Secondary
CB Micah Abernathy
Initial ranking: ★★★★
Was it a good ranking? I think so. The younger brother of departing senior running back/receiver Ralph David Abernathy IV did what you’d expect from a talented freshman – he helped on special teams, saw some meaningful action and got experience as a backup as well. He looks like a guy who can be a big factor in the secondary in the next couple years and might be an option in the return game down the line too. I’d probably rerank him about where he came in – a low-to-mid-tier four-star prospect with a fair amount of upside.
Rerank: ★★★★
CB Justin Martin
Initial ranking: ★★★★
Was it a good ranking? There might have been a bit of hyperbole about Martin from people calling him a day-one starter, a future first-round pick and statements like that. He showed some flashes and likely will be a very good player over the next few years, but it took a little while for it to all come together after he was hurt early in camp. But by the end of the year he was a fairly solid starter who does have a lot of upside because of his long frame and raw athleticism. He heads into 2016 penciled in as a starting corner and could develop into a shutdown guy at some point over the next two years.
Rerank: ★★★★
S Stephen Griffin
Initial ranking: ★★★
Was it a good ranking? It looks like it. Griffin battled some injuries, but appeared in eight games and contributed on special teams and as a reserve on defense. He’s got a big frame that gives him some upside if he can bulk up a little bit over the offseason. With Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil gone, he’ll be higher on the depth chart in 2016.
Rerank: ★★★
CB Darrell Miller
Initial ranking: ★★★
Was it a good ranking? It’s really hard to tell since he didn’t play very much. He’s listed as appearing in five games, but he missed some due to injury and I never really noticed him out there doing much of significance as a freshman. He’s undersized (5-10, 178) and it’s difficult to see him playing much of a role in the next couple years, but we’ll see how he develops.
Rerank: ★★★
