There are always questions about freshmen as they move from high school to the pressure and attention that are part of playing major college football for big schools in front of 80 or 90 thousand fans on Saturdays. Which freshmen are the most likely to handle the responsibilities that go along with representing a school on the national stage?
1. Jabril Peppers, Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines used to play in a conference where the prevailing line of wisdom was, “there are three things that can happen when a forward pass is thrown, and two of them were bad.” The Big Ten used to be the conference in which teams simply did not trust the passing game. Teams tried to play the game as safely as possible, just trying to avoid mistakes and gain field position for their defenses. Now, though, Big Ten football is very different. Offense is much more attack-oriented and welcome to risk-taking. Michigan needs people to stop the forward pass, and Peppers, a defensive back, could be just the man that’s needed to do the job.
2. Rashaan Evans, Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide are known for their linebackers. The school produces a lot of NFL talent, especially on defense, so if Nick Saban recruits you and views you as a player worthy of being on the team, you’re probably a very good player, one who can make an instant impact and create a positive reputation in college football. From everything that’s been said among those who follow recruiting and the rating services, Evans could very easily become the next big thing as a linebacker at Alabama under Saban’s tutelage.
3. Royce Freeman, Oregon Ducks
The various schools that play college football are known for different positions. Penn State is known for its linebackers. BYU has been known for its quarterbacks but is now known for defensive ends. Texas Tech is known for its quarterbacks, as is Fresno State. Clemson is known for its wide receivers.
Oregon is known for its running backs. The Ducks love to overwhelm other defenses with the running game and a desire to increase the tempo of a game. A quality running back has been produced by the Ducks in each of the past few seasons. Oregon gets so much production from this position, getting a lot of speed and just enough power to thrive. Royce Freeman is the biggest running back recruit the Ducks gained in the offseason. Watch for him.
4. Dante Booker, Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes’ defense was really weak last season, as shown by the terrible pair of performances that ended the season against Michigan and then in the Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan State. The Buckeyes have to be a lot better in terms of stopping opponents, and with Booker, a linebacker, being brought into Columbus by Urban Meyer, Ohio State has the kind of player who can perhaps change the way the team’s defense is able to perform.
5. Derrick Nnadi, Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are so good and so deep at so many positions that one could pick a potential future star among a lot of their new recruits and their current freshman class. It’s not as though picking one player here over one player over there is an obvious call. However, if you’re going to start somewhere, the defensive line is really where the Seminoles overpowered opponents last season, en route to the national championship. This is where Florida State truly butters its bread. Nnadi is being asked to help fill in for a number of linemen who began to collect NFL paychecks this summer. If he is every bit as good as advertised, he’s going to be something special.
