Freshman Amare Ferrell Displays Maturity and Growth Against Rutgers

Written by Zachary Greene

Amare Ferrell was a heralded four-star prospect out of high school and true freshman from the Sunshine State. With a big frame and tremendous athleticism, he has a chance to be a factor for the defense the rest of the season. Last Saturday Ferrell stepped up and recorded seven tackles showing Allen and the staff what he brings to the table.

“With Amare, as a true freshman, he's a guy that even when you asked the older players once we started practicing, since he's been here, it's been, like, hey, this guy has got something different about him.” Allen said.

Furthermore Ferrell showed his physicality as a player and understanding of the game on Saturday. “He's a physical player. He kind of understands the game. He's a kid that's played a lot of football being from Florida where you have spring football, so he kind of brought that edge and confidence to him, so he had a chance to play an extended period of time on Saturday, which he was ready when called upon, and he's going to have to continue to grow in that role.” Tom Allen added about his performance on Saturday.

With the injury to Noah Pierre, Ferrell has the chance to step up and make a big contribution to the defense. His ability to also play the safety position along with the husky position can come in handy for Allen and his defense. Thus, he removed his redshirt. 

“Really excited for his future. He's a guy that we made a decision even several weeks ago that we were not going to redshirt him because he was too valuable to us and playing on defense, as well, special teams. So really excited for his future.” Allen explained.

Ferrell has impressed since spring camp and continues to solidify his spot as a starter. It is reasonable to worry about him entering the portal, but he's got this opportunity and will hope to continue to ride with it.