True Freshmen Posting Huge Numbers to Start 2015 College Football Season
Most teams bring freshmen along slowly, weening them into the program instead of throwing them into the fire straight from high school.
But some true freshmen are too good to wait on. They demand to be played from day one, and they produce as soon as they step on a college field.
That doesn't always translate to the box score. Especially for offensive linemen and defensive tackles, big production can occur without numbers. Identifying breakout linemen requires tape study.
But for skill players, linebackers and defensive backs, the proof is very often in the pudding. They show up and post huge numbers, which serve as reflections of their early success.
Here are seven stat lines that caught our eye.
Note: All recruiting info refers to 247Sports' composite rankings.
RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State
1 of 7
Overall Recruit Rank: 123 RB Recruit Rank: 14
Stats: 34 carries, 311 yards, 3 TDs
Saquon Barkley barely featured in Penn State's Week 1 loss at Temple, taking one carry for one yard.
He has since emerged as the best player on PSU's offense, recording 12 carries for 115 yards and one touchdown against Buffalo in Week 2 and then breaking out with 21 carries for 195 yards and two touchdowns against Rutgers in Week 3.
His 9.15 yards per carry rank No. 8 in the country and No. 2 among players with 30 or more attempts, trailing only Matt Breida of Georgia Southern. He has good size (5'11", 222 lbs) for a player so shifty and should continue to expand his role despite sharing touches with junior Akeel Lynch.
QB Jake Browning, Washington
2 of 7
Overall Recruit Rank: 71 Pro-Style QB Recruit Rank: 5
Stats: 59-of-90, 844 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs
After starting slow at Boise State in Week 1, Jake Browning has shown signs of becoming a franchise quarterback.
He ranks inside the national top 30 for QB rating and passing yards per game, and his 9.4 yards per attempt rank No. 16 in the country. Among Pac-12 quarterbacks, only preseason Heisman Trophy candidates Cody Kessler and Jared Goff average more yards per pass.
Browning broke the national record for career touchdown passes in high school and fits nicely as the new Kellen Moore in Chris Petersen's offense. He played a career game against Utah State in Week 3, completing 22 of 31 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns against a strong Aggies defense—something any quarterback of any age would be a proud of.
"He's good," Utah State head coach Matt Wells told reporters after the game. "He does a nice job with his feet, and he's got good touch out on the perimeter. He's a very, very accurate kid."
Sounds a lot like Moore, if you ask me.
WR Jovon Durante, West Virginia
3 of 7
Overall Recruit Rank: 157 WR Recruit Rank: 18
Stats: 10 receptions, 181 yards, 2 TDs
Jovon Durante opened his career with a bang, catching a 41-yard touchdown against Georgia Southern on his first college drive.
He caught a 57-yard pass later in the first quarter and a 23-yard pass in the third quarter to finish his debut with three catches for 121 yards. He then proved he could also play possession tactics against Liberty, catching seven balls for 60 yards and another touchdown in Week 2.
The Mountaineers host Maryland in Week 4, and Durante should find success against a secondary Bowling Green shredded for 489 passing yards and six passing touchdowns two weeks ago. These numbers look great after two games, but there's still room to grow.
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LB Malik Jefferson, Texas
4 of 7
Overall Recruit Rank: 10 OLB Recruit Rank: 1
Stats: 27 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 4 QB hurries, 1 fumble recovery, 1 TD
It's been a long three weeks in Austin, but with redshirt freshman quarterback Jerrod Heard and true freshman linebacker Malik Jefferson looking strong, at least there is hope for the future.
Jefferson in particular has been awesome, leading the Longhorns and ranking No. 3 in the Big 12 in tackles. He has 3.5 tackles for loss and posted four QB hurries in one game against Rice—a game in which he also returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Prior to the season, Michael Felder of Bleacher Report said Jefferson could be an All-American.
"Not a Freshman All-American," Felder clarified. "A regular All-American. He's that good."
So far, he's been proved right.
WR Christian Kirk, Texas A&M
5 of 7
Overall Recruit Rank: 25 WR Recruit Rank: 4
Stats: 16 receptions, 269 yards, 2 TDs; 4 punt returns, 149 yards, 1 TD
Christian Kirk is on pace to have an All-SEC receiving year and an All-American returning year.
He leads Texas A&M and ranks No. 3 in the conference in receiving yards per game, and his 37.3-yard punt-return average is by far No. 1 in the country. Kirk also handles the Aggies' kickoff return duties (six returns, 132 yards), which is rare for any player and exceedingly rare for a true freshman.
"That tells you what kind of talent level he is and the trust we have in him," head coach Kevin Sumlin said, per Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. "That doesn't come from flashes here and there. It comes from what he's shown at practice, his competitive nature and how he plays football."
DT Daylon Mack, Texas A&M
6 of 7
Overall Recruit Rank: 14 DT Rank: 4
Stats: 11 tackles, 4 tackles for loss
Daylon Mack has plugged a hole (pun intended) along the weakest part of Texas A&M's roster: the defensive interior.
His four tackles for loss rank No. 3 on the Aggies (who as a team lead the country in that category) and No. 8 in the SEC, and included among those TFLs was a "Clowney Hit" against Nevada in Week 3.
The 6'1", 335-pound Mack will face his stiffest career challenge against Arkansas in Week 4. The Razorbacks have struggled, but they still have the beef to push teams around in the trenches. Mack will be instrumental in keeping the Aggies undefeated.
DB Jordan Whitehead, Pittsburgh
7 of 7
Overall Recruit Rank: 106 CB Recruit Rank: 13
Stats: 24 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup
On the Week 3 depth chart, Pittsburgh listed Jordan Whitehead or Pat Amara Jr. as the starting strong safety.
After Whitehead led the Panthers with 16 tackles against Iowa, it's safe to say he's earned the job completely.
Whitehead started the year at nickelback but is comfortable in the box and fits the mold of a Pat Narduzzi safety. He was a bigger recruit than any defensive back Narduzzi coached at Michigan State and could develop into a rich man's version of 2014 Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year Kurtis Drummond.
No matter where he plays, he's a stud.
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