2015 Early Enrollees Who Will Make Biggest Impact
A new trend in recruiting is the wave of top prospects who forgo their final semester of high school in order to enroll early at the school of their choice.
Last year, Cameron Robinson (Alabama) and Dalvin Cook (Florida State) were among the notable first-year players who took advantage of getting a jump on their college careers.
The 2015 class has a handful of elite talents who are arriving on campuses sometime this month.
Which early enrollees have a chance to be impact players this fall?
Note: Players listed in alphabetical order.
Jashon Cornell
1 of 8One of the biggest parts of Ohio State's run to the national championship game is its front four on the defensive line.
However, the Buckeyes will lose two seniors (one end, one tackle) to graduation, with tackle Adolphus Washington (who could test the NFL draft waters) and end Joey Bosa scheduled to return.
Bosa—who will be heading into his junior season—is already mentioned as one of the top prospects in the 2016 NFL draft class, which means Urban Meyer will look to groom the next wave of defensive-line talent in Columbus in the offseason.
Enter Jashon Cornell—a 4-star defensive end who will begin classes this month. What makes him special is he has the potential to be effective on the edge or on the inside, as noted by JC Shurburtt of 247Sports.
With that type of versatility, Cornell—who recorded 29 combined sacks during his sophomore and junior seasons—has a chance to make an early impact for the Buckeyes next fall.
Albert Huggins
2 of 8Clemson will lose all four starters off a defensive line that helped the Tigers lead the nation in total defense, per CFBstats.
However, in 4-star defensive tackle Albert Huggins, the Tigers have a potential instant-impact defender who will be on campus this month.
The 6’3”, 279-pounder is a powerful force in the middle who can make life difficult for offensive linemen in the middle, as noted by Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports.
Considering his talent and the need Clemson has at the position, Huggins will have every opportunity to be a major cog in the Tigers' defensive-line rotation next fall.
Derwin James
3 of 8After making his initial commitment to Florida State nearly three years ago, 5-star safety Derwin James will finally arrive in Tallahassee when classes begin this semester.
In recent years, the Seminoles have had freshmen defensive backs such as Ronald Darby, Jalen Ramsey and Nate Andrews come in and make an immediate impact.
Despite players such as Ramsey and Tyler Hunter returning at safety, the 6’2”, 201-pound James might prove to be too talented to keep off the field.
He’s got the type of range and athleticism to become a playmaking safety in FSU's defensive scheme.
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Malik Jefferson
4 of 8Perhaps the signature moment of the Charlie Strong era to date was the commitment of 5-star linebacker Malik Jefferson last month.
Jefferson's pledge was big because it reversed the in-state momentum on the recruiting trail that had been trending toward rival Texas A&M.
Perhaps more importantly, the Horns have a huge void in their defense with four senior linebackers set to depart Austin. Getting Jefferson in for the spring will be vital because he will need to be ready to log plenty of snaps next season.
Canton Kaumatule
5 of 8The Oregon Ducks have a chance to capture the school's first national title next week, but they scored a huge win on the recruiting trail in November with the commitment of 4-star defensive end Canton Kaumatule.
As Matt Prehm of DuckTerritory noted, getting Kaumatule in the spring could prove to be huge if current stud junior defensive end Arik Armstead opts to leave school early to enter the NFL draft.
From a physical standpoint, the 6’7”, 290-pound Hawaii native brings a college-ready frame to Eugene.
Assuming he can handle the transition from high school to college, Kaumatule has a chance to be an imposing presence on the edge of the Ducks defense.
Jonathan Ledbetter
6 of 8One of the primary areas of focus for Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt in the 2015 cycle was upgrading the defensive line.
Three of the Bulldogs' top five defensive linemen are seniors, with the two remaining players entering their senior seasons.
Six of the 25 pledges in Georgia’s No. 3-rated class are from defensive linemen—including 4-star defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter.
The 6’4”, 265-pounder is a versatile piece who can play inside or outside. As Rusty Mansell of Dawgs247 notes, Ledbetter had a monster senior season and might be underrated as a 4-star prospect.
Regardless of his ranking, he’s a talented prospect who can make an immediate impact for defensive line coach Tracy Rocker next fall.
Deionte Thompson
7 of 8With the potential loss of Landon Collins to the NFL draft and the graduation of Nick Perry, Nick Saban will likely break in two new starting safeties in 2015.
Furthermore, the Tide will lose Jarrick Williams to graduation and have two other projected returning safeties entering their senior seasons.
With 5-star Texas native Deionte Thompson enrolling at Alabama this month, he will have every opportunity to work his way up the depth chart—similar to how Collins was able to do soon after his arrival on campus.
The 6’2”, 181-pounder is an athletic, ball-hawking type of safety who has the range to operate as a center fielder in Saban's defense.
Kevin Toliver II
8 of 8Similar to Alabama, LSU is another school with multiple potential openings in its secondary heading into 2015.
According to Ross Dellenger of The Advocate, Tigers junior corner Jalen Collins has already stated his intentions of declaring for the NFL draft.
However, Les Miles will welcome 5-star corner Kevin Toliver II to campus this month.
The 6’2”, 185-pounder is a big corner who has the skill set necessary to thrive in LSU’s traditional man-to-man cover schemes.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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