Redshirt Freshmen Who Could Become Stars in 2015
When we talk about redshirt freshmen, we almost always talk about quarterbacks. But the truth is that redshirts break out at every position, year after year, and become stars after spending one season with the scout team.
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett, for example, was the best-known redshirt freshman in 2014. But Penn State wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (82 catches, 899 yards), Rutgers defensive end Kemoko Turay (7.5 sacks), Baylor linebacker Taylor Young (91 tackles, 8.0 TFL) and Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander (six pass breakups) also became star players at Power Five schools.
Accordingly, we've partitioned this list of potential breakout redshirts by position. From there we chose one former blue-chipper (Top 100 in the 2014 class), one former red-chipper (4-star recruits outside the Top 100) and one former 3-star recruit to keep an eye on.
Deciding who to pick factored talent against opportunity. The highest-ranked player at each position did not necessarily make the list if his road to playing time is barricaded. The first step to becoming a star, no matter one's age or position, is getting on the field.
Sound off below and let us know who we missed.
Quarterbacks
1 of 7
The Blue-Chip Prospect
Will Grier, Florida: Grier compares well to Garrett Grayson, Jim McElwain's quarterback at Colorado State. Both QBs are 6'2" and underrated athletes, but Grier has the stronger arm.
Classmate Treon Harris, a glorified option quarterback, started five games last season and will compete with Grier for the starting job. But Grier, the No. 3 quarterback in the 2014 class, can take this offense to another level. The only two QBs who ranked ahead of him (Kyle Allen, Texas A&M; Deshaun Watson, Clemson) had fine debut seasons.
The Red-Chip Prospect
Jacob Park, Georgia: Park, Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta will compete for the starting job this offseason. Ramsey has the strongest arm and was the backup in 2014, but his performance left a lot to be desired, and Park's arm is plenty strong in its own right.
With a dominant running game behind him, whoever wins this job should finish as a top-five SEC quarterback—especially if it's Park, who made a strong impression on the scout team last season.
The 3-Star Prospect
William Crest, West Virginia: Crest won the backup job as a true freshman but missed most of the season with an injury. Skyler Howard assumed No. 2 duties but did not impress in the Liberty Bowl against Texas A&M (despite making a few great plays). If he's healthy and he rectifies some accuracy issues, Crest can be the next Geno Smith. His arm is less impressive, but he's an even better runner.
Running Backs
2 of 7
The Blue-Chip Prospect
Jeff Jones, Minnesota: Jones is one of the biggest recruits in Minnesota history (No. 61 overall in the 2014 class) but missed last season with academic issues. That might be for the best, as he saved a year of eligibility when the Gophers still had David Cobb.
With Cobb and tight end Maxx Williams departed, this offense needs a new workhorse. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrove said Jones has an "'it' factor," per Marcus Fuller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and that should earn him a Cobb-sized workload next season. Jones won MVP honors at the 2014 Under Armour All-American Game.
The Red-Chip Prospect
Aeris Williams, Mississippi State: Ashton Shumpert played well down the stretch as a backup to Josh Robinson. Brandon Holloway had some moments last year, too. But Williams, a 6'1", 215-pound rock from West Point, Mississippi, has the highest upside on the roster.
The Bulldogs lose their three best offensive linemen and will not fare as well in the trenches, but quarterback Dak Prescott returns and will command attention on spread-option fakes. Whoever starts beside him will have a chance to post huge numbers.
The 3-Star Prospect
Dalvin Warmack, Kansas State: Warmack is a Darren Sproles-type back from whom the Wildcats expect big production. The offense loses quarterback Jake Waters and receivers Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton, so the passing game needs time to develop, but the running game averaged just 3.67 yards per carry last season.
Charles Jones returns to handle red-zone duties, but Warmack (5'9", 183 lbs) is a versatile weapon between the 20s. If he improves as a pass blocker and plays on third downs, he's a strong bet to lead this team in scrimmage yards.
Receivers
3 of 7
The Blue-Chip Prospect
Drake Harris, Michigan: Harris hasn't played a competitive game since his junior year of high school (2012). But with injury issues apparently (hopefully) behind him, there is room for him to leap past Jehu Chesson and start opposite Amara Darboh.
At 6'4", 174 pounds, Harris has the size and length to contribute on the outside and in the red zone. He was the No. 7 wide receiver in the 2014 class, ranking one spot ahead of Artavis Scott (Clemson), who caught 76 passes for 965 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
The Red-Chip Prospect
JoJo Robinson, Arkansas: Robinson battled off-field issues and injures as a true freshman but made his impact felt late in the season. "He's probably one of the hardest guys to defend on the scout-team end," said head coach Bret Bielema, per Otis Kirk of 247Sports. "He's such a competitor."
Arkansas has a run-first offense and returns leading receiver Keon Hatcher and star tight end Hunter Henry. But the development of QB Brandon Allen suggests the Razorbacks can continue expanding the passing game, provided another receiving option emerges. Robinson is a gifted athlete who can take this offense to another level.
The 3-Star Prospect
Datrin Guyton, Oregon State: Guyton is a wellspring of untapped potential. He is 6'5", 182 pounds, and deceptively great after the catch. New offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin turned Rashard Higgins into a Biletnikoff Award finalist at Colorado State, and although there are returning starters ahead of him, Guyton is the only player on this roster with the upside of a true No. 1 target.
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Offensive Line
4 of 7
The Blue-Chip Prospect
Damian Prince, Maryland: Prince was a 5-star prospect in 2014 but needed a year to add bulk. Maryland showed great patience by letting him redshirt (even though its offensive line struggled) and should reap the reward when he slides into the lineup this season.
Listed as a tackle in high school, Prince will instead play guard for the Terrapins, who have more depth on the outside than the interior. If he starts and even flirts with his potential, it changes what this offense can do. (And boy, does this offense need it.)
The Red-Chip Prospect
Donell Stanley, South Carolina: The Gamecocks lose four-year starting guard A.J. Cann but might have another long-term starter behind him. Stanley missed last season after wrist surgery but was the No. 10 guard in the 2014 class and dropped 25 pounds (down to 325) while he redshirted, per Josh Kendall of GoGamecocks.com.
The 3-Star Prospect
Koda Martin, Texas A&M: Martin earned offensive MVP honors on the scout team last season, at one point prompting head coach Kevin Sumlin to call him "the next great offensive lineman [at Texas A&M]," per Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle.
Considering who came before Martin (Cedric Ogbuehi, Jake Matthews, Luke Joeckel), that is high praise to shower on a young 3-star prospect. He'll compete to start across from Germain Ifedi next season and is worth watching closely if he wins.
Defensive Line
5 of 7
The Blue-Chip Prospect
Solomon Thomas, Stanford: Thomas (6'3", 256 lbs) had a college-ready frame in high school, but Stanford didn't need him last season. The Cardinal had a deep, talented, veteran-heavy defensive front and could afford to let him take a redshirt. Now that the ranks have been thinned, however, they need him to step in and produce.
"I think Thomas has the opportunity to explode on the scene in the Pac-12, to be an All-Pac-12-type performer," said Bleacher Report's Michael Felder. "[He can] make a big splash for the Cardinal."
The Red-Chip Prospect
Sam Hubbard, Ohio State: What's your feeling on redshirt legends? If you believe in them, Hubbard is your guy. The 4-star prospect bounced from linebacker to tight end to linebacker before settling at defensive end, but once there he impressed head coach Urban Meyer.
Ohio State loses Steve Miller and needs a new starter opposite Joey Bosa. Jalyn Holmes, Tyquan Lewis and Jashon Cornell provide decent competition, but none have been as raved about as Hubbard, whose speed off the edge provides a complement for Bosa's power.
The 3-Star Prospect
Jeremy Patterson, Wisconsin: This one is a bit of a stretch, as junior Arthur Goldberg has more experience, but Patterson (6'3", 326 lbs) is a mountain of a man at nose guard. With Warren Herring set to graduate, the Badgers needs a new defensive force up the middle, and Patterson is the only candidate with star potential.
"He's doing things that other guys on the team can't do," a source told Evan Flood of 247Sports last summer. "His explosiveness and his size and leverage; he's going to be special."
Linebackers
6 of 7
The Blue-Chip Prospect
Dillon Bates, Tennessee: Bates earned playing time as a true freshman but missed most of the season with a shoulder injury. After receiving a medical redshirt, he's ready to make a bigger, longer impact next season. Tennessee needs a replacement for A.J. Johnson, and although Bates projects easier at outside linebacker, he's one of the leading candidates to move inside and fill that void.
The Red-Chip Prospect
Gerri Green, Mississippi State: Green (6'4", 240 lbs) is a rangy, athletic linebacker from the same mold as Benardrick McKinney. The Bulldogs lose McKinney, Christian Holmes and Matthew Wells from last year's linebacker rotation and need new bodies to emerge. Putting the pieces together, this one was easy to choose.
The 3-Star Prospect
Troy Reeder, Penn State: Reeder spent his freshman year on the bench, learning behind All-Big Ten linebacker Mike Hull. It's hard to ask for a much better mentor. Gary Wooten, Ben Kline and Jason Cabinda will push Reeder to start, but the redshirt freshman has the size (6'1", 244 lbs) to anchor a 4-3 defense up the middle.
"Reeder's been great," teammate Brandon Bell told Greg Pickel of PennLive.com. "His work ethic is crazy. He's already a big guy, as strong as almost anybody so he's due for a good spring."
Defensive Backs
7 of 7
The Blue-Chip Prospect
Jabrill Peppers, Michigan: If there's one thing Michigan needs, it's playmakers. If there's one word to describe Peppers, it's "playmaker." This is a perfect example of talent meeting need.
Injuries cost Peppers his true freshman season, but he entered last year as the No. 3 overall prospect in the country. New head coach Jim Harbaugh (Stanford, San Francisco 49ers) and defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin (Florida) have developed numerous star defensive backs, and Peppers is gifted as anyone they've ever coached.
The Red-Chip Prospect
Holland Fisher, Virginia Tech: Fisher spent one year at prep school before redshirting last season. We're cheating since in high school he would have qualified for the blue-chip section—he was the No. 59 overall player in 2013—but he ranked below No. 100 last cycle.
Either way, Fisher belongs on this list. He's an ideal candidate for Bud Foster's "Rover" position, which Kyshoen Jarrett occupied last season, and which previously made a star of Kam Chancellor. Fisher and cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson—the triple-Fs!—could form a scary combination in the secondary.
The 3-Star Prospect
Vayante Copeland, Michigan State: Co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett is looking for a pair of new starting cornerbacks. Darian Hicks struggled so much in 2014 that receiver Tony Lippett had to play both ways to replace him, and Demetrius Cox, the other favorite to start, has spent his first two years in East Lansing at safety.
Copeland, a converted running back, has the tools to supplant one or both of them. "From most all accounts Copeland has been one of the most impressive young players in practices," wrote Mike Griffith of MLive.com. This secondary needs help in a big way.
Note: All recruiting info refers to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Follow Brian Leigh on Twitter at @BLeigh35.
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