Redshirt Freshmen You Need to Know for 2015 College Football Season

Returning starters are always the best luxury a team can have going into a new football season. 

But more often then not, it's the heroics of previously unsung heroes (see Johnny Manziel) who were redshirt freshmen going into the fall who take teams to new heights. 

So let's check out the five redshirt freshmen of 2015 whom you need to know, from highly touted Michigan defensive back Jabrill Peppers to Texas gunslinger Jerrod Heard. 

Khalil Oliver, Oregon

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Khalil Oliver is set to be among the starting safeties for the reigning national runner-up Oregon Ducks in 2015. 

Despite being just a 3-star recruit out of Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, Idaho, Oliver has already made a mark for the Ducks. 

According to Rachel Roberts of the Idaho Statesman, Oliver was a critical member of Oregon's travel squad and helped the defensive coaching staff on the sidelines. 

"I'm kind of the eyes helping out and seeing the tendencies of the offense and helping out the guys who are actually in [the game]," Oliver said. "Giving them hints and letting them know what's going on as far as if the quarterback's reading them, or if a receiver has a certain release or something like that." 

Having already learned how to study the game effectively, Oliver should fit right in in Eugene. 

Jabrill Peppers, Michigan

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A 5-star high school All-American, Jabrill Peppers was expected to make an immediate impact for the Michigan Wolverines last season. 

But two leg injuries through just three games forced the previous coaching regime to redshirt him. 

Now, Jim Harbaugh has four years to utilize Peppers. 

Peppers was the third-ranked overall recruit of the 2014 class, and now with a year of learning and rehabilitating under his belt, expect him to be among the best players for Harbaugh's new-look Wolverines. 

Jerrod Heard, Texas

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Ever since Colt McCoy suffered a shoulder injury in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game against Alabama, the Texas Longhorns have yet to find consistent play at the quarterback position. 

It's arguably what led to Mack Brown's resignation and subsequent ouster from Austin. 

Case McCoy, David Ash and even Tyrone Swoopes have yet to live up to even some of the most modest expectations. 

So maybe Jerrod Heard, a 4-star dual-threat quarterback out of Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, is the answer. 

After an impressive spring season, Heard closed the gap on returning starter Swoopes. And with the Longhorns desperate for a jump start to the Charlie Strong era, perhaps Heard is the guy to deliver it. 

Chris Platt, Baylor

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Chris Platt would have started for most FBS teams at receiver last year. 

But with Baylor's receiving corps being nearly to the point of overload, head coach Art Briles redshirted Platt. 

Now, as a redshirt freshman, the three-time 400-meter champion in high school is expected to be a speedy addition to the Bears' uptempo offense. 

One of Platt's teammates, returning receiver Corey Coleman, compared Platt to Tevin Reese, a former Baylor receiver who now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, per John Werner of the Waco Tribune-Herald. 

With that type of comparison, Platt's ceiling should by sky-high for the high-flying Bears offense. 

Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama

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The Alabama Crimson Tide are gearing up yet again for a run at a national title. 

The biggest concern for any team—outside of possibly the quarterback position—year in and year out is the status of its offensive line. 

That's what makes former top offensive-line recruit Ross Pierschbacher so intriguing. 

Pierschbacher is expected to replace Arie Kouandjio, a fourth-round NFL draft pick of the Washington Redskins, at left guard. 

The 4-star recruit, who originally flipped his commitment from Iowa to Alabama, stands at 6'4" and nearly 300 pounds. 

ESPN ranked him as the top guard prospect of his class, and he should leave an immediate footprint in Tuscaloosa. 

All recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.