Power Ranking 25 Best Freshmen from 2015 College Football Season
They grow up so quickly, don't they?
It feels like it was just yesterday that freshmen were taking the field for the first time all over the college football landscape. Over the last few months, we've watched them make plays—and mistakes—and even score some touchdowns. We've watched them grow.
Basically, we watched a real-life, sports-themed, condensed version of Boyhood. Also, there was no Ethan Hawke to be found. We think.
Anyway, with the 2015-16 season behind us, it's time to look back at the 25 freshmen who made the biggest impacts. For the most part, true freshmen were given preference over redshirt freshmen. Additionally, season-long efforts were weighted more heavily than those who either came on late or peaked early. The following players didn't have to be full-time starters, but they did need to be contributors for at least most of the season.
As always, we encourage you to share your favorite fab freshman in the comments section. Seeing as there are nearly 130 Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools, we're bound to omit someone—accidentally, even, if you can believe it.
25. LSU Defensive Back Kevin Toliver II
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The dirty little secret out of Baton Rouge this year was LSU's pass defense was not as stingy as it has been in years past. The Tigers allowed 6.4 yards per passing attempt but gave up 18 scores through the air. Only Ole Miss was worse in the SEC in that department.
But one of the key contributors in that secondary was freshman cornerback Kevin Toliver II, who had three pass breakups and an interception to go along with 30 tackles.
LSU's secondary is filled with some veteran guys, meaning Toliver's days as a full-time starter are coming sooner rather than later. At 6'2" and 196 pounds, he has all the tools to be an excellent shutdown corner. He just needs more reps. All of those factors combined means he'll start at the bottom of the list.
24. Iowa State Running Back Mike Warren
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2015 was the year of the running back anyway, but the Big 12, of all places, was among the best conferences at churning out running backs. That's amazing in and of itself considering how deep the Big 12 was at wide receiver.
Iowa State's redshirt freshman running back, Mike Warren, earned All-Big 12 honorable mentions but actually had more rushing yards than a first-team selection (Samaje Perine) and a second-team selection (Shock Linwood). What held Warren back were his touchdown numbers (he had just five on the ground).
But Warren was a workhorse. No one in the Big 12 had more attempts per game (18.92). He was easily one of the bright spots in another disappointing year in Ames.
23. Ohio State Defensive End Sam Hubbard
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Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa is the real stud of that Buckeyes defense. In all likelihood, Bosa's headed to the NFL draft this spring, as he should. Waiting in the wings to succeed Bosa is redshirt freshman Sam Hubbard.
The converted safety is now an excellent defensive end in his own right and actually recorded more sacks (5.5) than Bosa (5.0). Hubbard also has a few quarterback hurries, a pass deflection and a forced fumble. He started the season-opening game against Virginia Tech when Bosa was out due to a suspension.
Had Hubbard been a full-time starter, his numbers and overall stock would have gone up, but his first effort is definitely good enough to earn him some consideration.
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22. Pitt Running Back Qadree Ollison
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Filling in for star running back James Conner while maintaining productivity isn't an easy assignment to ask anyone, let alone a freshman. Yet Pitt's Qadree Ollison had one of the most productive efforts of any running back in the ACC.
Ollison was one of four running backs in the ACC to rush for more than 1,000 yards, and he had the highest yards-per-game average (87.33) of any freshman back in the conference. Undoubtedly, his best game came in Week 1 when he rushed for 207 yards against Youngstown State. Since then, though, he has four 100-yard games.
The drawback to Ollison is that he's been less successful against Pitt's biggest opponents. Against Iowa, North Carolina and Notre Dame—the Panthers' three best opponents—he totaled 103 yards and a touchdown.
21. Florida Defensive End Cece Jefferson
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Defensive end Cece Jefferson wasn't the star of Florida's defensive line, but that's only because it's a talented and experienced group that features guys such as Jonathan Bullard. However, Jefferson had nice moments as a first-year player and will be the next face of this Gators defense.
Jefferson finished the year with 28 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a pass deflection. He was used often in obvious passing situations so that his athleticism could be maximized. As one of the prize recruits in head coach Jim McElwain's first class at Florida, Jefferson lived up to the hype.
For his efforts, Jefferson (along with teammate Martez Ivey) earned freshman All-SEC honors.
20. Michigan State Running Back L.J. Scott
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Michigan State's running attack was definitely an effort by committee. But of the three running backs the Spartans used—L.J. Scott, Madre London and Gerald Holmes—Scott emerged as the top player. He had a team-best 140 carries for 691 yards and 11 touchdowns.
What Scott will be best known for in 2015 was scoring the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown for Michigan State against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game. Scott's second effort—when it looked like the Iowa defense had stopped him short—was all individual effort, and it paid off in a huge way.
Scott came up huge when his team needed it the most, but his overall numbers on the season and shared touches prevent him from moving up further in the rankings.
19. Texas A&M Defensive Tackle Daylon Mack
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Texas A&M's defensive line is going to be frightening for the foreseeable future thanks to the combination of Myles Garrett at edge-rusher and Daylon Mack clogging up lanes and commanding attention from blockers.
Still, Mack, all 335 pounds of him, made an impact right away for the Aggies with 8.5 tackles for loss. That was third best on the team. In all, those TFL accounted for just under one-third of his total tackles on the year. That tells you just how disruptive he is.
Mack is obviously powerful, but he's also quick for a big man. With time and experience, his game is going to get better and he'll be able to disrupt plays in different ways.
18. TCU Wide Receiver KaVontae Turpin
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Josh Doctson was TCU's go-to guy at wide receiver. No one on the team came close to him in receptions, yards or touchdowns. But the player who finished second in many of those categories was KaVontae Turpin.
The freshman finished behind Doctson with 40 receptions and eight touchdowns. Twice, against Texas and Oklahoma State, he went over 100 yards receiving. He also scored four touchdowns against the Longhorns.
Turpin isn't a big guy, but TCU's not afraid to use him in a variety of ways. In addition to being a receiver, the Frogs coaching staff used Turpin in the run game and in special teams. It even asked him to throw a pass against Texas Tech, which he completed for 18 yards.
17. Texas A&M Wide Receiver Christian Kirk
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No freshman in 2015 got off to a faster start than Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk. In September, Kirk caught four of his six receiving touchdowns and had a punt return against Arizona State for a touchdown.
Kirk's receiving numbers dropped off some as the season progressed and A&M's offense struggled to find a consistent quarterback in SEC play. Other than two touchdowns and 122 yards against Western Carolina, Kirk failed to eclipse 100 yards receiving after September and had just one touchdown (a punt return against Alabama).
It's not uncommon for a freshman receiver to have hit-or-miss moments. That's part of the learning curve. Additionally, it doesn't help when the offense overall is going through issues. Still, Kirk led the team with 70 catches and was the most reliable target in the passing game.
16. USC Running Back Ronald Jones II
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The common college football fan will tell you USC running back Ronald Jones II was one of the best first-year running backs in the game. After all, he finished second among freshmen in the Pac-12 with 940 yards.
However, the diehard USC fan will tell you RoJo didn't get the ball nearly enough—and that his numbers could have been far better if he had. Jones averaged about 11 carries per game, five fewer than Washington freshman running back Myles Gaskin. If Jones hadn't been an inexplicable afterthought on so many occasions, especially under former coach Steve Sarkisian, Jones would have garnered more attention nationally.
Still, Jones was an explosive playmaker, and current head coach Clay Helton used him far more in the month of November (17.25 carries per game). Expect Jones to be the feature guy in 2016 for the Trojans.
15. Georgia Defensive Lineman Trenton Thompson
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With the way Georgia's 3-4 defense is set up, there's not going to be a huge pass rush from the defensive line. However, that doesn't mean that group isn't disruptive. For a first-year player, defensive tackle Trenton Thompson is already showing flashes of dominance in the trenches.
In 11 games, Thompson has 2.5 tackles for loss and another two quarterback hurries. His 25 tackles overall put him among the more productive defenders on Georgia's defense. The scary part is he's still learning the ropes of how to be a complete defender who can both clog up lanes and get into the backfield.
Thompson has also been dealing with injuries to both of his ankles. That limited him down the stretch, and he didn't play at all against Georgia Southern. His late-season slump put a damper on a solid first effort, but there's little doubt he'll return in 2016 better than ever.
14. BYU Quarterback Tanner Mangum
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BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum will forever be known as the guy who threw a Hail Mary against Nebraska, and, essentially, a second one against Boise State. Mangum has been far more than that through the course of the 2015 season, though.
Mangum is one of the top freshman quarterbacks in college football after throwing for more than 3,000 yards to go along with 21 touchdowns and just seven picks. Like many freshman quarterbacks, it's been an up-and-down experience with Mangum taking the snaps. His worst game of the season came against Michigan (55 yards, 2.0 yards per attempt). But he's also thrown for at least 300 yards four times. Against Utah State, he had four passing touchdowns.
Replacing Taysom Hill isn't easy, and Mangum isn't nearly the dual-threat runner Hill was, but he proved to be more than serviceable as a replacement. Now the question is whether Mangum fits BYU's new offense depending on which coach succeeds Bronco Mendenhall.
13. USC Defensive Back Iman Marshall
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The list of impact freshmen for USC continues on with cornerback Iman Marshall. The Trojans recruited a number of prospects for 2015 who were either ready to contribute right away or were forced into action. Either way, USC got the most out of them.
Marshall came on late in the year, recording five of his seven pass breakups in November. He also picked off fellow freshman Josh Rosen of UCLA twice in a win over the Bruins. On the year, Marshall had three picks.
Adoree' Jackson is the star cornerback, but the way Marshall progressed throughout the season shows he'll be the next great athlete in the secondary. Things didn't take off for Marshall right away, but his ability to adapt to the speed of the game and dominate the final month of the season showed a lot of maturity.
12. Clemson Wide Receiver Deon Cain
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One of the main questions Clemson had to answer in the wake of receiver Mike Williams' neck injury was whether the Tigers would find a capable replacement in the vertical passing game. Consider that question answered with freshman Deon Cain.
Cain didn't make an impact right away, but he definitely got better as the year went on. He caught nearly half of his 34 passes in the month of November and hauled in a touchdown in each of the final five regular-season games.
It can be difficult for a freshman receiver to play consistently. One week, they can have a huge game before virtually disappearing the next week. But overall, Cain had an upward trajectory as the season went along. Paired across Artavis Scott, Cain has filled into his role nicely.
11. Rutgers Defensive Back Isaiah Wharton
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2015 will be one of those years Rutgers will want to wipe from the record book. Not only did the Scarlet Knights finish at the bottom of the Big Ten East, but head coach Kyle Flood and athletic director Julie Hermann were relieved of their duties.
Still, one of the bright spots was cornerback Isaiah Wharton. The redshirt freshman played in every game and recorded a team-best 10 pass breakups. That number tied Wharton at seventh in the Big Ten with a far more familiar name: Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers.
Additionally, Wharton picked off a pass in a win over Indiana. New head coach Chris Ash, a defensive guy, should be thrilled about having such a young but key defensive player already on the roster.
10. Texas Linebacker Malik Jefferson
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Numbers-wise, Texas' defense in 2015 was historically bad. According to Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News, no other Longhorns defense has allowed more yards in a single season. However, the Horns were starting a ton of freshmen and sophomores on that side of the ball. The best by far was linebacker Malik Jefferson.
Jefferson finished second on the team with 61 tackles despite missing the final game of the year against Baylor with an ankle injury. He's a physical, bruising defender who will take your head off, but he was best when disrupting plays in the backfield (he had a team-best six quarterback hurries).
Jefferson's overall game, especially against the run, can obviously use improvement, but he's off to a tremendous start. For his efforts, Jefferson earned the Big 12's Defensive Freshman of the Year award.
9. Alabama Wide Receiver Calvin Ridley
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Alabama needed an answer in the passing game to replace Amari Cooper. It appears the Tide have found that answer with 20-year-old freshman Calvin Ridley. His role as a big-play, outside receiver in Alabama's offense proved to be valuable.
Ridley had 75 catches on the year, most by any first-year player in the SEC and third overall in the conference. He also turned out to be an excellent big-play threat. From the beginning of October to December, Ridley had seven games in which he averaged at least 12 yards per reception. Against Georgia, he had a season-best 24 yards per reception.
Ridley can be a deep threat, but he's also shown the versatility to get yards after the catch by making people miss in the open field. He's a tremendous athlete and perfect fit in Lane Kiffin's offense, which utilizes receiver matchup problems as well as any in college football.
8. Middle Tennessee State Wide Receiver Richie James
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Want to know about the best receiver in college football nobody talks about? Look no further than Middle Tennessee's Richie James.
The unheralded recruit with just three Division I FBS offers, per 247Sports, James broke out in 2015 with 100 catches for 1,220 yards and six touchdowns. He was the only freshman to reach 100 catches—the next closest was Alabama's Calvin Ridley with 75—which also puts him third nationally.
Just as impressive was James' game against the Tide in which he had 10 grabs for 95 yards. On the season, he had four games with at least 10 catches and two games with multiple receiving touchdowns.
7. Penn State Running Back Saquon Barkley
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The story of Penn State's offensive dysfunction is a broken record, but mercy, if running back Saquon Barkley isn't a stud out there despite all the problems.
At 5'11" and 222 pounds, Barkley is a powerful back who's also capable of breaking open the big play at any time. Even though he missed a couple of games due to injury, he still eclipsed 1,000 yards behind a makeshift offensive line. Five times this season, Penn State leaned on him with at least 20 carries. In three of those games, Barkley recorded at least 100 yards.
Pretty much everything you need to know about Barkley relative to the rest of Penn State's offense came in his best games of the season. Against Ohio State and Northwestern, two losses for the Nittany Lions, Barkley rushed for 194 and 120 yards, respectively.
6. Florida State Safety Derwin James
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Florida State safety Derwin James came into the 2015 like a wrecking ball—and we mean that in the best way possible.
The 6'3", 212-pound freshman was a punishing hitter in the last level of the Seminoles defense. Throughout the year, he validated all the hype he received from his recruitment to the moment he set foot on campus. James actually led the entire Florida State defense, which ranked fifth in points allowed per game, with 43 solo tackles. He was second on the team with 77 total tackles.
It's no surprise that James finished the year with two forced fumbles with how physical he plays, but he also showed versatility by getting into the backfield with 3.5 sacks and some ball skills with three pass breakups.
James received consideration for the ACC's Defensive Rookie of the Year and should be a nightmare for opposing offenses for at least two more years.
5. Wisconsin Linebacker T.J. Edwards
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Wisconsin's defense was lights-out again in 2015. As far as recent success goes, perhaps no defensive coordinator in college football has been better than Dave Aranda. As it turned out, one of Aranda's best playmakers was redshirt freshman linebacker T.J. Edwards.
And the Badgers are l-o-a-d-e-d loaded at linebacker.
Edwards led the Badgers defense with 80 tackles, 5.5 of which went for loss and 38 of which were solo, to go along with a forced fumble. He also made ESPN's Big Ten all-freshman team. Yes, Edwards is a second-year guy, but this is his first year playing, and he showed tremendous instincts for someone without a lot of experience.
4. Pitt Defensive Back Jordan Whitehead
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When you're named the ACC's Defensive Rookie of the Year, you know you're doing something right. And, boy, did Pitt defensive back Jordan Whitehead do a lot of things right in 2015.
Whitehead led the Panthers with 98 tackles and was tied for second on the team with six passes broken up. But he wasn't just a key defensive player; Pitt coaches dabbled in making Whitehead a two-way player to help spark the offense. Though he only had 10 rushing attempts, he averaged nearly eight yards per carry and scored a pair of touchdowns against Notre Dame.
Getting the ball in your best playmaker's hands in any way possible is something many coaches strive to do. It's more impressive when that playmaker is a freshman. "We gave them a lot of responsibility this season and they responded in outstanding fashion," head coach Pat Narduzzi said of Whitehead and running back Qadree Ollison, per the team's official website.
3. Clemson Offensive Lineman Mitch Hyatt
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Would you look at that? Finally, an offensive lineman makes the list. And not just any O-lineman—a true freshman. They're a rare breed, you see.
Yet Mitch Hyatt has been asked to do what few first-year players are asked: to protect a quarterback's blindside right away against some of the best edge-rushers in the game. It's a team effort, but Clemson allowed just 14 sacks on the year, fewest in the ACC. Part of that can be attributed to quarterback Deshaun Watson's elusiveness and decision-making, but Hyatt and the Tigers O-line played a role as well.
As David M. Hale of ESPN.com noted, Hyatt "became the first true freshman to start every game at left tackle for Clemson since 1944." That tells you just how special he is and how rare it is for a first-year player to come in and not only play but play well.
2. UCLA Quarterback Josh Rosen
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Josh Rosen's freshman season has been well-documented by now. No other first-year player carried as much attention heading into the year as Rosen, who started for the Bruins from Week 1.
It was an up-and-down season, to be sure. In Rosen's first game against Virginia, he threw 350 yards (at 10 yards an attempt) and three touchdowns while completing 80 percent of his passes. Two games later against BYU, he completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw three picks.
Those highs and lows are to be expected, though. It's tough for any freshman quarterback to be thrown into a starting role and asked to lead an entire offense. The main point is whether Rosen progressed as the year went along. Following the mid-October loss to Stanford, Rosen went five straight games without throwing a pick until the season-ending game against USC.
Rosen will have most of his offensive pieces around him returning in 2016, as well, so expect a nice jump from the sophomore.
1. USC Linebacker Cameron Smith
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USC has some outstanding defenders with the likes of Su'a Cravens and Adoree' Jackson, but freshman linebacker Cameron Smith was an absolute beast for the Trojans. The Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and USA Today Freshman All-American led the defense with 48 solo tackles and tied with Cravens with 78 total tackles.
Easily, Smith's best game came in late October against Utah in which he landed all three of his interceptions on the year, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
What's more is that Smith missed the last three games of the season with a knee injury. His numbers could have been even better. Normally, missed time will result in a player falling down the power rankings, but not here. Smith was too good in the time he did play for an unfortunate injury to hurt his stock. From start to finish, he was fantastic.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
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