Farrell Freshman 15: Countdown begins with Nos. 13-15
The midseason Farrell Freshman 15 begins today with a look at Nos. 13-15, led by a top defensive back, a rising quarterback and a surprise wide receiver.
FARRELL 50: Nos. 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals100 | Position | Team | State
The skinny: Smith took official visits to Texas and USC during the spring, before committing to the Longhorns at the conclusion of his trip to Austin. He had piled up approximately 30 offers at the time of his decision, but had trimmed his list to Texas and USC.
Smith has made an immediate impact on the Longhorns’ offense this fall. He has also made the most of his opportunities, with four touchdowns and 173 yards on only 16 receptions. He has also added one offensive carry, plus returned five punts, to further showcase his impressive athleticism.
Farrell’s take: Smith was compared by some to Christian McCaffrey out of high school because of his versatility and athleticism, which is heady stuff. He could have played many positions in college but was always more dangerous on the offensive side of the ball. He’s going to be a terror in the Big 12 before long.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS FANS AT ORANGEBLOODS.COM
The skinny: The son of former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix was always considered a heavy lean with the Tigers. So, it came as no surprise when he decided to stay home in early January, 2018.
He battled Joey Gatewood throughout the off-season for the starting job, which he finally won out in late August. While there have been a few ups-and-downs, as should be expected for a true freshman quarterback in the SEC, Nix has performed admirably with 1,125 yards passing and eight touchdowns, plus two rushing touchdowns, for the one loss Tigers.
Farrell’s take: Nix was a five-star out of high school for many reasons — he was a winner, played with great confidence and he had accuracy and arm strength — and reminded me a bit of Drew Brees when evaluating him. He’s hit the ground running and has been a big surprise for Auburn early. He has a great career ahead of him.
