NFL Draft: How the 2014 five-stars project
The 2014 Rivals100 featured 33 five-stars players. Over half of those players, 18, have declared for the upcoming NFL Draft after three years in college. Here is a look at how their careers panned out and where they project in the draft.
Recruitment: Garrett committed to Texas A&M during the fall of his senior year, with TCU the fieriest competitor to land him.
College career: Garrett made an instant impact in College Station and finished his three-year career with 31 sacks. His sophomore season was actually his most productive, as injuries slowed him at times during 2016.
NFL Draft projected round: 1
Farrell’s take: A freaky, wide-framed and fast rush end out of high school, it’s no surprise he’s potentially the No. 1 pick in the draft. He should have been our No. 1 player.
Recruitment: Peppers was one of the biggest signings of the Brady Hoke era, committing to Michigan in May of 2013. Despite efforts from some of the country’s best, he didn’t waver on his commitment to the Wolverines.
Career: After missing his freshman season with an injury, Peppers went on to be a college football sensation, capping it off with a redshirt sophomore year that saw him finish as a Heisman finalist in 2016.
NFL Draft projected round: 1-2
Farrell’s take: Could play corner, safety and running back as well as special teams in high school, so the versatility was there. Will he slide a bit because he doesn’t have one true position?
Recruitment: It was a battle to the end between LSU and Alabama to land Fournette, but he announced in Jan. 2014 that he would stay home and play for the Tigers.
College career: Fournette was a star from day one in Baton Rouge, with his play peaking during a sophomore year that saw him rush for nearly 2,000 yards. Injuries limited Fournette to just seven games in 2016.
NFL Draft projected round: 1
Farrell’s take: Big and fast, Fournette was a can’t-miss out of high school and most feel he’ll be the top running back in the draft.
Recruitment: Jackson made Tennessee, Florida State and LSU think they had a shot by taking official visits, but in the end he made the choice most expected by staying home to play for USC.
College career: Jackson had a fantastic career in Los Angeles starting at defensive back for most of his career and also making plays as an offensive player and kick returner. He was the Thorpe award winner in 2016.
NFL Draft projected round: 1-2
Farrell’s take: A five-star athlete for us because he could have starred on either side of the ball in college. Will his lack of size hurt his draft status and drop him into the second round?
Recruitment: Mixon took all five of his official visits, with Washington, Wisconsin, Florida State and Cal getting a shot to impress him. He committed to the Sooners in January, 2014.
College career: After being suspended for his freshman season due to a much-publicized off-field assault arrest, Mixon went on to have two very successful years in Norman. In 2016, he finished the year with more than 1,800 yards from scrimmage.
NFL Draft projected round: 2-Undrafted
Farrell’s take: The most talented and versatile running back in this draft, but his off-field issues will make him slide. If he gets his act together, as he had in high school, he could be a star.
Recruitment: Humphrey made fans in the state of Alabama sweat until the end as he took late visits to Florida State and Mississippi State, but he announced for the Tide just before Signing Day.
College career: After redshirting in 2014 Humphrey has been a fixture on the Tide defense. He finished his career with five interceptions in 29 career games.
NFL Draft projected round: 1-3
Farrell’s take: Cocky and aloof, often a good thing for a cornerback, he had attitude off the charts out of high school. He gets lost in coverage a bit in college so I see second or third round more than first.
Recruitment: Tabor shocked many when he announced for Arizona during the Under Armour All-America Game in Jan. 2014. That commitment didn’t last for long, though, as he flipped to Florida less than two weeks later.
College career: Tabor played pretty much from day one in Gainesville as part of a loaded secondary that has produced several All-Americans and NFL Draft picks.
NFL Draft projected round: 1-2
Farrell’s take: With instincts off the charts, Tabor was a kid I started scouting in eight grade and he always played a grade or two ahead. He lacks great speed but makes up for it in many other areas.
Recruitment: Rudolph committed to Florida State over Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and others.
College career: Rudolph has been consistent since arriving in Tallahassee, catching at least 38 passes in all three seasons and finishing with 18 career touchdowns.
NFL Draft projected round: 2-5
Farrell’s take: So smooth as a route runner in high school, he made everything look effortless. Someone is going to get a mid-round steal here.
Recruitment: Dupre took all five of his official visits in the final three weeks before National Signing Day, ultimately choosing LSU over Alabama, Florida State and UCLA.
College career: Dupre never really got a chance to put up huge numbers in a Tigers offense that was focused on running the ball first. Despite averaging 16.4 yards per catch for his career, Dupre never totaled more than 698 yards in a season.
NFL Draft projected round: 2-5
Farrell’s take: A freaky athlete with great hops out of high school, was he a victim of bad quarterback play or has he just underperformed?
Recruitment: Robinson was another classic battle between LSU and Alabama, with the big man ultimately choosing the Tide at the beginning of his senior year.
College career: Robinson was a day one starter for Alabama, a feat that can’t be undersold given his position as a left tackle. Robinson won the Outland Trophy for his play in 2016.
NFL Draft projected round: 1-2
Farrell’s take: Robinson was a massive but raw tackle out of high school who has been a dominant force for Alabama since his true freshman year, a rarity.
Recruitment: Cook was a longtime Florida commit who kept the Gators on the hook until he flipped to Florida State at the Under Armour Game.
College career: Cook played right away with the Seminoles and only got better as his career moved along. He capped it off with a stellar season in 2016, accounting for more than 2,200 yards in total offense.
NFL Draft projected round: 1
Farrell’s take: A dynamic runner with good receiving skills, he actually split carries in high school but that hasn’t been a problem at FSU and won’t be at the NFL level.
Recruitment: McMillian waited until late in the process to reveal his decision to commit to Ohio State, but the Buckeyes always seemed like the leader despite late charges from Alabama, Clemson and others.
College career: McMillan played as a freshman and contributed heavily to the Buckeyes' national championship but didn’t really emerge as a star until his sophomore season. He was a tackling machine in Columbus, recording 275 total in his three seasons with the Buckeyes.
NFL Draft projected round: 1-2
Farrell’s take: A big and rangy linebacker who packed a punch downhill, he lost his fifth star at one point and gained it back.
Recruitment: Noil’s decision came down to LSU and Texas A&M, and at the time the Aggies' high-powered offense seemed like the perfect fit for the mulit-talented Noil.
College career: Noil is one of the least productive players on this list as he ran into off-field problems and never quite lived up to his ranking. His best year came as a freshman when he had 583 yards and five touchdowns, numbers he failed to match in his sophomore and junior seasons combined.
NFL Draft projected round: 5-undrafted
Farrell’s take: A dynamic athlete who played many positions in college. Off-field concerns were there in high school and continued in college.
Recruitment: 'JuJu' Smith-Schuster took all five of his official visits and kept schools like Oregon, Alabama and Ohio State in the mix until he committed to USC on Signing Day.
College career: Smith was ranked as a safety but played offense from day one with the Trojans and flourished. He has his best season as a sophomore in 2015 when he led the Pac-12 in receiving with 1,454 yards.
NFL Draft projected round: 1-3
Farrell’s take: We had him as a safety but knew he could play offense or defense in college and he’s one of the more physical wideouts in the draft with strong hands.
Recruitment: McDowell’s recruitment was one of the more strange occurrences in recent years, as he committed to the Spartans on National Signing Day, only to have his mother not sign his Letter of Intent. Eventually the family resolved the issue and McDowell signed with Michigan State in April 2014.
College career: McDowell worked his way into the lineup as a freshman and by the time his sophomore year rolled around he had turned into one of the Big Ten’s best defensive linemen. His production dipped in 2016 as he struggled with injuries.
NFL Draft projected round: 1-2
Farrell’s take: A tall, gap shooting defensive tackle out of high school this past season has hurt his draft stock a bit but he’s still one of the more talented players at his position.
Recruitment: Clemson and Tennessee battled until the end for Malone, but in the end to chance to stay close to home and play for the Vols was too much for Malone to pass up.
College career: Malone’s career got off to a slow start as he battled injuries and the Vols dealt with inconsistent quarterback play. By the time his junior year rolled around Malone was the Vols' most consistent deep threat, averaging nearly 20 yards per catch while hauling in 11 touchdowns in 2016.
NFL Draft projected round: 2-5
Farrell’s take: A tall, deep threat with good hands who could run excellent routes, Malone suffered from poor quarterback play, similar to Dupre.
Recruitment: Hood originally committed to Notre Dame and seemed bound for South Bend before a change of heart led him to flip to North Carolina.
College career: After seeing time as a freshman Hood broke out during his sophomore season, rushing for nearly 1,500 yards while averaging 6.7 yards per carry. His production dipped as he received a severe reduction in carries during the 2016 season.
NFL Draft projected round: 3-6
Farrell’s take: Big and bricked up, he was a load to tackle and had sneaky quickness. He played well in a spread offense, so that bodes well for his versatility.
Recruitment: Watson committed very early to Clemson and never wavered on his commitment despite attempts from schools like Auburn and Oregon.
College career: Watson started as a freshman and went on to tremendous success despite suffering a torn ACL that season. He finished runner-up for the Heisman Trophy twice and lead the Tigers to a national championship as a junior.
NFL Draft projected round: 1-2
Farrell’s take: A high character leader with that “it factor”, he should be a first-rounder unless the NFL GMs botch this.
