SEC Teams Most Likely to Start True Freshmen in 2016
Anyone who wonders what kind of impact a freshman can have on a team only needs to look at the University of Alabama football program last season.
While many would think the Crimson Tide might probably be the least likely team for a freshman to contribute about half of the 2015 recruiting class, they did with wide receiver Calvin Ridley joining Amari Cooper as the only first-year players in program history to have 1,000-yard seasons.
“Well, he didn’t go into the year replacing a guy like Amari; that’s not our expectation for him,” head coach Nick Saban said. “He was playing, rotating with Robert Foster and ArDarius Stewart and [Richard] Mullaney. Those four guys were sort of playing a lot. Robert Foster got hurt, and that gave Calvin a lot more opportunity to play.
“But I can’t really say that I am surprised. When we recruited him, we thought he was an outstanding talent.”
Ridley and redshirt freshman cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who caught the onside kick against Clemson in the national championship game, ended up named to the Football Writers Association of America's Freshman All-America Team.
They were two of eight Southeastern Conference selections—the most of any league. The others were Arkansas linebacker Dre Greenlaw, LSU offensive lineman Will Clapp, Missouri defensive end Walter Brady and defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr., with Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk named an all-purpose player and Florida’s Antonio Callaway at punt returner.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the SEC teams most likely starting some true freshmen in 2016:
Florida
1 of 10
The Gators have to replace a lot of players, including CB Vernon Hargreaves III, S Keanu Neal, DT Jonathan Bullard, OLB Antonio Morrison, TE Jake McGee, CB Brian Poole and G Trip Thurman.
It should help lead to a lot of competition in the spring and summer, especially since the Gators have 12 early enrollees. Cornerback Chancey Gardner and running back Mark Thompson will be looking to make an immediate impact, but the players to especially watch will be the wide receivers.
Freddie Swain and Joshua Hammond are two of Florida’s best new prospects, and it added Tyrie Cleveland on national signing day. He had lived in the Jacksonville area prior to moving to Texas and had originally committed to the Houston Cougars, but the Gators view him as a playmaker-in-the-making.
"He's a guy that came by this summer and always showed a lot of interest in the Gators,'' head coach Jim McElwain said at his signing-day press conference. "For him, it's a little bit of a homecoming. Here is a guy that grew up wanting to be a Gator, playing in The Swamp."
Auburn
2 of 10
Like Florida, Auburn lost a lot of key players, but it gained a lot of early enrollees, nine to be exact, looking to make their mark.
The most obvious addition is Derrick Brown, a 5-star prospect who had 42 tackles for a loss last season to go with 33½ sacks and 270 tackles for his career at Lanier High in Buford, Georgia. He’ll likely be in the line rotation the first day of practice.
"He's a true impact player,” head coach Gus Malzahn said during his signing-day press conference. “We believe he's one of the best players in the entire country. I got a chance to watch him in person play, and it was one of the more impressive performances that I got a chance to watch at any position. We're very excited about him."
Although Malzahn said he believes his defensive line class "is the best in the country," Auburn will need some wide receivers to step up immediately. Kyle Davis is already enrolled, but Nate Craig-Myers might have a better chance to start this fall.
Ole Miss
3 of 10
He hasn’t even stepped on campus yet, but 5-star lineman Greg Little is already being compared to outgoing left tackle Laremy Tunsil whom many expect to be a top pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
“I watched Greg play a live game during our evaluation period, and his feet are really good,” Freeze said during his national signing day press conference.
“Both probably coming out of high school need to be stronger in the upper body, but the comparison is close. I don’t know. Laremy may have been a little ahead, but it’s hard to tell. Greg is really talented and kind of changes personalities on the football field, in a good way.”
Freeze is also already comparing wide receiver A.J. Brown to outgoing standout Laquon Treadwell—another likely first-round selection.
Expecting defensive tackle Benito Jones to be the next Robert Nkemdiche may be a little bit much, but Ole Miss clearly wanted to find replacements for its star players and won’t wait to get them on the field.
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Mississippi State
4 of 10
It didn’t take long for in-state prospect Jeffery Simmons to be hailed as both the savior of Mississippi State’s recruiting class and the foundation of the Bulldogs’ future defense.
"Thrilled to have him,” head coach Dan Mullen said about the prize defensive end during his signing-day press conference. ... “You look at him being the next Fletcher Cox. He's a very special player."
Mullen actually shot off silly string when Simmons made his announcement.
"There was a lot of excitement,” he said. “I truly believe in my heart this is where he belonged."
Look for Mississippi State’s defensive line to get a lot younger this season with the added addition of DE Marquiss Spencer and DT Kobe Jones, although none of the three were early enrollees.
Arkansas
5 of 10
Although defensive lineman McTelvin Agim is an addition who might be an instant starter, the offensive side is where Arkansas has a lot of holes to fill with TE Hunter Henry, RB Alex Collins, G Sebastian Tretola, QB Brandon Allen, OL Denver Kirkland and RB Jonathan Williams departing.
Players like incoming guard Jake Heinrich and running back Devwah Whaley hope to take advantage in the summer, but a lot of the Razorbacks’ biggest additions were on the defensive side.
“We needed immediate help on the defensive line,” Bret Bielema said during his signing-day press conference. “McTelvin Agim has [proved to] us that be can play right away. Where...we don’t know. He’s a vary talented player.”
After enrolling early Agim is already up to 280 pounds after playing closer to 260 at the high school level.
LSU
6 of 10
LSU has a lot of returning talent, which will make it difficult for any freshmen to land starting jobs, but head coach Les Miles already has his eye on a few, including kicker Connor Culp.
“Culp could be a serious contribution—the kicker,” Miles said during his press conference Wednesday. “I think the corners can be a shutdown group of corners that can have impact and give us a lot of flexibility with where we move people. I think Rashard Lawrence inside could be a step in and knock it down and be pretty special there."
As a 5-star recruit, Lawrence, an in-state defensive tackle, is probably too good to keep off the field in 2016 even though all four starters on the defensive line are expected to return. The same goes for cornerback Kristian Fulton, although Tre'Davious White is returning for his senior season.
Two others to watch for are Michael Divinity, as LSU lost a lot at the linebacker spots, cornerback Saivion Smith and running back Devin White, who all enrolled early.
“I don't know. This Devin White, we're going to have to find something to do with that guy,” Miles said. “As fast as he is, he's 250 pounds, I mean...six foot—just under 6'2"...and probably runs under 4.4. This is a very large, very fast man. We're going to have to develop an opportunity for him."
South Carolina
7 of 10
Even though new head coach Will Muschamp is known for his ability to build a defense, it’s the offensive side that will likely see a major overhaul during the offseason—especially the wide receivers, as Pharoh Cooper is already heading to the NFL.
“Really D.J. Neal and Deebo Samuel are the only two experienced players we have at the position returning,” Muschamp said during his signing-day press conference.
South Carolina added five wide receivers on national signing day and is still hoping to sign a sixth. Among them, the player to watch is Bryan Edwards—a 4-star prospect who has already enrolled.
"He can vertically stretch the field, and he is another bigger receiver,” Muschamp said. “We certainly will need him.
Actually, the coach talked a lot about South Carolina’s future wide receivers, including:
- Korey Banks Jr.: "He comes from a great program, and he has good top-end speed. He's a guy that can really challenge people vertically down the field."
- Randrecous Davis: "He can change the game when the ball is in his hands. He's special as a returner and a receiver, and he can play in the slot and outside."
- Chavis Dawkins: "He's another big receiver that knows about winning. He knows what to do to be successful."
Vanderbilt
8 of 10
Although linebacker Stephen Weatherly's early departure for the NFL was a big loss for the defense, Vanderbilt doesn’t have to replace too many starters, making it a little more difficult for the freshmen to crack the starting lineup.
The most notable exceptions may be cornerback Joejuan Williams, a 4-star in-state prospect who has already enrolled, and the wide receiver position.
Head coach Derek Mason called it his offense’s biggest need. The Commodores added three players they hope will make an immediate impact: Jackson Winrow, Kalija Lipscomb and Donaven Tennyson.
“This receiver class has a little bit of size and is big on playmaking ability,” Mason said during his press conference on national signing day.
“When you look at where we’re at with Tennyson, he may be one of the most dynamic returners in the country. I think he’s instant offense when you talk about special teams. We think he can help us immediately on special teams. He’s a playmaking machine, and we like that.”
Georgia
9 of 10
After helping Alabama win another national championship while also taking over and recruiting for Georgia, new head coach Kirby Smart called the last two months “chaos.”
The good news for him is that last year’s defensive coordinator (who ironically replaced him with the Crimson Tide) ran a similar scheme to what he’ll be implementing.
However, there will still be a lot of personnel changes across the board.
Defensively the Bulldogs lost a lot of players on the front seven, which will mean opportunities for freshmen like Julian Rochester, Chauncey Manac, Michail Carter, Tyler Clark and Jaleel Laguins, who were all 4-star prospects. 5-star talent Mecole Hardman Jr. will begin his career as a defensive back under the guidance of Mel Tucker, who did wonders with Alabama’s young secondary last year.
The player to watch, though, is 5-star quarterback Jacob Eason. Smart went out of his way to say that the pressure is on him—not on Eason—to develop the early enrollee.
"It feels great because there is a lot of expectation from the fans and the media,” Eason said during a press conference on signing day. “I do look at that, but not too much. When Coach Smart says that it's kind of reassuring that I'm going to be able to go out and grow and do my job. As a young quarterback, it definitely means a lot when he says that."
Alabama
10 of 10
Alabama again appears to have a loaded roster, which includes 19 players who were considered consensus 5-star players as recruits, but Saban has never shied away from playing freshmen who are ready to contribute.
While Minkah Fitzpatrick got a lot of attention in the secondary, as did Ridley at wide receiver, few people noticed tight end Hale Hentges and defensive lineman Da’Ron Payne were both starting midway through the national championship season.
This year, 5-star linebackers Ben Davis and Lyndell Wilson likely fall into the category of "too good not to play," but the best bet to start on opening day is offensive lineman Jonah Williams. He’ll compete with junior- college transfer Charles Baldwin and others for the right tackle job but could line up anywhere on the line.
"Jonah is one of the most athletic guys we saw out there in recruiting,” Saban said. “I think he can play center, guard or tackle; he's very smart, very athletic, good feet.”
Alabama has a lot of freshmen who could see the field in 2016, including running backs B.J. Emmons and Joshua Jacobs, defensive linemen Raekwon Davis and Kendell Jones and defensive backs Nigel Knott and Shyheim Carter, but only if they come in ready to work and to compete.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.
Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer. Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh.
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