Week 2: College football's breakout stars
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report
Week 2 of the college football season is in the books, and with it came many standout performances. Here are three players who had what could be breakout weeks for them as they take the next step in their development.
The skinny: Taylor initially committed to Rutgers in early May, but then flipped to Wisconsin after an official visit to Madison in October. Taylor quickly impressed during the summer, raising expectations for him during his true freshman season. And through two games, he has stepped up to those expectations. After rushing for 87 yards and one touchdown on only nine carries in the season opener, Taylor gained national headlines after a 31-14 victory over Florida Atlantic when he rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. Considering the Badgers’ long history of producing elite college backs, look for Taylor to receive increased attention in the coming weeks if he continues to produce at this level.
Farrell’s take: I had Taylor on my Commit Fit list in February because of his combination of size, power and quick feet in the Wisconsin offense. The Badgers have done so well with New Jersey/New York area running backs over the years, and this kid could be next. He broke former Badgers star running back Corey Clement’s South Jersey rushing record his senior season and has been compared to Clement often, although he’s a bit more physical to me. Taylor’s balance, especially, stood out when scouting him.
The skinny: Bryant trimmed his list down to a top 10 and then took several visits before Clemson and Notre Dame emerged as his two leaders. He took an additional visit to both schools before committing to the Tigers in July before his senior year. Bryant showed flashes of his potential during his first two seasons at Clemson, but a foot injury last fall slowed his progress. Now fully healthy, Bryant exploded on Saturday night during a 14-6 win over Auburn when he totaled four sacks and seven tackles. It will be interesting to see how Bryant, who is part of a dominant defensive line, progresses this fall.
Farrell’s take: Bryant was an interesting recruit because he made the adjustment from a huge linebacker to a defensive end. As a result, I was worried a bit that his ranking was too high, which is the opposite of what you’d normally think because the athleticism to play in space as a linebacker would help any defensive end. Bottom line for me is that I wasn’t convinced he could be an elite pass rusher with the get off and pass rushing moves I saw. He’s been up and down his first two seasons, but Saturday night could be his breakout game.
The skinny: Kinnel committed to the Wolverines before the start of his junior season, but then took an official visit to Notre Dame after his senior season. Despite the visit, Kinnel remained firm with Michigan and signed with the Wolverines on Signing Day. Kinnel has seen time at cornerback and safety during his first two seasons in Ann Arbor. Now starting at safety, Kinnel has made a big impact during Michigan’s undefeated start, including a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown during the 36-14 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon.
Farrell’s take: A Rivals250 member in 2015, this could be the start of Kinnel emerging as a star for the Wolverines. Kinnel liked to work out at cornerback at our camps, but we projected him as a safety prospect because he was physical, powerfully built and did better when he was moving forward rather than backpedaling. He showed excellent vision and ball skills many times when we scouted him, and now those skills are starting to emerge on the college level.
