The 15 Most Exciting Early Enrollees to Watch This Spring
If you want to get ahead in college football, you’ve got to start early. Early enrollees are a growing trend, with a number of freshmen and junior college transfers opting to wrap up their studies early and arrive on campus to get a jump-start on their college careers. And it makes perfect sense, really.
Why not get acclimated to college life and your new teammates and coaches while going through spring practice and learning the systems you’ll need for success in your career? Plus, you’re getting the jump on all of your classmates who’ll arrive in May for summer classes and workouts.
A number of high-profile signees are already on campus to work with their new teams this spring, and many of them will make an impact this fall. Here’s a look at the most exciting early enrollees we’ll be keeping an eye on this spring.
15. Tennessee DT Shy Tuttle
1 of 15
Tennessee had something of a breakthrough in 2014. Despite playing 23 freshmen, Butch Jones’ team made its first bowl since 2010 and raised expectations by throttling Iowa 45-28 in the TaxSlayer Bowl. Jones added to the hype by signing an impressive recruiting class.
One of the biggest pieces (literally) is defensive tackle Shy Tuttle. The mountain of a man stands 6’3”, 320 pounds and is rated as the nation’s No. 9 defensive tackle. Considering that he is the nephew of Perry Tuttle, a star on Clemson’s 1981 national championship team, it’s something of a coup that the Volunteers were able to pull him away from the defensive line-needy Tigers.
Tuttle has an excellent motor, is aggressive at the point of attack and is a very explosive player. It’ll be interesting to see how he fits in this spring, but he should push for early playing time this fall.
14. Michigan QB Alex Malzone
2 of 15
New Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has been hailed as a savior for the Wolverines’ program, but it’s probably wise to take things one step at a time. First off, Harbaugh needs a capable quarterback. With Devin Gardner graduated, the Wolverines are holding an open competition in spring practice.
And that’s good news for Alex Malzone. Malzone, who stands 6’1”, 200 pounds, is rated as the No. 13 pro-style quarterback in the nation, and he has just as good of a chance as anyone else in the competition, including junior Shane Morris and redshirt freshman Wilton Speight.
Malzone has solid pocket presence and intangibles, and this is a chance for him to impress his new coaches. If he picks up Harbaugh’s system quickly, he could easily be the man under center for the Wolverines this fall.
13. Clemson DT Albert Huggins
3 of 15Last fall, Clemson’s defensive line was one of the biggest reasons why Brent Venables’ defense emerged as the nation’s No. 1 total defense. This spring? Questions abound. Nearly the entire two-deep, including standout defensive end Vic Beasley, is gone. Only defensive end Shaq Lawson and defensive tackle D.J. Reader remain.
In other words, there is plenty of opportunity for early playing time. Clemson signed an excellent defensive line class, highlighted by 5-star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, but Orangeburg, South Carolina, defensive tackle Albert Huggins is enrolled already and will get the first chance to adapt and impress his new coaches.
Huggins stands 6’3”, 283 pounds and is rated as the nation’s No. 12 defensive tackle prospect, but could also fit in at defensive end. He has excellent quickness and works well at the point of attack, is strong and athletic with a great motor. If he’s motivated, Huggins could do plenty to secure a prominent role on the Tigers’ line this fall.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
12. Clemson OT Mitch Hyatt
4 of 15
On national signing day 2014, Clemson got a huge boost for its class of 2015 when Atlanta-area offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt committed to the Tigers. The Clemson legacy (his uncle, Dan Benish, played on the 1981 national title team before playing four seasons in the National Football League) gives the line a major talent infusion.
He is a very intense player, with great balance, flexibility and hand-eye coordination. Beyond senior Isaiah Battle, Clemson is thin at offensive tackle, and Hyatt looks like the next great tackle. He has excellent quickness, foot speed and pass-blocking skills and is also a solid run-blocker.
While a redshirt isn’t out of the question, don’t be surprised if he contributes this fall. Offensive linemen playing as freshmen are rare, but if Hyatt thrives this spring he’ll have every opportunity to break the mold this fall.
11. Texas Tech DT Breiden Fehoko
5 of 15
Suggesting Texas Tech needed defensive help in 2014 was a massive understatement. The Red Raiders had one of college football’s worst defenses, allowing 41.3 points per game, which ranks No. 126 nationally. They needed upgrades, and coach Kliff Kingsbury got one in defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko.
The big Honolulu native stands 6’3”, 290 pounds, and he has the ability to clog the run and play immediately for the Red Raiders. Given Tech’s woeful defensive state, it’d be a big upset if Fehoko wasn’t on the field this fall in Lubbock. He is a very strong player who’ll have all the chances in the world to play early and shore up Texas Tech’s defensive line in a big way.
10. Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham
6 of 15Until mid-December, Jarrett Stidham looked like a steady part of Texas Tech’s class of 2015. So it came as a major surprise when Stidham decommitted from Kliff Kingsbury and the Red Raiders, subsequently committing and signing with Big 12 rival Baylor.
For Baylor and Art Briles, it was a case of the quarterback-rich getting richer. The Bears hope that Stidham (who hails from Briles’ old stomping grounds of Stephenville, Texas) could be the next great signal-caller in a line that includes Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III and just-graduated Bryce Petty.
He is rated by 247Sports as the nation’s top dual-threat quarterback. He has enrolled early at Baylor to get a shot at the job. His road to playing early won’t be easy. Junior Seth Russell excelled as Petty’s understudy last fall, and Chris Johnson was also highly regarded when he arrived on campus.
Stidham will have an opportunity to impress coaches early this spring, but if he wants to play ahead of the more seasoned Russell his learning curve will be steep.
9. Texas LB Malik Jefferson
7 of 15Texas’ first season under Charlie Strong wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty. The Longhorns finished 6-7 following a Texas Bowl blowout at the hands of Arkansas. It was ugly for fans, but for recruits it was like a flashing neon light saying, “Play Here, Play Now.”
Malik Jefferson saw the light. The Mesquite, Texas, “Will” linebacker signed early with Texas and enrolled at UT in mid-January. He has excellent quickness, pursuit skills and tackling skills (he had 83 tackles and 12 sacks as a high school senior) and will make an immediate impact.
In fact, he has already made a big impact, with his commitment becoming a cornerstone for Strong to build around and finish with a very strong recruiting class.
Now, it’s about proving it on the field. He’ll have every opportunity to do so this spring. He should start for the Longhorns’ defense and will give it a serious talent infusion as the nation’s No. 10 overall recruit.
8. Alabama S Deionte Thompson
8 of 15
Alabama’s defense had impressive moments, but showed some warts down the stretch in 2014. Both Auburn and Ohio State exposed big-play issues in Kirby Smart’s system, and the challenges to fix them didn’t get any easier when junior safety Landon Collins (the Tide’s top defender) declared for the NFL draft. It won’t be easy for Smart to match Collins’ production.
This spring, he’ll be looking for Collins’ replacement, and it’ll be fascinating to see how quickly Deionte Thompson adapts to the pressure of college football. Thompson, an Orange, Texas, native, could be the next great safety. He stands 6’2”, 181 pounds.
Thompson has great instincts, ball skills and playmaking ability. He spent time on both sides of the ball in high school and could also have excelled collegiately as a wide receiver. He’ll strictly be a safety at Alabama. For Smart’s defense to take a step forward in 2015, Thompson must adapt in a hurry.
7. Ohio State DE Jashon Cornell
9 of 15
As the defending national champion, Ohio State doesn’t have many holes or significant concerns this spring. After all, Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes will have one of the most fascinating quarterback battles in recent memory once J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller get fully healthy to compete with Cardale Jones this summer.
However, Ohio State does have a major vacancy on its defensive line to bookend All-American Joey Bosa. It’s entirely possible that Jashon Cornell could be the man to fill it. Cornell stands 6’4”, 260 pounds. He is excellent at the point of attack, has a great first step and is athletic. He is rated as the nation’s No. 7 strong-side defensive end and could contribute early in 2015. Want a model? Think linebacker Raekwon McMillan, who enrolled early last spring and was a major contributor by the fall.
6. UCLA QB Josh Rosen
10 of 15
Jim Mora Jr. has built a power in Westwood. UCLA has scored back-to-back 10-win seasons, and while the Bruins bring back a bevy of starters in 2015, one of the biggest holes is at quarterback, where junior Brett Hundley declared for the NFL draft.
There will be an open competition for the job this spring, and one of the main competitors will be Bellflower, California, freshman Josh Rosen. Rosen stands 6’4”, 205 pounds and is rated as the top pro-style quarterback prospect in America. He has excellent intangibles and a great arm and could easily play this fall.
Rosen will be given every chance to win the job, and the Bruins would be comfortable with him as the starter. However, he’ll also have to compete against redshirt freshman Asantii Woulard and sophomore Jerry Neuheisel (the son of former UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel) in spring practice. He’ll have to pick up the offense early, and all eyes will be on Rosen this spring.
5. Alabama QB Blake Barnett
11 of 15
Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban have no problem attracting talented quarterbacks to Tuscaloosa. All Kiffin has to do is tout his track record and show highlights from the 2014 season, when he infused the Crimson Tide’s offense with a passing mentality.
It attracted California quarterback Blake Barnett, who enrolled at Alabama in January. Barnett stands 6’4”, 200 pounds and is considered the nation’s No. 2 pro-style quarterback. He has excellent feet, pocket presence and escapability. He is fully capable of throwing deep, but can also extend plays with his feet, much like Blake Sims did in 2014.
Barnett could have an opportunity to play early. Alabama has a crowded quarterback depth chart, led by former Florida State transfer Jake Coker, who served as Sims’ backup last fall. If Barnett impresses this spring, it would be the first step toward convincing Kiffin and Saban that he’s ready to take the reins this fall when the games really matter.
4. LSU CB Kevin Toliver II
12 of 15This offseason, LSU traded defensive coordinator John Chavis for former Alabama and Clemson DC Kevin Steele when Chavis bolted for Texas A&M, reportedly over concerns about the Tigers’ offense. That said, LSU should still have an excellent defense in 2015. Les Miles and his staff have recruited well, even where they need a new piece or two. That includes cornerback, where a replacement for Jalen Collins is required.
That replacement could be Jacksonville, Florida, defensive back Kevin Toliver II. At 6’2”, 185 pounds, Toliver has excellent size for a cornerback, and he also has great speed, quickness, change of direction and ball skills.
Toliver has already enrolled at LSU and will go through spring practice with the Tigers. He has the potential to step in and play right away, if not start. He could be the latest in a long line of standout defensive backs to thrive in Tiger Stadium.
3. Auburn TB Jovon Robinson
13 of 15
This spring, Auburn is trying to replace its top three rushers from the 2014 season, including Cameron Artis-Payne, the SEC’s leading rusher, quarterback Nick Marshall and Corey Grant. But there doesn’t seem to be too much concern on the Plains.
Why? Jovon Robinson is finally on campus. Well, back on campus. Robinson had originally signed with Auburn in 2012 and practiced with the Tigers before it was revealed that one of his high school grades was changed by his high school counselor, allowing him to become eligible. He was declared ineligible by the NCAA and headed to Georgia Military College for two seasons. As USA Today's Dan Wolken noted, he took the long way back to prominence.
In 2013, he rushed for 2,387 yards and 34 touchdowns. Robinson is a physical, bruising back, and he arrives at Auburn at a perfect time, with plenty of opportunity on the roster. Robinson is far from the only tailback on the roster but he appears the best bet to step in and carry a heavy load in Gus Malzahn’s offense. It’ll be fun to watch him emerge this spring.
2. Oregon QB Travis Waller
14 of 15
For Oregon, the biggest question entering spring practice is easy to identify. What will life look like without Marcus Mariota? While the Ducks’ offense is fueled by a potent running game, Mariota was the engine that made it go last fall, using a dominant junior season to win the Heisman Trophy. He threw for 4,454 yards with 42 touchdowns against four interceptions and added 770 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
With Mariota gone to the NFL, Mark Helfrich and Scott Frost will run a big competition to replace him.
Eastern Washington star Vernon Adams announced that he would transfer for his final season, and he could be the favorite. But he won’t arrive until this summer, which will put the onus on someone to emerge from a crowded group this spring.
The only quarterback besides Mariota to throw a pass last season was junior Jeff Lockie, who completed 21-of-28 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown in mop-up duty. Incoming freshman Travis Waller is the nation’s No. 4 dual-threat quarterback prospect, possessing excellent intangibles, pocket presence, quickness and accuracy. He’s ready to compete this spring, and if coaches like what they see it isn’t inconceivable to expect he’ll make a strong push to play this fall.
1. Florida State S Derwin James
15 of 15
One of the biggest focuses of Florida State’s class of 2015 was getting an impact safety. With Derwin James’ signature, coach Jimbo Fisher did exactly that. James has excellent physicality. He hits hard, and can cover receivers with well-rounded skills and great range.
Fisher told Corey Clark of the Tallahassee Democrat that James was one of the best safety prospects he's ever seen.
Without a doubt," he said. "Because the size, the speed, the instincts, the intelligence and when he hits you he hits you. He comes downhill and really hits you. But he's also got great ball skills. He's not just one of those hitters."
James stands 6’2”, 201 pounds and is college-ready as a 5-star prospect and the nation’s No. 5 prospect and the nation’s top safety recruit. He also has impressive versatility and could have easily been a standout collegiate wide receiver, possessing excellent leadership, speed and intangibles.
While he is one of a number of talented early enrollees (defensive end Josh Sweat is another), James stands the best chance of getting up to speed quickly and playing early, especially since Sweat is recovering from a torn ACL suffered late last season.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
