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 measuring
sticks as the only true freshman 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."
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, having 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 they're also in a
position where they can work in the power runner until he's ready to
size the job outright, having the shifty Fitzgerald Toussaint (514 yards
and five TDs) back from a leg injury. At the least, Green will be part
of a dynamic 1-2 punch in the Wolverines' backfield.
To put what landing Smith, the
third-ranked player in the Scout 300, means to the Fighting Irish
consider this: he's 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 of 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.
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 whomever 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.
An early enrollee, who was the
fourth-rated prospect in the Class of 2013, Cravens tore his meniscus in
spring practice. But he's bounced back the early stages of fall camp
he's already moved up to the two-deep and is a good bet to grab the
starting spot 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 return
their leading rusher from last year in Kevin Parks as well as 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.
