Postseason Awards for 2014 College Football Freshmen
After two straight years in which a freshman won the Heisman Trophy, the biggest awards in college football went across the board to non-first-year players this season.
But the lack of major hardware was misleading for a freshman class that played as well as any group in recent memory. Some positions were stronger than others, but on the whole the 2014 class had both superstars and depth to spare.
Which got us thinking: Why not hand out their own major national awards?
No freshman played well enough to beat Melvin Gordon for the Doak Walker Award, but plenty played well enough to win the Freshman Doak Walker Award. No freshman played well enough to beat Scooby Wright for the Chuck Bednarik Award, but plenty played well enough to win the Freshman Chuck Bednarik Award.
The list that follows is a subjective ballot for the Freshman College Football Awards—the way I would have voted for each trophy if (a) I had a vote and (b) only first-year players were eligible.
Statistics played a major role but were overruled in matters where level of competition or tape study made a difference.
Sound off below and let me know where you agree or disagree!
Note: All recruiting info refers to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Freshman Paul Hornung Award (Most Versatile Player)
1 of 14
The Winner: Adoree' Jackson, USC
Adoree' Jackson starred in all three phases as a freshman, moonlighting from his normal position (cornerback) with occasional stints at wide receiver and kick returner.
The No. 7 overall player in the 2014 class caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown in the season-opener against Fresno State before making a permanent switch to defense, where he became one of USC's most reliable defensive backs. He finished the year with 42 tackles (38 solo), four tackles for loss and nine pass breakups.
Jackson also returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Utah—a game in which he also forced a fumble at the goal line—and caught his second offensive touchdown in the season finale against Notre Dame.
Finalists
- Speedy Noil, Texas A&M
- De'Mornay Pierson-El, Nebraska
Freshman Lou Groza Award (Best Place-Kicker)
2 of 14
The Winner: Matthew McCrane, Kansas State
Matthew McCrane stabilized the kicker position for the Wildcats after Jack Cantele cost them the Auburn game.
He relieved Cantele—who missed four of his first eight kicks of the season—and finished the year 16-for-17 on field goals and 38-for-39 on extra points. His only missed field goal was a 22-yard chip shot against West Virginia, which was bad but forgivable in a game in which he hit four other kicks, including three from 30-plus yards.
Finalists
- Daniel Carlson, Auburn
- Rafael Gaglianone, Wisconsin
Freshman Ray Guy Award (Best Punter)
3 of 14
The Winner: JK Scott, Alabama
JK Scott picked up right where Cody Mandell left off, finishing No. 2 in the FBS in yards per punt (46.98).
And unlike Mandell, who only punted 19 times in 2013, Scott had a decent workload. He punted 48 times for Alabama, including eight times in a close win over Arkansas, nine times in a close win over LSU and seven times in a close win over Mississippi State.
Scott averaged 50 or more yards in four games this season, each time against a bowl team: West Virginia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Auburn.
He will be a Ray Guy favorite in 2015.
Finalists
- Joe Davidson, Bowling Green
- Will Gleeson, Ole Miss
.png?w=256)
Freshman Ted Hendricks Award (Best Defensive End)
4 of 14
The Winner: Derek Barnett, Tennessee
Derek Barnett finished tied for No. 13 in the country with 10 sacks during the regular season, second among freshman.
Myles Garrett of Texas A&M had 11 sacks, but Barnett was the more complete player, also finishing No. 5 in the country with 20.5 tackles for loss. Garrett only had 12.5 tackles for loss.
Barnett's production also came against the best teams he faced. All 10 of his sacks came during SEC play, and 19.0 of his tackles for loss came against either SEC opponents or Oklahoma.
"High, high character," head coach Butch Jones told reporters about Barnett after the freshman logged two sacks and four tackles for loss against Kentucky. "Can't say enough about him, not only what he brings on the field, but what he brings in the locker room."
Finalists
- Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
- Marquis Haynes, Ole Miss
Freshman Jim Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back)
5 of 14
The Winner: Quin Blanding, Virginia
Quin Blanding finished No. 15 in the country with 123 total tackles, first among all freshman and all defensive backs.
The No. 6 overall player in the 2014 class was a Day 1 starter opposite Anthony Harris and gave Virginia the best safety duo in the country. He is a 6'4" marvel stacking the box against the run but also finished with six pass breakups and three interceptions for a defense that ranked No. 25 in Football Outsiders' S&P+ pass defense ratings.
Andrew Ramspacher of The Daily Progress asked Virginia linebacker Max Valles if he thought Blanding was a lock for ACC Rookie of the Year, to which Valles replied: "I think he's an All-American."
It's crazy to think he was only a true freshman.
Finalists
- Jamal Adams, LSU
- Adoree' Jackson, USC
Freshman Dick Butkus Award (Best Linebacker)
6 of 14
The Winner: Darron Lee, Ohio State
Darron Lee was a consistent source of negative plays, finishing first among freshman linebackers with 13.5 tackles for loss.
He bookended the year with fumble returns for touchdowns in the season-opener against Navy and the regular-season finale against Michigan and also recorded two interceptions in Big Ten play.
Ohio State counted on Lee to knife through the line and make plays in the backfield when opponents became preoccupied with Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington and Michael Bennett along the trenches. Only a redshirt freshman, Lee proved he was up for the task.
Finalists
- Lorenzo Carter, Georgia
- Taylor Young, Baylor
Freshman Rimington Trophy (Best Center)
7 of 14
The Winner: Tejan Koroma, BYU
Tejan Koroma started every game of the season for a BYU team that at one point appeared to be headed toward a New Year's Day bowl.
The loss of quarterback Taysom Hill (broken leg) sent the Cougars on a four-game losing streak, but they rebounded with four straight wins and averaged 190.5 rushing yards per game for the season.
Koroma was named a True Freshman All-American by 247Sports, which claims he averaged five flat-blocks per game.
Finalists
- Brad Lundblade, Oklahoma State
- Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
Freshman Outland Trophy (Best Interior Lineman)
8 of 14
The Winner: Cam Robinson, Alabama
Cam Robinson was a warrior for Alabama, quickly becoming one of the best left tackles in the SEC (and, by extension, the country).
The No. 5 overall player in the 2014 class was solid in pass protection but out of this world in the running game, paving consistent holes for T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry. He also got revenge against Myles Garrett, whom he struggled to block at last year's Under Armour All-American game, during a 59-0 win over Texas A&M.
Pro Football Focus graded Robinson as the best offensive player when Alabama beat Florida in September. Steve Palazzolo said the following about one particular drive in the fourth quarter:
"On one drive in the fourth quarter, Robinson did it all, knocking [Dante Fowler Jr.] about five yards off the ball on one run, then getting out in front with a nice screen block. He then climbed to the second level to wall off linebacker Antonio Morrison, and capped it off by opening up the back side of a run with a cut block.
"
Fowler Jr. and Morrison are both All-SEC-caliber players.
Finalists
- Toa Lebendahn, USC
- Lowell Lotulelei, Utah
Freshman John Mackey Award (Best Tight End)
9 of 14
The Winner: Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech
Bucky Hodges was one of the few bright spots on Virginia Tech's offense, leading all freshman tight ends with seven touchdowns.
He spread those seven touchdowns over seven games and finished second on the team with 517 receiving yards.
Quarterback Michael Brewer struggled to get the ball down the field, averaging just 6.2 yards per attempt, but Hodges made himself into an intermediate threat and averaged 12.31 yards per catch.
In a down year for freshman tight ends—and, really, college tight ends in general—that is enough to win the first-year Mackey.
Finalists
- Austin Hooper, Stanford
- Jake Roh, Boise State
Freshman Biletnikoff Award (Best Wide Receiver)
10 of 14
The Winner: Mike Dudek, Illinois
Mike Dudek was the best offensive player on an Illinois team that made a bowl despite having no business making a bowl.
He led all freshman receivers with 80.4 receiving yards per game and played his best when Illinois most needed it. Twenty-seven of his 69 receptions and 387 of his 965 yards came when the Illini trailed by seven or fewer points, per cfbstats.com.
"I get thankful every time my number gets called," Dudek told reporters after catching 11 passes for 115 yards in a 16-14 win over Penn State. "I work really hard off the field, too. I'm in here once and sometimes twice a day…learning the defenses, which is something I didn't really know well in high school."
Dudek was the No. 943 overall player in the 2014 class.
Finalists
- DaeSean Hamilton, Penn State
- Artavis Scott, Clemson
Freshman Davey O'Brien Award (Best Quarterback)
11 of 14
The Winner: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
J.T. Barrett had one of the best statistical seasons in Ohio State history before fracturing his ankle in "The Game" against Michigan.
Regardless, he finished No. 2 in the country in QB rating (169.82) and No. 9 in total yards per game (314.3). No other freshman finished in the top 18 of either of those categories.
Barrett didn't win the Heisman Trophy like Jameis Winston and Johnny Manziel before him, but he continued the trend of redshirt freshman quarterbacks becoming All-American candidates.
The learning curve for quarterbacks has never been smaller.
Finalists
- Brad Kaaya, Miami
- Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Freshman Doak Walker Award (Best Running Back)
12 of 14
The Winner: Nick Chubb, Georgia
Nick Chubb edges out a deep field of candidates to lead what might be the best freshman running back class of all time.
He finished with 1,281 yards and 12 touchdowns on 186 carries and 213 yards and two touchdowns on 18 receptions, contributing in both phases of the offense after Todd Gurley was suspended for signing autographs then tore his ACL upon returning.
Samaje Perine of Oklahoma finished with bigger raw numbers but didn't have the visceral impact of Chubb, who made SEC defenses look just as weak and hapless as Gurley has the past three seasons.
It was close. Very close. Royce Freeman of Oregon would have been a solid choice, as well. You couldn't go wrong with any of them.
For me, though, Chubb was the best by a nose.
Finalists
- Royce Freeman, Oregon
- Samaje Perine, Oklahoma
Freshman Chuck Bednarik/Bronko Nagurski Award (Best Defensive Player)
13 of 14
The Winner: Derek Barnett, Tennessee
Derek Barnett gets the nod over Quin Blanding and Adoree' Jackson because he led his team to an unexpected bowl game.
Blanding helped Virginia overachieve, but the Wahoos fell short of the postseason at 5-7. Jackson helped USC win eight games and reach the Holiday Bowl, but for the Trojans, that is actually a disappointment.
Barnett made play after to play to help a Tennessee team billed as "one year away" finish 6-6 against a tough schedule. His three-sack performance against South Carolina stands out as a turning point in the Vols' season, which ended with three wins in four games.
They simply couldn't have gotten this far without him.
Finalists
- Quin Blanding, Virginia
- Adoree' Jackson, USC
Freshman Walter Camp/Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy (Best Player)
14 of 14
The Winner: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
J.T. Barrett didn't learn he would start until Braxton Miller was ruled out for the year with a shoulder injury Aug. 20.
But after struggling to stay on his feet against Navy and Virginia Tech the first two weeks of the season, he played near-flawless football and led Ohio State to the national semifinals.
His crowning achievement came in a 49-37 win at Michigan State, during which the Buckeyes scored touchdowns on six consecutive (and seven of eight) possessions in a road night game against what many believed to be a top-10 defense in the country.
All seven of OSU's touchdown drives went 50 or more yards, six went 64 or more yards and three went 70 or more yards. It was the most impressive performance any freshman (and maybe any player or team) submitted this entire season, and it came on a massive stage.
If you're looking for a Heisman moment—that was it.
Finalists
- Nick Chubb, Georgia
- Royce Freeman, Oregon
- Samaje Perine, Oklahoma
.png?w=480)
