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Postseason Farrell 50: Defenders highlight Nos. 21-25

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

The regular season has ended so it’s time for the final Farrell 50, the top 50 players in college football and how they looked out of high school. Today we continue the countdown with Nos. 21-25 led by a do-everything former three-star prospect.

MORE POSTSEASON FARRELL 50: Nos. 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50

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The skinny: James avoided any recruiting drama by committing to Florida State almost three years before National Signing Day. More amazingly, he never truly wavered and always held true to his word with the Seminoles. After bursting onto the national landscape with a huge true freshman season, James’ 2016 season was cut short due to injuries. James started off this season a little bumpy, but he quickly hit his stride and enjoyed another dominant season. Finishing with 84 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and two interceptions, he recently announced he will be foregoing his final season to enter the NFL Draft and will not play in Florida State's bowl game.

Farrell’s take: James had a solid season, just not the breakout year I expected. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: James is the most athletic and dynamic safety I have ever scouted, and that’s saying something. After an average start, he came on and became a dominant defensive back as expected his freshman season. His sophomore season was a washout due to injury.. He can blitz, tackle in space and support the run, and he can cover a ton of ground in the passing game. And this is only the beginning, as he will be an absolute star beyond college football. However, he was at No. 2 on my preseason list and I expected more.

The skinny: Jones initially made a commitment to Oklahoma State, but left the door open for other schools. After taking official visits to both USC and Notre Dame, he then committed to the Trojans at the Under Armour All-America Game. After totaling over 2,000 rushing yards during his first two seasons, Jones took his game to the next level this fall. Currently with 1,486 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground, plus another touchdown through the air, he has become one of the more dynamic backs in the country.

Farrell’s take: Jones was a speedster and was awesome on film. He was impressive at the Under Armour Game and has put together a strong college career. Running backs and linebackers are the hardest to evaluate in camp settings without pads, so Jones was never penalized in our rankings for not having as much of an impact as expected and it’s a good thing for us. His film and Under Armour week kept him in the Rivals100 and as one of the top backs in the country. He was disappointing at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, but that was the only blip on the radar during his evaluation. He’s been, hands down, the offensive MVP for the Trojans this year.

The skinny: Oliver pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the 2016 recruiting cycle by committing early to Houston. While he did take a closer look at Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Ole Miss during the fall, he put pen to paper with the Cougars. Coming off of a monster true freshman season, Oliver had a somewhat of a slow start in 2017 but responded with big second half. Now with 69 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles leading into the bowl game, Oliver is once again dominating.

Farrell’s take: Oliver was a blocky but athletic defensive tackle when I first saw him. He grew into a stout, solid and super-quick gap shooter by the end of the rankings cycle. Oliver had such great instincts and followed the football so naturally that he was effective blowing up plays in the run game and getting after the passer. And his snap anticipation was off the charts, as well. Oliver was given his fifth star in our final 2016 rankings cycle and that was one of our better decisions, as he’s already a dominant college player and has an amazing future.

FOR MORE ON THE COUGARS, VISIT COUGARSDEN.COM.

The skinny: Harrison originally committed to North Carolina after his sophomore season, but after earning an offer from the Crimson Tide at an Alabama camp he flipped a couple of weeks later. He did also take official visits to Georgia and Notre Dame during his senior season, but never seriously wavered from the Tide. Harrison enjoyed a big sophomore season last fall and followed that up with another big performance in 2017. Currently the leading tackler for the Crimson Tide with 68, he has also added 3.5 tackles for a loss, three interceptions and 2.5 sacks.

Farrell’s take: Harrison was a tall and filled-out safety prospect who could also play corner and had very good ball skills. He wasn’t a burner on the field, which is what held him back from being a Rivals100 prospect, but he had good hips, excellent instincts and he could catch anything. When Nick Saban covets you as a defensive back, and he wanted Harrison, then you know you’re likely looking at a playmaker. Harrison was perhaps a bit undervalued.

The skinny: McSorley initially committed to Vanderbilt, but when James Franklin made the move from Nashville to Happy Valley, he took an official visit to Penn State which eventually led to his flip to the Nittany Lions. After surprising some with his performance last fall during his first season as a starter, McSorley continued to develop his game in 2017. A threat through the air or the ground, McSorley has passed for 3,228 yards and 26 touchdowns and rushed for 431 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Nittany Lions.

Farrell’s take: Another really good season for McSorley. I would have never expected this a few years ago as we had him as a mid-range three-star athlete. I didn’t think he was a college quarterback based on size for the most part and his potential to play other positions. McSorley has always been an accurate and athletic passer, so Penn State played to his strengths tremendously last year and even more so this season. He’s a proven winner and his best asset has always been keeping his eyes downfield while he shifts around and scrambles.

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