five-star for us from the start, and other websites followed suit. He was an accomplished route runner, had solid size and amazing hands and just needed to fill out and find his way into the Alabama offense. Now the next step is superstardom.
The skinny: King was originally committed to Ball State but flipped to Iowa when he received an offer during his official visit to campus. During the 2015 season, King became one of the major reasons that the Hawkeyes had a memorable run that culminated with a Rose Bowl appearance. He finished second in the nation with eight interceptions while adding 72 tackles and 13 passes defended. This led him to win the Jim Thorpe Award, which is annually given out to the top defensive back in the nation. King, who surprised some people by returning for his senior season, will look to further solidify his status this fall as one of the elite cornerbacks in the country.
Farrell’s take: King was not heavily recruited out of high school and was essentially ignored by in-state powers Michigan and Michigan State, much to their dismay now. He was always a guy who was around the ball with double-digit interceptions consistently in high school, but we questioned his speed, which is why he was a mid three-star kid. But his instincts continue to be off the charts and make up for that lack of blazing quickness. He breaks on the ball like a sub-4.4 guy even though that's not his straight-ahead speed.
