Teams That Will Rely on the Most Freshmen in 2016 College Football Season
College football is an extremely cyclical sport. Just as we get to know talented players, it seems like they’re heading out the door for the NFL draft, graduation or both. That can be tough for fans, but it can also be an endearing part of the game's appeal.
Every winter, players head out the door to greener pastures, and talented but inexperienced players replace them. Graduation and draft losses hit some of the nation’s top programs hard, forcing them to rely on freshmen. Here’s a look at some of the top teams that will lean most heavily on freshmen in 2016. We determined teams by examining the talent lost from their 2015 two-deeps as well as their 2016 recruiting classes.
Alabama
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Under Nick Saban, Alabama has established itself as the nation’s top program, with four national titles in Saban’s nine seasons in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide enjoyed a truly special 2015 by overcoming an early loss to Ole Miss and charging to a national title, outlasting Clemson 45-40 in University of Phoenix Stadium. As usual, the draft and graduation took their shares of talent.
Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry and beastly defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson declared for the NFL draft, with starting quarterback Jake Coker, star linebacker Reggie Ragland and secondary stalwarts Cyrus Jones and Geno Matias-Smith all exhausting their eligibility. In other words, Saban and Co. have some holes to fill, with 12 starters returning.
Regardless, the Tide don't rebuild; they reload. Saban’s staff closed strong to secure the nation’s top recruiting class—a star-studded outfit. A pair of 5-star linebackers in Ben Davis and Lyndell Wilson, both of whom should see the field immediately, lead the class. Four-star tailback B.J. Emmons should be in the mix behind Bo Scarborough, and 4-star cornerbacks Nigel Knott and Shyheim Carter are among the top 10 corner recruits nationally.
In addition, redshirt freshman quarterback Blake Barnett should figure heavily into replacing Coker at quarterback. Alabama will be young again, but recruits who’ve waited their turns, along with the newcomers, will keep the talent level elite.
Baylor
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Head coach Art Briles has done a tremendous job at Baylor, as he's built the Bears into a legit national power. Baylor narrowly missed the College Football Playoff in 2014 and fought through injuries for a 10-3 finish in 2015. Such great work doesn’t go unnoticed, of course, and Briles’ roster took some hits from the NFL.
Corey Coleman, one of the nation’s most explosive receivers, declared for the draft, as did stout defensive tackle Andrew Billings. Four of five Baylor offensive linemen, led by left tackle Spencer Drango, graduated. Monstrous pass-rusher Shawn Oakman and fellow end Jamal Palmer are also gone, as are linebacker Grant Campbell and cornerback Xavien Howard.
Baylor will return 10 starters this season, meaning some freshmen will have to step forward and play more significant roles. The Bears could rely heavily on 4-star wide receiver signees Tren’Davian Dickson and Devin Duvernay early in their college days. J.P. Urquidez is the nation’s No. 21 offensive tackle prospect, and he could be the rare OT to see early playing time.
Baylor will have questions, but with starting quarterback Seth Russell, wide receiver KD Cannon and tailback Shock Linwood back, the Bears have the pieces to score points.
Clemson
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2015 was a breakthrough season for Clemson. While Dabo Swinney had previously established the Tigers as one of the nation’s best programs with four consecutive 10-win seasons, 2015 brought them to new heights. Clemson began the season 14-0 for the first time in program history and entered the national title game as the nation’s No. 1 team. The Tigers pushed Alabama to the limit before falling 45-40.
That run gave NFL scouts an extended look at Clemson’s revamped defense, and for the second consecutive season, departures wracked it. Can defensive coordinator Brent Venables keep the momentum going? He’ll have to do so with a cadre of new and/or untested faces. Clemson will return only three defensive starters from last season.
Defensive ends Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd and defensive backs Mackensie Alexander, Jayron Kearse and T.J. Green left early, as did linebacker/safety Travis Blanks. Linebacker B.J. Goodson and defensive tackle D.J. Reader graduated.
Opportunity? You bet. The nation’s No. 2 overall recruit, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, is a lock for early field time. Linebackers Tre Lamar and Rahshaun Smith are early enrollees along with Lawrence, who’ll get a taste of Venables’ system during spring practice and a leg up on preseason drills. Cornerback Trayvon Mullen and safety Isaiah Simmons are natural candidates to get their feet wet early in the secondary. Clemson’s defense will be green but talented.
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Michigan State
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Mark Dantonio has quietly built something special in East Lansing, and 2015 was his best year yet. The Spartans survived rival Michigan, stunned Ohio State in Columbus, outlasted Iowa in the Big Ten title game and made it to the College Football Playoff in the format's second year of existence.
Repeating the feat won’t be easy. Michigan State returns just nine starters, including just three on offense. Cornerstone quarterback Connor Cook has graduated, and so has his top receiver in Aaron Burbridge. Three starting offensive linemen (led by NFL draft early departure Jack Conklin) are gone, too.
On the other side of the ball, the Spartans must replace standout defensive end Shilique Calhoun, end Lawrence Thomas and linebacker Darien Harris, among others.
So Dantonio has some work to do. The Spartans signed a 19-member recruiting class that ranked among the nation’s top 25. Four-star wide receivers Donnie Corley, Cameron Chambers and Justin Layne could all get looks early. The same goes for 4-star strong-side defensive end Josh King, the nation’s No. 6 strong-side prospect, and 4-star defensive tackle Naquan Jones. Can they help build on Michigan State’s momentum? We’ll see.
Notre Dame
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Notre Dame had a solid 2015 season. The Irish fought through a litany of injuries from the beginning of the year (quarterback Malik Zaire) to its end (linebacker Jaylon Smith), with plenty of unpleasant news along the way. But Brian Kelly’s team still managed to finish 10-3 and make the Fiesta Bowl with last-second losses to Clemson and Stanford on its resume.
Kelly and his staff face a fresh challenge in 2016. The Irish will return 10 total starters, with Smith and wide receiver Will Fuller declaring for the NFL draft. Star offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, center Nick Martin and cornerback KeiVarae Russell are also gone, which leaves opportunities for playing time across the two-deep.
Notre Dame does have a pair of 4-star offensive tackle signees in Tommy Kraemer and Liam Eichenberg, and 4-star wide receiver signees Javon McKinley and Chase Claypool could also make immediate impacts. The Irish also pulled 4-star linebacker Daelin Hayes out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and with Smith gone, he could see some early playing time.
Ohio State
6 of 8It didn’t take Urban Meyer long to restore Ohio State’s status as one of the nation’s premier programs. In four seasons, Meyer is 50-4 at the Buckeyes helm with a 2014 national title. Only a 17-14 final-play loss to Michigan State kept OSU out of the College Football Playoff, but all good things must come to an end for the Bucks core.
The NFL draft hit Ohio State as heavily as anyone in recent memory. Nine Buckeyes declared for the draft, and as many as six—including defensive end Joey Bosa, wide receivers Braxton Miller and Michael Thomas and linebackers Joshua Perry and Darron Lee—could be drafted in the first round.
How young is Ohio State? The Buckeyes will have 44 freshmen and just six seniors on the roster next fall, and Meyer told Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com he plans to play as many as 18 freshmen.
"I'm going to force the issue with our position coaches," Meyer said. "Sometimes position coaches, they protect themselves by saying, 'The kid doesn't know what he's doing, so I'm not going to give him those reps.' So I'm not going to allow that this year."
Bosa’s brother, Nick, a 5-star defensive end, will contribute immediately. Tailback Demario McCall, the nation’s No. 2 all-purpose back, will produce early. Linebacker Keandre Jones will learn from the likes of Raekwon McMillan, and 4-star receiver Binjimen Victor could emerge as a trusted target for quarterback J.T. Barrett.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The massive number of freshmen who'll see significant time could test Meyer and his staff’s patience this fall.
Ole Miss
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Hugh Freeze built an impressive roster of talent in Oxford, and last fall, Ole Miss finally capitalized on it. The Rebels went 10-3 with a win over eventual national champion Alabama and capped the season with an emphatic Sugar Bowl rout of Oklahoma State. It’s a good thing Freeze made the most of that talent, because he’ll be relying on young players again this fall.
Ole Miss will return just eight total starters and must replace NFL departures in offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, all of whom could land as first-round selections.
However, Freeze put together another talented class, which he and his staff will rely upon early and often. The Rebels will expect 5-star defensive tackle Benito Jones, the nation’s No. 6 DT prospect, to pick up some of the slack inside. The same goes for 5-star offensive tackle Gregory Little, the nation’s top tackle prospect. Pulling 4-star receiver A.J. Brown out of Starkville was a big coup, and the Rebels also kept 4-star wideout DeKaylin Metcalf at home. This is the core of the next great Ole Miss run.
TCU
8 of 8TCU remains a dangerous program under Gary Patterson’s watch with a collective 23-3 record over the past two seasons. Offense has keyed the Horned Frogs’ recent renaissance, but now Patterson and his offensive staff must prove it can succeed with a new cast of characters. Quarterback Trevone Boykin and receiver Josh Doctson are gone, and TCU will return just three offensive starters.
While TCU signed several junior college receivers, it could call upon 4-star wide receiver Isaiah Graham and fellow freshman Camron Williams early. Houston prospect Isaiah Chambers is the nation’s No. 7 strong-side defensive end and could find his way to the field early on defense. One thing is for sure: There will be plenty of new faces in Fort Worth.
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