The 2017 season was fruitful for true freshmen making their mark on the college football world and bursting onto the scene. With quarterbacks Jake Fromm and Tua Tagovailoa squaring off in the national championship game, and running back Jonathan Taylor rushing for over 1,900 yards, the list goes on for first year players who exceeded expectations.
There is nothing to suggest that 2018 won't feature the same excitement from true freshmen, especially with the new redshirt rule coming into play. College coaches will now be able to insert a player up to four games without burning his redshirt, which means we could see more true freshmen get a four-game tryout to showcase their abilities.
Every year it seems that more and more first-year players are making their mark, so who will be atop the stat lists for the 2018 season?
QB Justin Fields, Georgia Bulldogs
Fields was the No. 1-ranked player in the country in 2018 and had nearly every program after him for good reason. He initially committed to Penn State before flipping to Georgia and is now being hyped as someone who could push the Dawgs to the next level. He will still have to beat out Jake Fromm, who took over for injured Jacob Eason and led Georgia all the way to the national championship game. The fact that Fields is still being talked about as someone who could make an impact this first season says a lot about his abilities on the field.
It might not happen right away ,as the staff has the luxury of easing him into the role, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Fields very much in the mix and making plays the same way he did in high school.
QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson Tigers
Lawrence was the No. 2-ranked prospect in the class, just behind Fields, with a five-star rating. He, too, must beat out the incumbent starter in Kelly Bryant, but the early talk is that Lawrence is what the Clemson coaches expected him to be. He flashed a glimpse of what they have seen on film in the Tigers' spring game, passing for 122 yards including a 50-yard strike to receiver Tee Higgins for a touchdown.
Lawrence could be tagged as a true freshman standout for Clemson this season, along with freshman defensive end K.J. Henry, but nothing has been made official as to where Lawrence or Bryant stand in the quarterback race.
TE Brevin Jordan, Miami Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have a philosophy of not recruiting outside the Miami area unless they believe the prospect is a can't-miss recruit who can help their team immediately. Jordan fits that bill, as Miami went out to Las Vegas to snare the No. 20-ranked prospect overall.
The Hurricanes lose leading receiver Braxton Berrios and tight end Christopher Herndon, who was the second-leading receiver in 2017. Ahmmon Richards and Jeff Thomas are returning, but outside of those two, no other returning players had more than 300 receiving yards.
At 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, Jordan is a well-rounded tight end who can play a big factor in the passing game going forward for Miami. The opportunity to make an impact is there for Jordan as well as freshman running back Lorenzo Lingard, who could very well be on this list, but Jordan could be special.
DBs Josh Jobe and Patrick Surtain, Alabama Crimson Tide
Surtain was the No. 5-ranked prospect overall and Jobe was No. 123. Both freshmen could help an Alabama defense that will need players to step up -- specifically in a secondary that loses Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Harrison, Rashaan Evans, Levi Wallace and Hootie Jones.
Nick Saban and his defensive staff need players to fill those voids, and Surtain and Jobe could be a few names who will rise to the top and dominate on defense.
Surtain stands at 6-foot-2, 192 pounds with Jobe at 6-foot, 178, which means both have a physical advantage to other smaller defensive backs coming into the fold. After losing that much production in the secondary, both true freshmen should be able to crack the lineup and make an impact early.
TE Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes are returning quite a bit on offense, including leading receivers Parris Campbell, K.J. Hill, Terry McLaurin and Johnnie Dixon. They also have running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber returning and are going to feature Dwayne Haskins at quarterback. That might not seem like an ideal situation for a tight end to come into and make an early impact, but word around Ohio State is that Ruckert has the ability to do just that.
Ruckert is highly touted in the Ohio State locker room and could make the biggest impact among the freshman, on a roster that includes incoming four-star freshmen Josh Proctor (a safety) and Tommy Togiai (a defensive tackle).
At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Ruckert has great hands and should give the Buckeyes another threat in the passing game. With a lot of weapons outside, and with J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber running the ball, Ruckert should be able to help Ohio State exploit the middle of the field in a way they haven't been able to in a long time at the tight end position.
Marcus Baugh had a productive season in 2017 for the Buckeyes, hauling in 304 yards and five touchdowns, but Ruckert brings a lot more athleticism and skill that he should be able to make an immediate impact in that offense.
This could be an interesting selection because Sewell is an offensive lineman, and it's typically difficult for offensive linemen to make an immediate impact right out of high school. It's not unprecedented, though, and Sewell seems to have all the tools to be able to help right away.
The Utah prospect is listed at 6-foot-6, 360 pounds on the Oregon roster, and it should be difficult to keep Sewell off the field with his impressive stature and strong hands.
Head coach Mario Cristobal spoke about Sewell at Pac-12 media days and echoed the same sentiments while speaking on the Gunther and Ben afternoon drive radio show on ESPN 700.
"Penei is as talented an individual as I've ever seen in my entire career and life," Cristobal said. "He is extremely powerful. ... He possesses a power that is really uncommon. He's as good and better than anyone I had been around at the University of Alabama and Miami, and we expect him to immediately be a contributor."
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA Bruins
Thompson-Robinson is coming into an ideal situation with the Bruins. There is a new coaching staff, which runs a system that fits his skill set, and there aren't many other quarterbacks on the roster who can do what he can do on the field.
At one point the staff was bringing in quarterback transfer K.J. Carta-Samuels, but Carta-Samuels changed his mind and transferred to Colorado State.
The staff then brought in Michigan graduate transfer Wilton Speight, but Speight doesn't fit with what Chip Kelly would ideally like to run with the Bruins.
Thompson-Robinson will have to compete with sophomore Devon Modster, who threw for 671 yards and four touchdowns in 2017, but with a clean slate with the coaching staff and Thompson-Robinson ranked as highly as he was in the 2018 class (No. 34 overall) the opportunity is there.
Once signing day was through, Kelly told the media that it was a priority for he and his staff to sign Thompson-Robinson, not just because the depth is so slim, but because he could be the quarterback Kelly and his staff needs to get started on the right foot.
WRs Terrace Marshall Jr. and Ja'Marr Chase, LSU Tigers
Defensive back Kelvin Joseph probably will get a shot to help LSU in the secondary, but the Tigers need playmakers on offense. Marshall and Chase could both have a big opportunity to step in and help an LSU offense that has sputtered lately.
The staff added Ohio State quarterback transfer Joe Burrow, who will be eligible immediately, and Burrow is going to need some help on the outside. The Tigers lose their top three receivers in terms of yards from last season. D.J. Chark, Darrel Williams and Russell Gage are all gone as well as running back Derrius Guice.
Marshall was ranked No. 10 overall and Chase was at No. 269 in the rankings. Both should play this season, and with Burrow coming in, the passing game should be much improved. The staff added a few junior college prospects along the offensive line to help shore up the protection, so if the Tigers can establish a run game and get the help they're expecting from the freshmen duo outside, it could be a big boost to the offense.
DB Brendan Radley-Hiles, Oklahoma Sooners
Radley-Hiles was an early enrollee at Oklahoma and quickly became the talk of spring football for the Sooners. Ranked as the No. 101 prospect and choosing Oklahoma out of IMG Academy, there was already a lot of hype surrounding the 5-foot-9, 187-pound athlete in high school.
Oklahoma has found playmakers on the offensive side of the ball but hasn't had a flashy, big-name defensive player in a while. Despite his diminutive stature, Radley-Hiles could be that guy for Oklahoma as early as this season. And he has the ability to do it at both corner and safety.
That versatility will make him even more valuable as Oklahoma loses safeties Steven Parker and William Johnson, as well as corner Jordan Thomas. If Radley-Hiles can continue progressing the way he did through the spring, the Sooners might have a big-time defensive player on their hands.