They made splashes on Signing Day for a reason. Now those players who had recruitniks aflutter are poised to make immediate contributions in their first seasons on college campuses.
Last season, Johnny Manziel set the bar higher than any freshman in history in becoming the class's first Heisman Trophy winner. Though to be fair to rookie players everywhere, Manziel wasn't a true freshman, redshirting his first season at Texas A&M.
When it comes to those players truly making their debuts on campus, Herschel Walker, Marshall Faulk, Adrian Peterson and Sammy Watkins remain the only true freshmen in history to become first-team All-Americans.
Could 2013 bring a fifth? Here's a look at the 10 players who could be this fall's impact freshmen.
The Milton (Ga.) product is going to have competition among the Tigers' other heralded D-line recruits, but if looks are any indication, Lawson fits the part. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound end made waves on Twitter when a photo surfaced of him working out in May. He's battling with fellow freshman Elijah Daniel and seniors Kenneth Carter and Nosa Eguae for the spot opposite left-side end Dee Ford. While Eguae has 31 starts under his belt, Ford seems to like Lawson's chances, saying "usually on defense you have to make physical changes before you can play and this guy is ready to play."
Pic: lotta people seem blown away by Carl Lawson pic I Tweeted so here's another pic.twitter.com/cJOEzQDGsq
— Keith Niebuhr (@Niebuhr247) May 31, 2013
So let's get the weight issue out of the way. Listed at 222 pounds before camp, the nation's top-ranked running back arrived in Ann Arbor up 18 pounds. It's been a struggle for the 6-foot Green in the past, who reportedly weighed closer to 270 before his sophomore year. Brady Hoke and his staff will surely get the heralded runner closer to an ideal playing weight -- but with the shifty Fitzgerald Toussaint (514 yards and five TDs) back from a leg injury, they're also in a position where they can work Green in until he's ready to seize the job outright. At the very least, Green will be part of a dynamic 1-2 punch in the Wolverines' backfield.
To put what landing Smith means to the Fighting Irish, consider this: The third-ranked player in the Scout 300 is also the highest-rated defender to come to South Bend in the age of Internet recruiting sites. The 6-3, 225-pounder is contending with returning starter Danny Spond for the Dog outside linebacker spot, which would allow Notre Dame to take advantage of his pass coverage abilities. Coach Brian Kelly is making it clear the job is there for the taking if Smith can seize it. "If Jaylon Smith is (among) the best 11, he's playing," he recently told reporters.
"I know physically," coach Hugh Freeze said, "he's as talented as I've seen coming out of high school." The nation's No. 1 recruit and the centerpiece of the Rebels' top-10 class, Nkemdiche was already grabbing reps with the first-team by the fourth day of fall camp. The 6-foot-5, 270-pounder -- who had 59 tackles, including 12 for loss and seven sacks for Loganville (Ga.) Grayson as a senior -- will add another pass-rusher to an already potent Rebels defense. The unit returns 10 starters from a group that ranked second in the SEC and 11th in the nation at 2.92 sacks per game.
This picture of Robert Nkemdiche from practice is, well, HE'S A FRESHMAN. pic.twitter.com/tK0HS98WfN (via @NAFOOM)
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) August 11, 2013
Another of the Rebels' haul of five-star prospects, Treadwell caught 81 passes for 1,424 yards and 16 TDs for Crete-Monee High School in Illinois. He has been practicing with the starters, lining up inside in four-wide receiver sets. But he could see playing time beyond those formations. With Vince Sanders, last year's No. 2 WR, out six weeks with a broken collarbone, senior Ja-Mes Logan, who played in the slot last season, should move outside -- making the 6-3, 198-pound Treadwell a potentially nightmarish matchup for opposing defenses.
Junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson has more experience in the offense -- he arrived in January so he could participate in spring practice -- and is the favorite to take the first snaps of the season against Syracuse. But it should be only a matter of time before Hackenberg, the 6-3, 215-pound prized freshman, takes over. Scout.com's second-rated quarterback, Hackenberg has operated in a pro-style offense like Bill O'Brien's, throwing for 5,473 yards and touchdowns over three seasons at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. The Nittany Lion offense is set up to aid his development with a 1,000-yard back in Zach Zwinak to take the pressure off and a strong offensive line led by all-Big Ten right guard John Urschel.
The Volunteers quarterback situation remains a mystery with an ongoing four-man competition for the job. But it's becoming clear that whoever emerges from that race will have a viable weapon in this Charlotte product. Tennessee lost its top four pass catchers from a year ago, and North, who totaled 1,004 yards and 25 scores at Mallard Creek High School, has the size (6-4, 214 pounds) and speed (4.4) to fill the void. Coach Butch Jones, for one, isn't denying North will be a major factor in the passing game, telling reporters "in a very small time, he has proven he is going to be one of our play makers."
Mike Evans, who led the Aggies in receptions (82) and yards (1,105) as a freshman will continue to be Manziel's top target, but Seals-Jones has the makings of a key addition to the passing game. The class' top-ranked wide out, Seals-Jones was already the tallest of A&M's receivers at 6-6. But he's added some bulk, reporting to camp at 240 pounds and figures to be a huge red-zone target. Seals-Jones' value could become more magnified should Manziel be forced to sit out any games in the autograph scandal. He played QB at Sealy (Texas) High School, rushing for 1,245 yards and 15 scores and throwing for 716 and eight TDs.
Cravens, an early enrollee who was the fourth-rated prospect in the Class of 2013, tore his meniscus in spring practice. But he's bounced back in the early stages of fall camp, has already moved up to the two-deep and is a good bet to start at one of the safety spots. He has size (6-1, 205), speed (4.5 in 40-yard dash) and ball-hawking skills that have drawn comparisons to the player he's expected to replace in T.J. McDonald. He also has an interesting football family tree: His cousin is Manti Te'o, and his uncle is married to Utah coach Kyle Whittingham's sister.
The Cavaliers' lead rusher Kevin Parks returns from last year and so does Khalek Shepherd, who flashed big-play capabilities. But it's going to awfully hard to keep the first five-star recruit Mike London has landed off the field. Nicknamed "Smoke," Mizzell (5-10, 185 pounds) ran for 1,231 yards and 39 TDs as a senior at Virginia Beach's Bayside High and has posted 40-yard dash times ranging from 4.3-4.5. Expect London to work to get Mizzell the ball in open space and to use him in the return game, something he has done at practice.
RB Coach Natrone Means says Taquan Mizzell is the best route-running HS running back that he's ever seen. #TheOpening
— Barton Simmons (@bartonsimmons) July 7, 2012
