CFB Freshmen Fighting to Crack the Starting Lineup

It's never easy for a true freshman to garner playing time in his first year, let alone start. 

The athlete needs to acclimate to the collegiate level in all facets. This includes not only the physicality and speed of the game, but also the social and academic challenges. 

This piece will look at 11 players with a great shot at starting in 2015. The inclusion will be primarily based on positional need—in addition to sheer talent.

Honorable mentions: Iman Marshall, Jordan Scarlett, Christian Wilkins, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Terry Beckner Jr., Christian Kirk, Osa Masina, CeCe Jefferson, Calvin Ridley, Jacques Patrick, LJ Scott, Seth Collins, Kevin Toliver II, Chris Clark

Byron Cowart

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Cowart signing with Auburn.

The hype train surrounding defensive end Byron Cowart is immense. 

Ranked as the No. 1 high school prospect in the country by ESPN.com and Rivals.com, he's projected to come in right away and impact Auburn's depth chart. 

Thus far, the transition hasn't gone as smoothly as the staff would've hoped. Cowart was embroiled in a bit of a social media snafu. According to Brandon Marcello of AL.com, he's also been somewhat inconsistent with his play. To be fair, he's only a true freshman. Growing pains are to be expected with any young player—even one of Cowart's ilk. 

Not all is lost. There's a real chance Cowart snags a starting spot opposite Carl Lawson. If anything, he'll see plenty of playing time. 

Defensive line coach Rodney Garner has Cowart "on an accelerated plan," per Marcello. Garner also thinks "[Cowart is] going to help [Auburn] and he's going to be a really good player."

Martez Ivey

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Ivey during his signing ceremony.

Martez Ivey looks like the perfect tackle prospect. 

He's got long arms, great size, terrific overall athleticism and good feet. Ivey has the ability to one day be an outstanding football player. 

He'll instantly become one of Jim McElwain's building blocks within the rebuilding Florida program. Ivey will more than likely start at right tackle.

This quote given to reporters by running back Kelvin Taylor tells you all you need to know about Ivey: "The guy's a freak, dude. The guy's going to be great. He wasn't a 5-star [recruit] for nothing, trust me. He's physical, he's smart, he knows exactly what he's doing. He's a load. He's going to be a really good one. Just remember I told you that. He's going to be a really good one, trust me."

Porter Gustin

Associated Press

Gustin (right) is poised to contribute right away.

To give you an idea of just how athletic Porter Gustin is, take a look at his senior statistics. 

Defensively, Gustin had 152 tackles and 10.5 sacks—including two interceptions and 29 tackles for loss. 

On the offensive side of the ball, Gustin threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also ran for 891 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Gustin is eerily similar to former USC linebacker Brian Cushing. A physical freak at 6'5", 250 pounds, Gustin can line up with his hand in the dirt—as well as drop in coverage in obvious passing situations. He had a nice showing in the most recent fall scrimmage, per Michael Lev of the Orange County Register.

With depth on the roster not exactly where head coach Steve Sarkisian wants it to be, the Utah native has a real shot at garnering a starting gig within the linebacker corps.

Mitch Hyatt

There's a real chance Clemson true freshman Mitch Hyatt will be tasked with protecting quarterback Deshaun Watson's blind side this upcoming season. 

Fortunately for the Tigers, the big tackle out of Georgia has turned more than a few heads during the fall camp period. He's routinely battled with first-team All-ACC defensive lineman Shaq Lawson. To Hyatt's credit, he's held up quite well.

According to Lawson (via Will Vandervort of TheClemsonInsider.com), "[Hyatt] doesn't look like a true freshman. He is a grown man. He is a great pass protector. He does well run blocking. He just has to get better every day. He is going to be a great player at Clemson."

Senior left guard Eric Mac Lain had similar thoughts on Hyatt, per Vandervort: "The kid is just so smart, and every day he gets just a bit smarter. That is all we ask of him, a little 1 percent each day. This kid is going to break all kinds of records, I bet. He is a great player to be beside."

Derwin James

An early enrollee, Derwin James already has an advantage over many of his fellow freshmen competitors. 

The elite athlete out of Florida has the versatility to line up all over the defensive side of the ball. From an athletic standpoint, the former 5-star recruit is exceptional. According to Ira Schoffel of WarChant.com, James has been a standout on special teams. 

247Sports writer Chris Nee offered his opinion on the safety heading into the fall camp period: "James is an elite talent on the defensive side of the ball who could play any and all positions in the secondary. He simply won't be denied from seeing the field. His talent will win out and find him a role, likely as a safety, in the FSU defensive scheme."

Malik Jefferson

Michael Thomas/Associated Press

Jefferson during Texas' spring game.

The 6'3", 232-pound linebacker was regarded as one of the top athletes at his position from the 2015 class. 

As a high school senior, Malik Jefferson accrued 81 tackles and six sacks (he was injured for multiple games). Jefferson is blessed with terrific size to go along with impressive athleticism and very good instincts. 

Receiver Daje Johnson has been impressed with Jefferson's demeanor and work ethic. Johnson told reporters: "Everyone takes notice when a 5-star recruit shows up. But [Jefferson] backs it up. He works hard, plays hard, and has earned everyone's respect."

Jefferson will be battling senior Dalton Santos for a starting spot. According to Chip Brown of Scout.com, Jefferson lined up as the first-team middle linebacker during the start of fall camp.

Canton Kaumatule

Canton Kaumatule is the prototypical Oregon defensive end. 

The Ducks' program prioritizes height and length when recruiting ends. At 6'7", 295 pounds, the Honolulu native more than fits the bill. 

Kaumatule was an early enrollee. As a result, it enabled him to familiarize himself with Don Pellum's scheme—while also getting bigger and stronger.

The loss of Arik Armstead opens up a gaping hole at the defensive end spot opposite elite pass-rusher (and fellow Hawaii native) DeForest Buckner. In the spring game, Kaumatule flashed with five tackles and two sacks, according to Pete Martini of the Statesman Journal. 

Kaumatule might be the most inexperienced option battling for the vacant spot (along with T.J. Daniel and Tui Talia), but he's by far the player with the most upside.

Daylon Mack

Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Mack signing with the Aggies.

At 6'1", 335 pounds, Daylon Mack is an absolute mound of a man within the heart of Texas A&M's defensive front. 

Mack's size is deceiving. Although he's a massive individual, he's got exceptional quickness—as evidenced by rushing for 262 yards and 12 touchdowns as a high school senior. He also accrued 78 tackles and five sacks. 

Defensive tackles coach Mark Hagen, in a video posted by Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle, told reporters that Mack is "a very, very talented individual. He's had flashes of really great play." ESPN analysts Tom Luginbill and Craig Haubert both believe Mack will be a freshman All-American in 2015.

Josh Rosen

Currently in the throes of a quarterback competition with Jerry Neuheisel, former 5-star prospect Josh Rosen has all the tools to become an elite player from the quarterback position. 

The signal-caller out of St. John Bosco High School possess a rocket arm to go along with considerable intelligence. Rosen also has impressive bloodlines, which includes being a relative of Joseph Wharton.

Brett Hundley's departure to the NFL truly opens up things for Rosen. At this point, he's got a very real chance at starting the season opener against Virginia on Sept. 5. 

As Joey Kaufman of the Orange County Register explains, Jim Mora is showing the quarterback a bit of tough love throughout the fall camp period. However, one would think this would fall under the "motivating" category.

The Tennessee Defensive Tackles

Tennessee has two defensive tackles—Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie—with the potential to become big-time contributors this year for the Volunteers. 

Weighing in at a combined 655 pounds, the duo provides Butch Jones' defense with plenty of bulk inside to an already talented defensive front. Owen Williams and Danny O'Brien figure to see time at the defensive tackle spot. However, there's no denying the ability of the two gigantic true freshmen.

McKenzie was a consensus 5-star prospect—despite having to sit out his entire senior year due to a transfer rule. As a junior (playing nose tackle), he notched 12 sacks and 74 tackles. It's extremely rare to see a man of his size possess both power and above-average quickness. 

Tuttle was an early enrollee to the university. Due to his strong work ethic, he recently became the second Tennessee freshman to have his black stripe removed. 

Along with Kyle Phillips and Darrell Taylor, this group of freshman defensive linemen have the ability to be scary good down the line.

Trenton Thompson

It's a rarity to see a true freshman defensive lineman start for an SEC Title contender. 

Trenton Thompson—the former USA Today Defensive Player of the Year—is the epitome of that rare exception. As a high school senior, he had an eye-popping 36 tackles for loss. 

The Georgia youngster is one of the most talented defensive line prospects to join the Bulldogs' program in quite some time. At 6'4", 307 pounds, he's already big enough to compete right away. 

According to Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, per Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald, "[Thompson] is a guy that can play every down. He's a big guy. He plays the run well. He has the ability to rush the quarterback."

Recruit ratings and info courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.