Ranking the Top 25 Freshmen Going into the 2016 College Football Season
One of the best parts about college football is the constant change. Each year, the game’s stars graduate or depart for the National Football League, and reserves who’ve been biding their time, as well as new talent, replace them on the front lines.
That’s why recruiting is so important. It’s the lifeblood of the game. When those stars depart, they must be replaced by freshmen who develop into standouts in their own right. This fall, we’ll see freshmen across the country emerge as stars.
Here’s a look at the top 25 college football freshmen for 2016. Players were rated on their reputation, talent and the impact they’re expected to make this fall, which is why redshirt freshmen were included. Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments!
25. Notre Dame OT Tommy Kraemer
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One of the hottest storylines in Notre Dame’s spring practice is the quarterback battle. Will sophomore DeShone Kizer, who excelled last year following Malik Zaire’s season-ending ankle injury, keep the starting role, or will Zaire reclaim it? No matter who winds up with the job, someone has to keep the QB upright.
Standout tackle Ronnie Stanley has graduated and is off to the NFL, leaving a big hole on the left side of the line. There is an excellent opportunity for offensive tackle signee Tommy Kraemer. At 6’5”, 309 pounds, he has a prototypical left tackle’s body. He is an excellent pass- and run-blocker and also has very good feet.
Notre Dame’s overall lack of tackle depth means it’s likely that Kraemer will see time at one of two tackle spots in his first season on campus. Will he emerge as the starting left tackle? We’ll see.
24. Oklahoma LB Caleb Kelly
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In 2015, Oklahoma had the kind of season that quieted Bob Stoops’ detractors. Well, at least some of them. The Sooners won the Big 12 title and made the College Football Playoff but fell short in the Orange Bowl, suffering a 38-17 loss at Clemson’s hands.
To take the next step toward a national title, the OU defense must improve, and that won’t be easy with the departures of linebackers Dominique Alexander and Frank Shannon. Fresno, California, linebacker Caleb Kelly’s arrival is a crucial part of that goal.
Kelly stands 6’3”, 215 pounds and was one of the nation’s most highly recruited linebackers. He picked Oklahoma over Oregon and Notre Dame, among others, and has great lateral movement and athleticism while playing well in space. Kelly is in line to see immediate playing time while improving the Sooners linebacker corps—and hopefully the OU defense.
23. Ole Miss DT Benito Jones
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Robert Nkemdiche had a turbulent end to his Ole Miss career, but the defensive tackle certainly delivered on the field. The highly touted recruit had three excellent years with the Rebels, consistently drawing double-teams on virtually every snap.
His departure left a big hole on the Rebels defensive line, but Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze hopes that Benito Jones is ready to help fill it.
Jones has great quickness, speed and strength at the point of attack, and he has a solid body at 6’2", 285 pounds. He’ll be a natural choice to replace Nkemdiche as a difference-maker on the Rebels line. He is going through spring practice with the Rebels and will see significant snaps this fall.
22. LSU DT Rashard Lawrence
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New LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda should send a thank-you card to Kevin Steele. Steele’s surprising departure for Auburn created an opening for Aranda to work in the SEC with a very talented defense, and it’s only getting better. The Tigers signed a strong defensive recruiting class, and Rashard Lawrence is one of its strongest members.
The in-state product stands 6’3”, 305 pounds and picked the Tigers over Ohio State and Alabama, among others. He has a nonstop motor and great athleticism, quickness and explosiveness—the kind of player who can give opposing offensive linemen nightmares.
The Tigers are strong up front this fall, but Lawrence has the talent to get on the field early and get valuable experience for the near future.
21. Southern California CB Jack Jones
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Multitalented Southern California cornerback Adoree’ Jackson is one of the nation’s most versatile players. He has started at cornerback since his freshman year, catches passes as a receiver and returns punts and kicks as an explosive return threat. However, Jackson is a junior. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him head for the NFL following the 2016 season. It’s time to start grooming a replacement.
The Trojans might have just the guy in Long Beach cornerback Jack Jones. Jones is a talented cornerback but also played receiver, returned kicks and punts and even punted himself. He averaged 134 all-purpose yards per game as a senior at Long Beach Poly, an impressive feat.
It might be tough for Jones to start early on, but he’ll find a way to contribute in multiple ways, and his role in USC’s game plan should only increase as the year goes on.
20. LSU CB Kristian Fulton
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Under Les Miles, LSU has built a strong connection with Louisiana recruits. LSU is the state’s flagship program and the place Louisiana players want to play. The Tigers built a strong class of 2016 with in-state players forming its backbone, and cornerback Kristian Fulton was the class prize.
The Metairie, Louisiana, native is one of the nation’s best defensive backs, standing 6’0”, 177 pounds. He picked LSU over Florida, Arkansas and Alabama, among others, and has shown that he has great ball skills after making six interceptions as a high school senior. Fulton has excellent instincts, change-of-direction and quickness, and new LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is surely very excited to have him.
The Tigers have a stacked secondary led by cornerback Tre’Davious White, who turned down potential NFL first-round status to play his senior season, so it might not be easy for Fulton to see the field. He could fight his way into the rotation, and his talent will make it hard to keep him away from making a contribution this fall.
19. Penn State RB Miles Sanders
7 of 25James Franklin enters his third season at Penn State in need of progress. In two seasons, Happy Valley hasn’t been so happy with his 14-12 record as head coach. Franklin needs impact recruits, and Miles Sanders certainly fits that model.
The Pittsburgh native is a speedy, productive tailback who stands 5’11”, 199 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds. The Nittany Lions do have sophomore Saquon Barkley, who is coming off a 1,076-yard freshman season, but Sanders’ talent makes him a prime candidate for early playing time teaming with Barkley in the backfield.
18. Arkansas DE McTelvin Agim
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It isn’t easy making progress in the ultra-tough SEC West, but Bret Bielema is doing it at Arkansas. Following a rough first year, the Razorbacks have rallied for two consecutive winning seasons, both capped with a bowl win over Big 12 teams (Texas and Kansas State). To keep rising, the Hogs must recruit well, and Arkansas is doing so in-state.
Defensive end McTelvin Agim is a standout pass-rusher, and he hails from Hope, Arkansas. Agim stands 6’2”, 268 pounds. He picked the Hogs over Oklahoma and is going through spring practice with his new teammates.
Arkansas is stacked at defensive end, bringing back its entire two-deep from 2015, but Agim is a talented enough rusher to make his way into the rotation and improve an already solid defense this fall.
17. Southern California DE Oluwole Betiku
9 of 25Southern California is enjoying a spring of stability as Clay Helton works through his first season as the Trojans’ full-time head coach. One of the biggest items on his agenda? Improving the USC defense.
The Trojans ranked No. 65 nationally in total defense, and Helton didn’t retain defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox on his new staff. The pass rush was an issue, and the new staff hopes Oluwole Betiku can improve it.
One of the nation’s top rush end prospects, Betiku rolled up 70 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 17 sacks as a high school senior. He chose USC over Texas A&M and Notre Dame, and at 6’3”, 240 pounds, he has the size and skill for an immediate impact.
16. Florida State QB Deondre Francois
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Last fall, neither Sean Maguire nor Everett Golson truly seized Florida State’s starting quarterback role during a 10-3 season. Maguire threw for 1,520 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions, completing 59.3 percent of his passes. He will return for his senior season but was sidelined for spring because of ankle surgery.
That opens the door for other quarterbacks to make an impression on Jimbo Fisher’s staff. Most notably, that includes redshirt freshman Deondre Francois. Francois, a dual-threat passer, sat, learned and developed last fall, but he has enjoyed an opportunity to work with the first-team offense this spring.
Francois is battling with J.J. Cosentino (who played in two games last fall) and early-enrollee Malik Henry, but his athleticism could turn heads and give him a chance to battle Maguire for the starting role come August.
15. Alabama LB Lyndell Wilson
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Alabama doesn’t rebuild. The Crimson Tide reload, and despite multiple departures from a nasty front seven, 2016 will be no different. Nick Saban’s staff just rolls in talent to replace those who’ve moved on in assembly-line fashion.
Alabama lost senior linebackers Reggie Ragland, Denzel Devall and Dillon Lee but signed multiple talented freshmen to take their place. Montgomery, Alabama, linebacker Lyndell Wilson is ready to pick up the slack. He has excellent size at 6’2”, 220 pounds and chose Alabama over Auburn and Georgia, among a host of offers.
Wilson is an excellent tackler, with great pursuit and quickness skills, as well as an athletic frame with solid lateral movement. And he has opportunity at Alabama. The door is open for Wilson to play early. Expect him to kick it down and get on the field this fall.
14. Georgia ATH Mecole Hardman Jr.
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It’s not a matter of if Mecole Hardman Jr. will fit in on the field at Georgia. It’s just a matter of where. Hardman, an athletic prospect, weighs in at just 5’10”, 169 pounds, but he has excellent versatility and could contribute as a wide receiver or a cornerback.
Hardman has great speed and has been clocked at 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The Elberton, Georgia, native chose to stay close to home, picking the Bulldogs over Florida State, Alabama and Ohio State.
Georgia has immediate opportunities at wide receiver, but much like Southern California’s Adoree’ Jackson, Hardman could make an impact in multiple ways for Georgia.
13. Georgia TE Isaac Nauta
13 of 25New Georgia coach Kirby Smart has some work to do molding an uneven Bulldogs offense. While the return of talented tailback Nick Chubb from knee surgery and the presence of highly touted freshman quarterback Jacob Eason will help, Isaac Nauta is a major upgrade as well.
Nauta stands 6’3”, 244 pounds and has excellent hands, great catching ability and solid route-running skills. He picked Georgia over Alabama, Florida State and Michigan, among others, and the Buford, Georgia, native’s pledge is a sign that Smart has planted his flag for key in-state prospects. Nauta will begin contributing immediately this fall.
12. UCLA LB Mique Juarez
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Jim Mora Jr. has built a strong reputation for developing NFL-ready linebackers. This spring, two-way star Myles Jack is expected to be a high first-round pick in the NFL draft, and Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks have established themselves with the Minnesota Vikings.
Who is next in line? It could be Mique Juarez. The Torrance, California, native is one of the top linebackers in the class of 2016. He stands 6’1”, 231 pounds and has great speed and productivity. He chose UCLA over Alabama, Oklahoma and Ole Miss, among others.
Starter Wallace and backup Kene Orjioke have both graduated, leaving a clear void at outside linebacker. Assuming Juarez picks up UCLA’s defensive system quickly enough, he’ll make his presence felt on the field early on in 2016.
11. Ole Miss QB Shea Patterson
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Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze has built a reputation as an excellent recruiter. The class of 2016 was a shining example why. While the Rebels have a standout starter in place with Chad Kelly, who threw for 4,042 yards, 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2015, Kelly is a senior. That’s why Shea Patterson is so important.
Kelly is the only quarterback on Ole Miss’ roster who has attempted a pass in a college game, and Freeze needs to build experience behind him. Patterson, who stands 6’1”, 192 pounds, has excellent pass accuracy and delivery, quickness and pocket presence.
He has already enrolled at Ole Miss and is battling with Jason Pellerin to become Kelly’s backup. Those backup reps would be very valuable for 2016, but if Patterson redshirts, he’d get a year of development and a chance to win the starting job next spring.
10. Alabama QB Blake Barnett
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For the third time in as many years, Alabama is looking for a starting quarterback. One-year starters Blake Sims and Jake Coker were successful, leading the Crimson Tide to a College Football Playoff berth and a national title, respectively, but Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin now have the opportunity to mold a younger starter long term.
One of the most intriguing candidates is Blake Barnett. The redshirt freshman watched and learned last fall but is competing with sophomore Cooper Bateman and fellow redshirt freshman David Cornwell for the job this spring.
Graduating linebacker Reggie Ragland was very impressed with Barnett, per AL.com's Matt Zenitz.
"Once he learns everything and gets stronger and all that stuff and does the things he has to do, he's going to be a monster in college football," Ragland said.
Barnett has great size at 6’5”, 215 pounds and has a very good arm with excellent athleticism. He isn’t a finished product, but he’s polished and takes a year of experience facing the Alabama defense on the scout team into spring practice. If he wins the job, Saban will have his first extended quarterback solution since A.J. McCarron.
9. Alabama LB Ben Davis
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Alabama is coming off its fourth national championship under Nick Saban’s watch, but as always, the Crimson Tide will be a work in progress early on. When you produce as many NFL players as Alabama does, that’s only natural.
The Crimson Tide defense will have some holes, and one of the most important is at linebacker, where Reggie Ragland graduated and is a potential first-round pick. Alabama has a natural potential replacement for him in incoming linebacker Ben Davis.
Davis is an Alabama legacy; his father, Wayne, also played for the Tide. He grew up in Gordo, a few miles from Tuscaloosa, but seriously considered LSU, Auburn and Georgia before picking Alabama on national signing day.
Davis is an obvious candidate for early playing time. He has excellent movement and quickness and can play in space well. He’ll get the opportunity to begin carving out his own legacy almost immediately.
8. Auburn DT Derrick Brown
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Kevin Steele raised some eyebrows when he bolted LSU for SEC West rival Auburn, which sought a new defensive coordinator after Will Muschamp became South Carolina’s head coach. Muschamp didn’t turn around the Tigers defense as fast as many had hoped in 2015, with Auburn limping to a 7-6 record. But AU has talent on its defensive line, especially with a healthy Carl Lawson returning at defensive end.
Auburn also got a shot in the arm on national signing day when Buford, Georgia, defensive tackle Derrick Brown chose the Tigers over home-state Georgia, giving the defensive line a talent infusion.
Brown stands 6’3”, 317 pounds and has great athleticism, explosiveness and movement at the point of attack. While Montravius Adams and Dontavious Russell will return as starters this fall, Brown will have an impact as an energetic reserve. Steele will get him plenty of work in 2016 with the hope that he steps into a starting role in 2017.
7. Ohio State DE Nick Bosa
19 of 25Ohio State and Urban Meyer are reloading this fall. The Buckeyes had nine juniors declare for the NFL draft, and one who surprised virtually no one was defensive end Joey Bosa, one of the nation’s top pass-rushers.
The blow was softened a bit by the knowledge that Joey’s brother, Nick, was on his way to campus this fall. The younger Bosa is also an excellent pass-rush prospect, standing 6’4”, 265 pounds. He has excellent point-of-attack skills, quickness, pursuit and first step.
With a little experience, it’ll be like Joey never left. That’s great news for Buckeyes fans but not so much for opposing offensive lines. Expect Bosa to get plenty of playing time in 2016.
6. Florida State CB Levonta Taylor
20 of 25Jalen Ramsey is expected to be among the top picks in this month’s NFL draft, but his early departure leaves a void in the Florida State secondary. That’s why Jimbo Fisher and Co. recruit, though, and they have a capable replacement ready.
Cornerback Levonta Turner is poised to step in and play immediately at either cornerback or FSU’s “Star” position. The Virginia Beach, Virginia, native stands 5’10”, 170 pounds and has excellent speed, quickness, change-of-direction and recovery skills. He chose FSU over Virginia, and it was a wise move for both him and the Seminoles.
5. Houston DT Ed Oliver
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Ed Oliver had his choice of college destinations. The fact that he chose to stay close to home at Houston speaks volumes for what Tom Herman has accomplished with the Cougars program in one short year.
The 6’2”, 277-pound Houston native is one of the nation’s top defensive tackle prospects, but he chose Houston over LSU and Texas after witnessing a 13-1 record in Herman’s first season, including a Peach Bowl win over Florida State.
Houston has a vacancy on the defensive line following Tomme Mark’s graduation. Oliver will challenge for immediate time at defensive tackle and potentially start alongside B.J. Singleton. He’ll be a big addition while playing at home.
4. Georgia QB Jacob Eason
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Kirby Smart has wasted no time putting his stamp on Georgia’s program. The Bulldogs’ new head coach spoke with Georgia legislators before they passed a controversial new law increasing the time that state officials are required to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests from three to 90 days. He’s getting to know his new players on the field, too.
One of the most promising? Freshman quarterback Jacob Eason. Eason was rated as the nation’s No. 5 recruit by 247Sports, but when Mark Richt was fired, Smart had to resell Eason on Georgia. He chose UGA over Florida, a huge victory for the program.
The son of former NFL quarterback Tony Eason had his choice of impressive offers as a recruit; he stands 6’5”, 208 pounds.
Eason has excellent arm strength, pocket presence, accuracy, intangibles and delivery. He has already enrolled at Georgia and is going through spring practice with his new teammates. While Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey are ahead of him in the pecking order, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Eason played well enough to pass them and play as a true freshman this fall.
3. Ole Miss OT Greg Little
23 of 25Ole Miss has one of the SEC’s best returning quarterbacks in Chad Kelly, but Hugh Freeze does have a concern: How do you protect his blind side? Left tackle Laremy Tunsil is off to the NFL and could be the draft’s top overall pick, leaving a big hole on the Rebels offensive line.
That’s where Greg Little comes in. The nation’s top offensive line recruit is a perfect fit in Oxford. Little stands 6’5”, 305 pounds and picked the Rebels over Alabama and Texas A&M. Smart move. He is a great pass-blocker with excellent feet and is also a solid run-blocker. It would be a surprise if Little didn’t start from day one, protecting Kelly and shoring up a potent offensive attack.
2. Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence
24 of 25With the likes of Vic Beasley, Shaq Lawson, Grady Jarrett and Kevin Dodd, the Clemson defensive line has become a breeding ground for NFL talent. It would be no surprise if Dexter Lawrence joined them on that same trajectory.
Lawrence stands 6’4”, 327 pounds and has excellent power and athleticism for a man of his size. He chose Clemson over Florida, Florida State and N.C. State, among others. He is very explosive and has a great first step and solid hands, and has been impressive in spring practice as an early enrollee.
Clemson returns two experienced front-line tackles in sophomore Christian Wilkins and senior Carlos Watkins, but there’s no question that Lawrence will see significant time in the trenches this fall and impress in the process.
1. Michigan DT Rashan Gary
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In one season, Jim Harbaugh proved to be just the jolt that the Michigan program needed. He turned a 5-7 team into a 10-win squad in his first season, generating buzz and headlines at nearly every step. And this is just the beginning, especially when you look at his recruiting. The Wolverines signed an excellent 2016 class, highlighted by the consensus top recruit in Paramus, New Jersey, defensive tackle Rashan Gary.
Gary stands 6’5”, 293 pounds and is the total package. He has exceptional explosiveness off the ball, is very difficult for opposing offensive linemen to contain, and has excellent athleticism, size and strength. He had 55 tackles and 13.5 sacks as a high school senior.
Gary has a polished game already and possesses incredible power. He had offers from across the nation, and Harbaugh and Co. scored a major win when Gary signed with Michigan. He’s an upgrade for an already good defense. Gary looks like a sure-fire three-year player. Enjoy him while you have him, Ann Arbor.
Recruiting info courtesy of 247Sports.
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