Top College Football Freshmen in Best Position for Key Roles in 2024

Across the country, college football practice is on in full force with the first regular season games scheduled in a month. And that means storylines are never in short supply, and one of the most enjoyable is always which of the new boys could stake a claim to early first-team football.

As everyone can imagine, it is not very convenient for first-year players, that is, for those who take the field with their first team. But there are all sorts of true freshmen who are cut from the mold for operating to do big things immediately.

Indeed, the list is too long that it was impossible to include everyone, thus Bleacher Report began to look for the ones who play on Power 5 teams that are beginning to be chatted about and where the situation in the depth chart is gradually coming into focus.

At other times, those dudes are good enough to get the road-grader off the starting blocks for a trip to the top of the heap.

From quarterbacks who will need to bring the juice to tire-kicking teams to defenders who are eager to fish, there are loads of true freshmen waiting to play major parts when the bands start playing the fight songs for real soon here.

Marcellus Barnes Jr – Syracuse University – Cornerback

Aside from the days when you identified the Syracuse Orange as recruiting quality big talent to play in high school all-star games. But that is precisely what they did in the last year.

Chattanooga, Tennessee, All-American Bowl participant Marcellus Barnes Jr. , a 5’11”, 165 pound playmaker has committed for the Orange and new boss Fran Brown, who departed Georgia for North after being an assistant.

Having Robinson as a defensive coordinator, who is, actually, Brown’s childhood friend from New Jersey, might be a very valuable resource on the recruiting front. Both have attracted the crème de la crème in the players’ fraternity to premier institutions.

As far as Syracuse is concerned, Barnes may be an innovator.

Getting a 247Sports composite 4-star was an even bigger steal, and how better to start selling what your program has to offer in terms of recruiting than with getting him on the field immediately? Another interesting battle comes in the form of Barnes who has to fight for a starting spot with other returnees Jordan Bellamy and Greg Delaine, transfer Clarence Lewis and Devin grant.

Nevertheless, he will definitely be in the regular roster and guarantee a significant position right from the start. I expect him to start before the season is through.

Elijah Brown, Stanford Quarterback

For me the real freshman pains have to be worst when having to start at the college football level especially on the offensive line and none more so that when starting at quarterback.

For the latter, the skill set, the intangibles as well as the ability to understand the concept of the offense are normally too much for most rookies. Sometimes, however, it is needed.

That may be the case for the Stanford Cardinal who enters the Al Ulmer coached second season in Palo Alto, and more significantly, the program’s inaugural season playing in the ACC.

Last year, Ashton Daniels passed for 2247/11-8TD-INT and rushed for 296 yards. And if he can take a step, there is nothing wrong with his taking hold of the starting job as a sensible course.

Still, Taylor went out and nabbed Mater Dei High School’s quarterback Elijah Brown, a four-year letterman at one of the top programs in the country. Looking at him, he has the leadership coupled with the play making ability one expects out of his field general. You just can’t deny a kid who two months prior won two state titles and was 42 and 2 on the mat.

Taylor informed All-ACC before spring practice/said the same thing to SI. com that Brown will indeed compete for a starting position ‘absolutely,’ though Justin Lamson is a contender as well.

Nevertheless, one has to stretch the imagination quite a bit to see the Cardinal as a contender for the ACC title this year with Taylor still on the process of rebuilding the squad. Should the going get tough, focusing on what remains ahead is not too terrible, and Brown is the team’s future at the centerpiece position.

Zabien Brown, Alabama Cornerback

Ever since Nick Saban headed for the ESPN analysis booth, there has been no more compelling narrative in sports than Kalen DeBoer leaving national runner-up Washington in seach of flags to keep the Crimson juggernaut in Tuscaloosa barreling down the middle of the college football highway.

Still, going by the way he is recruiting the answer could well be definitely, DeBoer can. It’s now a case of which recruiting wins will be game changing on the year for the Tide.

You look at those depth charts and want to discus true freshman phenom receiver Ryan Williams who of course will play but the first-year impact for the scarlet and gray will be felt on this side of the ball, cornerback.

Alabama has lost experience with starters at the spot and though the team has sought an reinforcement with Domeani Jackson from USC and DaShawn Jones from Wake Forest, still both Zabien Brown and Jaylen Mbakwe have chances in this place.

But Brown, for instance, has really gotten off to a torrid collegiate start. He went out during the spring game with the first team along with Jackson, and the former 5-star Mater Dei (California) High School teammate of Elijah Brown seems poised for a big year.

Standing 6’0”, 182 pounds, he has the size and speed necessary of the full package at the position and he is far from being a greenhorn because of his stint in the powerhouse program. It wouldn’t be a shock to at least redshirt Brown and get him at least to the two-deep immediately.

Boo Carter, Tennessee Nickel Back

Therapizing incoming freshman defensive back Boo Carter already was going to play a lot for the Tennessee Volunteers after showing out this spring.

But starting? The Vols also had a significantly more difficult time in climbing that hill before their expected starter at the position for the season, Jourdan Thomas, was lost for the year during the first week of fall camp due to a knee injury, according to GoVols247’s Ryan Callahan.

Now, Carter could come in and excel. The 5’11”, 195-pound Chattanooga, Tennessee native will have to compete with freshman walk-on Will Brooks, and Christian Harrison who is the son of the NFL great Rodney Harrison, and Christian Charles. But Carter does score too many points not to be out on the floor.

The expectation here is that he will start sooner rather than later.

Carter was enviable high school player, making highlight reel plays as a runner and passer and as a defensive player every time he touched the football. Everyone understands that, to say the least, it does not always immediately take shape on the field, but he is an impressive prospect.

He could figure as Tennessee’s starting punt returner and he now becomes an even larger component in the new look Tennessee secondary.

Cam Coleman, wide receiver, Auburn

Should Auburn continue to mine the treasure trove that has been the Phenix City Alabama feeder system as has been the case with Clemson the past few years then coach Hugh Freeze is going to be able to attract the essence of a sturdy program to the Plains.

He got the bell cow of the bunch in the 2024 cycle when elite pass-catching tight end Cam Coleman committed to play for the Tigers.

The sophomore, who stands 6-3 and weighs 188 pounds, was ranked as the No. 3 player in the country overall, and he has more than met expectations thus far in drills. Given that Auburn required outside goalscoring threats across the board, him fits the bill of one of the league’s hiking newcomers.

He has first-round talent; he’s a freelancer with the ball and should not be as slick and nasty as he is at that size and weight. He’s a beast now, looking like an NFL player right now, and he’s far too skilled to remain inactive.

Still, Coleman is already starting to let everybody see what he can do with his muscling.

The freshman star will be a shiny new weapon for quarterback Payton Thorne right away alongside former California quarterback-turned-receiver Sam Jackson V.

Dontae Carter, Vanderbilt Safety

Last few seasons have been unkind to the Vanderbilt Commodores as they are struggling to reclaim the mini trends of James Franklin’s tenure.

Another time, neither Derek Mason nor the present mentor Clark Lea has achieved this in the competing SEC. One of the reasons for this is that the ‘Dores are simply unable to recruitment high-calibre talent when the programme has such stringent academic prerequisites.

But there will be wins in living rooms such as the recently offered 4-star top-200 prospect Dontae Carter.

Listing at 6’1 ” and 185 pounds, Cibolo Texas was quite a catch for Vandy and should carving out an immediate niche on the backend of Lea’s defense. That is important for the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator who is seeking to rejuvenate the Nashville school.

“Playmaker,” Vanderbilt safety Marlen Sewell said to Joey Dwyer of VandySports at the beginning of the fall camp. In a more colloquial sense, this can be translated as ‘wherever the ball is going to be at’.

Although as in essence an old-school type of coach like Lea is not going to just give a shot at a starting job, what Carter has is the kind of talent there just is little of on the starved Commodores’ roster. We would certainly be shocked if he didn’t start immediately on his duties.

But even if he does not, at his height, athleticism, and ability to be at the right place at the right time in big games Carter will force his way into some key positions. He is virtually assured of being one of those high-impact, first-year men of the year and is definitely on the list of the best newcomers in the country.

Rhys Dakin, Iowa Punter

Hello, everyone, it’s true; it is never fun to discuss kickers and punters in articles like these. But those guys need loving too yeah?

When you view it through the prism of the grand order of things, the answer is, “yes,” and when you contemplate the criticality of the punter in Ferentz’s throw-it-back-to-pine-field, kick-the-field-goal-and-snooze-your-way-to-victory philosophy of pigskin match-ups, Rhys Dakin is an asset to this side of the year list.

A former Australian Rules football player, he will succeed another locally-produced pivot, Tory Taylor from Melbourne at the heralded punter position for the Hawkeyes. The guess here is that he may just be one of the most recognizable players on the team.

As well or as badly as Dakin goes, may the Hawkeyes go. Besides, Taylor raised the Iowa single-season record to 3,725 yards in 2022 (82 punts, 45. 4 avg. ), and then brought it up to 4,479 yards in 2023 (93 punts, 48. 2 avg. ), and now plays for the Chicago Bears.

Dakin understands that the comparisons will be made but he still wants to also carve out his own path in Iowa.

Said Dakin to the Daily Iowan’s Brad Schultz: ‘The big thing for me is to just be myself and to take it one day at a time’. That’s why I always have him [Taylor] as a resource, The man is highly compassionate, or rather, he has a great deal of courtesy for people. "

With words of hope, understanding and love, Straight No Chaser Sincere Edwards – from Pittsburgh Defensive Lineman

Pittsburgh doesn’t always enter the season with many players being talked about as potential pros, but you can always count on the Panthers having a number of possible pro potential defensive linemen.

And in the Pat Narduzzi era, they usually step in and produce immediately as well.

To do so again this season, there is a touch of an under the radar candidate and that is Sincere Edwards, yes I said Sincere Edwards; this man is cool.

Apopka, Florida, raised the former three-star never witnessed his recruitment go as planned and moved out to the north. However, the Panthers think they landed a future superstar who will take the best of the legacy of some of the programs’ legends.

While at 6’1, 245 pounds Edwards may not be that big of a presence, but he has a motor and gets in the backfield consistently. That is all it takes to get Narduzzi’s attention, and he already has it.

This past spring, Narduzzi said, “If you guys stood in a line, he’s going to run through you and not care. ” “He’s just going to get after you,” the man said of Thompson, whose reckless behaviour had become notorious in football circles.

Because there are so many vacancies along the defensive line, Edwards is fluid in terms of where he can play, but he currently fits best as a pass rusher from the outside. If you are seeking an impact defensive end as the season starts, then he should be on your list.

He will be on opponents’ soon enough.

Micah Hudson, Wide Receiver, Texas Tech

The focal point for all of Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire’s recruiting endeavors the last three years will wear a Red Raiders uniform in the very near future.

It will not be long before you see receiver Micah Hudson exploding the scoreboard.

The playmaker from Temple, Texas who used to be a 5-star receiver and is currently way above the talent level of many of the guys at Lubbock intrigues me and it will not be long before he becomes a household name in the Big 12.

He is as track fast, as the quickest of the quickest and a terrific hand it has to be said, that Hudson is the full package. Morton is going to throw him the ball this year, and should emerge as one of the top freshmen in the entire nation.

Hudson’s coach isn’t through with the complimenting as well as the lavishing of praises on him. He boasted about the playmaker to local dailies, in essence telling Depor he is aiming at someone’s position right now.

‘If he was not so mature,’ McGuire said, ‘I might feed the expectations even more. I actually might feed it a little bit just because I have a lot of expectations of him and also know because of his maturing process, he can handle it. ‘

If he is that mature, healthy and has that good of a work ethic to go along with preposterous ability, look out. He is going to be a guy everyone will be familiar with soon.

DJ Lagway, Florida Quarterback

But there are a lot of things that one can like about how Florida will develop its football talent in the future. The biggest question, though, is where this team will be next year and whether coach Billy Napier will be along for the ride.

A a difficult schedule of the Gators, and while there are some very nice players who can be fitted to the head coach’s system in Gainesville, will it happen this year? Otherwise, it has to be looking forward, at the sea of ink they’d be wading through if they had two weeks for the 72 hours ahead.

Which is why the leash for starting quarterback Graham Mertz has to be short. The former Wisconsin signal-caller is a good game manager, but if Florida intends to accomplish some big things on offense, one has to talk about the next level elite talent that is DJ Lagway.

Entering spring up-and-down, the former number seven ranked overall player in the 2024 class, who is from Willis, Texas, is lighting up now and simply cannot be waited on. At the very least, Napier has to have a package for Lagway in the early season.

At most, he should begin from the first signal of danger. Some of the game is now getting a little slower for him and he seems to finally be picking up on how to read a defense.

Napier could also only agree with the statement when asked about Nash’s improvement as a player: “I think he has also become a better player fundamentally,” she said. There is improvement: the ball is released cleaner, his footwork has been neatly refined: he learns.

Once those aspects are in place, Lagway’s sheer strength will require him to contribute at some point very early, and it’s best that he get the teething pains over with now.

Josh Turkel, Nicholls State Quarterback

Now new head coach Jonathan Smith’s offense maybe flawed, but one has to have a little patience to see that the thing.

is going to work. Oregon State to the land of the Spartans? No doubt it’s unlikely to be an instant solution in East Lansing.

To be fair, former head coach Mel Tucker didn’t exactly ensure that the pantry was filled before he left and the Spartans have their work cut out for them in order to reposition Michigan State back on the map of college football.

Making Aidan Chiles to join the team from Corvallis as a transfer was already a massive bonus in terms of power for Smith at quarterback. Now, it’s all about surrounding him with weapons.

Enter Nick Marsh.

The former 4 star prospect was the crown jewel of the Spartans’ first class out of River Rouge, Michigan and the big-bodied pass catcher is going to have every chance to make a big impact immediately.

This year, with Montorie Foster Jr. and Jaron Glover slated to carry most of the load for Michigan State as far as running is concerned, well, you don’t need just two or three receivers, do you? Marsh is currently amazing his teammates as he possess ability, size and super athletic ability.

Of course the name was made famous by former Detroit Lions star wide receiver Calvin Johnson. It would not be fair to start saddling Marsh with that type of expectations this early, but it is refreshing to know that the Spartans know what type of prospect they have in him.

Anyway, look for Smith to try to get him into the game as much as possible.

Dylan Raiola, Nebraska Quarterback

From a very long time, the Bulldogs had been getting prepared to catch the five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola. He even changed his school, so he could play his high school football on the Bulldogs’ territory, in Buford High School.

However, the relationships in the family dragged him back to the Midwest where his father, Dominic, played for Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Now he could be the savior for the sleepy powerhouse program that is trying to get back into form under second-year head coach Matt Rhule.

Although Heinrich Haarberg is not going to give up the starting job without a fight, he in no way has the name recognition, arm strength or upside that Raiola does. The first-year player dominated in whatever aspect he played and Nebraska simply has to give him his opportunity.

Will Rhule have the balls to start him right away? That remains to be seen, but the Huskers’ best shot at getting to a bowl game is to get its best players on the field. Raiola is the guy.

Still, for all the mystery, there isn’t much Ivy League about Rhule’s comment – he wouldn’t mind playing him right into UTEP.

“If he goes out there in game one he’ll be ready,” Rhule said.

I think that is the language of a coach who is ready to let go of the car’s steering wheel.

Cooper Lovett, Idaho Outside Linebacker / Josh Stokes, Texas Wide Receiver / Jordan Seaton, Colorado Offensive Tackle

When Colorado and their coach Deion Sanders emerged out of nowhere a season ago in the Jordan Seaton sweepstakes and locked up the 5-star offensive tackle commitment, a lot of eyebrows were raised.

Another player, who had many destinations speculated during recruitment was Seaton, but the Buffaloes were not really in the mix.

Boulder has one major advantage, however: the minutes and the playing time minicoups are present up front for Smith to claim. He can begin at left tierce as a protector of the many-million dollar health of Shedeur Sanders.

Standing at 6’5 and weighing a massive 285 pounds Seaton is big talent, who of the moment, is making a lot of noises. Coach Prime added a lot of transfers to strengthen a group that was terrible a year ago, ranking 132nd out of 133 teams in terms of the number of sacks allowed a year ago.

Having gone through the spring drills, it appears that Seaton is likely to be the definite choice for the left side end. But he seems to have faith with the entire O-line on this regard.

Speaking to reporters recently, Seaton said, “I feel like the O-line last year didn’t have heart. ” ‘And right now we got a lot of dudes. We are just going at it. The same dude may have a bad day today and next day I want to get back at that guy. ’ Here the ‘justifications’ appeared to be related to a desire to attack the opponent and be attacked in return as well as the feeling of passion associated with the offense and self-integrity of the defense.

If they can develop significantly there and Seaton gets through his young man obstacles shortly, Colorado could actually be more than optics this year.

Jeremiah Smith Wide Receiver Ohio State University

Rarely can someone capture the attention of the college football world while still on the bench waiting to play his first game that event took place to Ohio State true freshman pass-catcher Jeremiah Smith.

The 6-3, 215-pound receiver from Opa Locka, Florida, was the nation’s top-ranked overall player, and as he stepped on to campus this past spring, Ohio State was probing the arrival of as college-ready prospect as is has been seen in a while.

Can he seamlessly be inserted as a starter to step into Marvin Harrison Junior ’s shoes as the Buckeyes number one target? Don't doubt him. As difficult as it must have been for him to live up to, all the hype and commotion, Smith did this spring. He impressed everyone, and he is aweing everyone in the preseason practice sessions as well.

As for coach Ryan Day, though, the fact is, Smith doesn’t have to be WR1 immediately, so long. The Buckeyes have the best receiver in the country back in Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate returned after making his mark in his freshman season.

He might begin that when the Buckeyes opt for three receivers and if he is to progress as they want him to, then this boy is going to be a monster for cornerbacks across the Big Ten.

He is nearly as close to a ‘certainty’ and an ability to be an instant producer in the pros as can be…provided, of course, that his body holds up.

The team consisted of Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa from Notre Dame as the Linebacker.

Like a lot of the other guys on this list, Viliamu-Asa played his high school football for St. John Bosco in California. That seasoning against elite competition (the picture above has him attempting to bring down another guy on this list, former Mater Dei High School and current Stanford QB Elijah Brown) will be valuable.

He comes in at 6’3”, 236 pounds – a load – and should slot into one of Notre Dame’s inside linebacker spots. Many teams behind Jack Kiser do not have quite a vast experience, so Viliamu-Asa is right to give out one hundred percent for golden-domers.

He is, maximizing the situation, getting noticed.

“Kyngstonn came up, we had two guys block him and he spun out both of them with the back being one of them,” Notre Dame associate head coach/running backs coach Deland McCullough told the South Bend Tribune’s Mike Berardino. And then, when I just watched the tape and watched that – I freaked out, I went – are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?!! … How’s that happen?

Such athleticism with 240 pounds backing it up should make Irish fans drool. In his very limited time at Notre Dame as the head coach, Marcus Freeman has shown that he is very great at recruiting, and Viliamu-Asa might just be his biggest get.

Even if he is not in the starting five, he will get good practice time soon, and in all likelihood, immediately. What he is doing is too talent invoking to watch.

Deshawn Warner, Kansas Edge

Kansas football has not just been an irrelevance for so long; it has been an object of ridicule.

But with Lance Leipold now calling the shots, such days are in the past.

He is making the type of impact in Lawrence that nobody could have predicted and though the Gridiron Jayhawks aren’t playing at the level of the hard-wood Jayhawks, they are on everyone’s radar now. Who’s to say they won’t compete for the crown of the new look Big 12?

Here, too, Leipold’s on-field performance has begun to bear fruit in the recruiting arena as well.

In this past class, Self was able to secure the services of 4-star defensive end Deshawn “DJ” Warner of Arizona and he is the highest rated player to play football at KU. The rather athletic, 6’3”, 217 pound edge-rusher was the 124th overall player, and even ranked higher with 247sports.

Despite a number of programs coming after him, the decision was made and Warner went to Kansas.

He certainly looked the part this spring, and he is lined up to potentially start immediately for a defense in desperate need of difference makers. If Leipold says to Swain of Warner, “He is a sponge. He wants to really learn and understand. He came here to help Kansas Football. We’re gonna need someone off the edge, but I do not want to put too much on him because freshmen can’t handle all the new changes,” don’t listen.

Leipold always underestimates young talents just to ensure that he does not put undue pressure on talented youngster. Still, Warner is dynamic off the edge, and as much as he is still slim, there are plans for him to chase after quarterbacks now.

Bryant Wesco, a wide receiver of Clemson

Swinney, in particular, is going to have to recruit a lot better talent on the offense side of the ball if the Clemson Tigers are ever going to return to dominating the college football world like they did during the Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence era.

That is why he snapped up TCU’s Garrett Riley as an offensive coordinator before last season, though that wasn’t immediately fruitful, Lincoln got a couple of fabulous pieces of the puzzle in the form of 2024 recruits.

TJ Moore was the preferred UCLA receiver target in the Tigers’ 2013 recruiting class, and he has a lot of talent, but Midlothian, Texas pass catcher Bryant Wesco might be the guy who contributes the most immediately.

The 6-2, 182-pound receiver could very well end up as one of the favorite targets of Cade Klubnik deep.

“Those are just two, I mean, two remarkable young talents,” Clemson senior RJ Mickens said of Wesco and Moore. “They have came in and they are the best freshmen receivers I’ve seen,” he added “They have that deep vertical threat. ”

Mickens continued the praise stating that Wesco can ‘do it all’ and at this point in camp, reports are saying that he’s doing a little bit of everything.

You don’t get this sort of buzz without them making plenty of noise on Saturdays. Wesco will be targeted for a lot of passes this year. What the Tigers lack is at least one guy who can dictate results on offense and he fits the bill.