8 Best True Freshmen Contributing for College Football Playoff Contenders
The final month of the college football season is no time for neophytes. The season’s most important games are played with a year’s worth of work and preparation riding on every snap. There’s no room for error and no time for players whom coaches don’t trust.
This is especially true for College Football Playoff contenders. Although the last two Heisman Trophies were won by redshirt freshmen (Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M and Jameis Winston of Florida State), true freshmen can be hard to find on the depth charts of elite programs.
If you’ve cracked the two-deep chart as a significant contributor on a playoff contender this time of year, there’s little doubt that you’re talented. Coaches like to say that there aren’t any freshmen this time of year, because players who are contributing have enough experience to shed that label.
That’s certainly the case for these true freshman contributors to College Football Playoff hopefuls. Playoff contenders were defined as teams with one loss or fewer and ranked in the top 10 of the latest College Football Playoff Top 25. These players were selected for their contributions to their teams and overall ability.
Baylor WR KD Cannon
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Baylor is fighting for a College Football Playoff berth on the strength of a high-powered offense keyed by senior quarterback Bryce Petty. The Bears average 50.1 points per game, best nationally, and 354.2 passing yards per game, No. 4 nationally.
As a true freshman, wide receiver KD Cannon has emerged as a key cog in that system. He has cooled off a bit after a white-hot start (14 receptions, 471 yards, five touchdowns in his first three games) but is still Baylor’s No. 2 receiver with 38 receptions for 731 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 19.2 yards per reception.
Cannon stands 6’0”, 170 pounds and is an excellent deep threat, with receptions of 81 and 89 yards this season. He figures to develop into one of the nation’s top receivers very quickly and will excel in the Bears’ fast-paced offense.
FSU RB Dalvin Cook
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As a 5-star recruit, according to 247Sports, Florida State freshman back Dalvin Cook was one of the most anticipated arrivals on the Seminoles’ roster this year. His role in FSU’s backfield fluctuated early on, as he received only one carry for three yards in wins over Oklahoma State and Clemson.
But as the season wore on, Cook found a niche in the Seminoles’ running game. He has two 100-yard rushing games in FSU’s last four games. He had a breakout effort against Syracuse, carrying 23 times for 122 yards and a touchdown. He also came up huge when the ‘Noles needed him at Louisville. FSU dug itself a 21-0 hole, but Cook’s nine-carry, 110-yard, two-touchdown effort helped pull them out.
At 6’1”, 200 pounds, Cook has great size, but he also has breakaway speed. He's recorded 416 yards and five touchdowns as FSU’s second-leading rusher and will play a huge role in FSU’s run for an undefeated regular season and a College Football Playoff bid.
Florida State DE Lorenzo Featherston
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While Florida State’s defense suffered some graduation losses from 2013’s national championship team, it still isn’t an easy defense for a true freshman to break into. Despite the talented upperclassmen on the roster, defensive end Lorenzo Featherston is breaking the mold.
Featherston, who stands 6’7”, 220 pounds, has emerged as a starter on the Seminoles’ defensive line. He is light and could stand to put on 30 pounds or so, but he has tremendous wingspan and athleticism and is a talented pass-rusher. He has 17 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack through nine games.
With a winter in the weight room, those numbers should improve tremendously, but he’ll still make his share of plays down the stretch this season, as well.
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Oregon RB Royce Freeman
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Heisman Trophy front-runner Marcus Mariota gets the bulk of national attention in Oregon’s offense and with good reason. But the guy he’s handing the ball off to most this fall? He isn’t too shabby, either.
True freshman Royce Freeman has emerged as the Ducks’ top running back. That’s no shabby feat considering the talent in Oregon’s backfield, including Byron Marshall and Thomas Tyner. Freeman has been Oregon’s workhorse, carrying 170 times for 945 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
Sports on Earth's Matt Brown says Freeman is one of the nation's best freshman tailbacks and will have a big role in Oregon's offense moving forward.
If he’d managed two more yards against Stanford and one more against Utah, he’d be riding a five-game 100-yard rushing streak right now. He runs with power and speed and could be the Ducks’ next Heisman candidate in a year or two.
Ohio State LB Raekwon McMillan
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Last December, Raekwon McMillan disappointed suitors across the nation when he committed to Ohio State. The Georgia native, a 5-star recruit, according to 247Sports, was one of the nation’s most highly recruited prospects. He chose Ohio State’s strong linebacker tradition and is well on his way to becoming the Buckeyes’ next great ‘backer.
McMillan has played as a backup behind senior Curtis Grant, but he's pushing the veteran hard. McMillan plays all over the field and always finds his way to the football. He has 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and an interception return for a touchdown.
McMillan will make an impact in the Buckeyes’ chase for a College Football Playoff berth this season, but his college career is only beginning.
Arizona State RB Demario Richard
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Arizona State freshman running back Demario Richard got off to a bit of a slow start, but it’s understandable. At 17 years old, Richard is the youngest player on the Sun Devils’ roster, and he has a very talented player ahead of him on the backfield depth chart in junior D.J. Foster.
In ASU’s first six games, Richard carried 19 times for a total of 110 yards, and that included a 46-yard touchdown run against New Mexico. He didn’t even play in an important Pac-12 matchup against Southern California.
But over the last three games, Richard has found his groove behind Foster, carrying 36 times for 220 yards. He has an intriguing blend of speed and power and can catch passes out of the backfield as well. In an overtime win over Utah, he carried 14 times for 116 yards. In ASU’s rout of Notre Dame, he carried 13 times for 50 yards and a touchdown and added three receptions for 51 yards and a score.
ASU has gained confidence in Richard just in time for him to add some spark to an already potent offense, as ASU coach Todd Graham noted to Fox Sports Arizona’s Tyler Lockman.
"It's hard for a young man that's 17 or 18 years old to come in here and do that. I'm really proud of his mental maturity and his toughness. That's the thing that has really impressed me—his durability and toughness. We knew he was a great back, and he's really done well.
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Alabama OT Cameron Robinson
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A true freshman starting on a major college football team’s offensive line is rare, and it's sometimes done only out of necessity. Coaches prefer to have offensive linemen begin their career with a redshirt year to better acclimate to collegiate life and gain muscle in the weight room.
Cameron Robinson is the exception to that rule. Robinson has stepped into the starting left tackle role at Alabama, of all places, and excelled. Robinson has started every game of his freshman season and settled in immediately as one of the Crimson Tide’s best offensive linemen.
Robinson stands 6’6”, 323 pounds and has done a great job protecting the blind side of senior quarterback Blake Sims, a first-time starter himself. The Tide’s offense has been up-and-down, but Robinson has been a rock on the left side of the line.
Ohio State RB Curtis Samuel
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With physical, talented back Carlos Hyde off to the NFL this fall, opportunity existed in Ohio State’s backfield. True freshman tailback Curtis Samuel has taken advantage of it. Samuel stands 5’11”, 196 pounds and has carved out a spot for himself as a multi-threat player in the Buckeyes offense.
He is fast and has excellent burst. While his opportunities have fluctuated (he had no carries against Penn State or Michigan State), Samuel started ahead of sophomore Ezekiel Elliott against Illinois and thrived, carrying nine times for 63 yards. Per Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com, OSU running backs coach Stan Drayton told coach Urban Meyer that Samuel was “doing everything right.”
We haven’t heard the last from Samuel, who figures to push Elliott down the stretch as Ohio State fights for a College Football Playoff spot.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats were obtained from teams' individual websites.
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