Looking back at the Heisman Trophy finalists as recruits

The Heisman Trophy finalists were announced on Monday and the hardware will be handed out this week. Here is a look at those who will be in New York and a breakdown of their recruitments, college careers and a thought on each.

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Recruiting: Jackson was ranked as a four-star prospect but outside the Rivals250 and the No. 17 dual-threat quarterback in the 2015 class. Mississippi State and especially Florida made late pushes for Jackson but he stuck with Louisville.

Stats: Jackson is completing just about 57.5 percent of his passes for 3,390 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’s also rushed for 1,538 yards and 21 scores.

Farrell’s take: Jackson was known for his arm -- he has a cannon with that whip delivery -- but in high school he did a ton with his legs as well. There was no way to see during his high school career how explosive he would be in college or that he’d be a lock to win the Heisman Trophy. Jackson's speed has translated much better to college than I expected as I've been surprised with his ability to run away from people so easily. He is still a bit raw as a passer but he is so dominant as a runner that he gets a lot of a space when in or outside the pocket as the entire pass rush is geared towards run containment. He is simply the most dynamic player we’ve seen in college football in quite some time.

Recruiting: Despite putting up huge numbers at Austin (Texas) Lake Travis, Mayfield decided to walk-on at Texas Tech after not landing many major offers. At the time, only FAU, Rice and Washington State had offered. He had a great freshman season with the Red Raiders but transferred to Oklahoma after a “miscommunication” with the coaching staff.

Stats: Mayfield has completed more than 71 percent of his passes for 3,669 yards with 38 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He’s also rushed for six scores this season.

Farrell’s take: With a gunslinger’s mentality, Mayfield had a great high school career, but many felt he was largely a product of a system and he didn’t get a ton of offers as a result. Now he’s a Heisman candidate and has rebounded so well after a rough start against Houston and Ohio State. I’m happy with his three-star ranking since we saw something none of the local schools did at least -- he was a walk-on, after all. That being said, he has clearly outplayed his ranking. Mayfield's leadership skills are off the charts. This kid is a winner and the NFL should not sleep on him.

Recruiting: In May before his senior season, Peppers committed to Michigan over Penn State and others. At one point, Stanford was the front-runner, but the Wolverines were his childhood favorite.

Stats: Playing all over the field, Peppers is tied for second on the Wolverines with 72 tackles. He also has a team-high 16 tackles for loss, an interception, four sacks, a forced fumble and eight quarterback hurries. Peppers averages 26 yards per kick return, he’s returned a punt for a touchdown and he’s rushed for three scores.

Farrell’s take: Peppers was one of the bigger names on the recruiting world, at least for the nearly 20 years I’ve been doing this, and up there with Brian Toal, Brian Cushing and Will Hill in recent Jersey lore. However, he’s the only one of that group who made it to New York and that’s not a surprise. As a defender, it’s hard to get recognition like Peppers has received. A cornerback and running back who also played some safety in high school, his play all over the field at Michigan this season was electric. From the first time I saw him as a freshman corner at Bosco to his dominant years at Paramus Catholic, this kid was always special and is one of the best playmakers in college football.

Recruiting: Watson committed to Clemson about a year before National Signing Day and he stuck with the Tigers despite pressure from many programs. Ohio State, Auburn, LSU, USC, Oregon and Georgia were a few that stayed involved until the end.

Stats: Watson is completing more than 67 percent of his passes for 3,914 yards with 37 touchdowns and 15 picks. He’s second on the Tigers in rushing with 526 yards and six TDs.

Farrell’s take: Watson was a five-star quarterback so it’s not surprising that he’s headed to New York for the second time. We loved his run-pass ability in high school. He has grown into an excellent decision-maker and one of the most dangerous weapons in college football. This is not all that unexpected from our perspective as Rivals.com was the only site to have him as a five-star. It was Watson's character that really struck me when he was in high school. He’s still one of the highest character kids I’ve ever scouted.

Recruiting: A three-star out of high school, Westbrook was a junior college transfer where he earned his fourth star. Shortly after a visit to Oklahoma in November, Westbrook picked the Sooners over Texas Tech, West Virginia, Kansas State and others.

Stats: Westbrook has more than double the catches of any other Oklahoma player with 74 receptions for 1,465 yards and 16 touchdowns so far this season. He’s averaging nearly 20 yards per catch and 122 yards per game.

Farrell’s take: Westbrook was a four-star coming out of Blinn, where he put up big numbers and showed he could play outside or inside receiver. He was a perfect fit for a spread offense and, with the Big 12 being so wide open defensively, it’s no surprise he had a good first year. But what he has done in the second half of the 2016 season has been ridiculous. Westbrook has taken a huge leap from last year to this season and getting invited to New York as a wide receiver isn’t easy.