Ranking the Top Freshmen in College Football from October
The home stretch of college football is officially upon us. We're through two months of the 2016 regular season, and the College Football Playoff's initial Top 25 rankings will be released Tuesday evening. We've had plenty of time to watch and examine which teams and players are excelling and which ones aren't.
Coaches like to say that by this time in the season, freshmen aren't freshmen anymore. They've had seven to eight games of experience, and they know what's expected of them. Many have become major difference-makers who are showing they have impressive careers ahead.
Which players excelled most in October? Here's a look at the top freshmen from the month that was. This list was determined by looking at statistical and team accomplishments and examining which players were most valuable to their respective teams. Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comment section.
10. Oregon LB Troy Dye
1 of 10
It has been anything but a season to remember at Oregon. Even after a 54-35 win over Arizona State, the Ducks are 3-5 and must win three of their last four games (against Southern California, Stanford, Utah and Oregon State) just to make a bowl game. Brady Hoke's defense has struggled, allowing 42.3 points per game, No. 125 nationally.
However, there are some bright spots. One is freshman linebacker Troy Dye.
Dye, an early enrollee, became the first true freshman to start at linebacker in 38 years and has excelled. He has 54 tackles and nine tackles for loss (both of which lead Oregon) and 3.5 sacks. The Ducks have a lot of work ahead of them defensively, but Dye is a great foundational piece.
9. Maryland RB Lorenzo Harrison
2 of 10
Head coach D.J. Durkin's debut season at Maryland has been a big success. The Terrapins have energy and excitement, and at 5-3, they're one win away from a bowl bid despite Saturday's 42-36 loss to Indiana.
They've also found a real solution at running back in freshman Lorenzo Harrison. Harrison stands just 5'8", 193 pounds but has shown over the past month that he can be an impact player for the Terps offense.
Over the last two games, he has 178 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries, including a 105-yard performance in a win over Michigan State. Harrison averages 7.3 yards per carry and is proving that he's worthy of a bigger workload as the season rolls on. Top 10 teams Michigan, Ohio State and Nebraska are next on the schedule and will test the Terps, but with Rutgers as the season finale, a bowl berth is well within reach.
8. Ohio State DE Nick Bosa
3 of 10
When defensive end Joey Bosa left early for the NFL following a standout college career, it created a big hole on Ohio State's defensive line. Luckily, the Buckeyes had a perfect way to fill it: Bosa's younger brother, Nick. Nick, who stands 6'4", 265 pounds, has asserted himself nicely as a true freshman.
Through eight games, Bosa has 19 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks—among the Buckeyes leaders in tackles for loss and sacks. He has been one of Ohio State's best linemen over the last month and should only get better as head coach Urban Meyer's bunch pushes for a coveted College Football Playoff berth.
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7. Texas A&M RB Trayveon Williams
4 of 10
Despite a loss to No. 1 Alabama, Texas A&M remains one of the most impressive stories of 2016. The Aggies are 7-1 and look like one of the best teams in the SEC, shaking off a run of mediocre seasons and shoring up head coach Kevin Sumlin's future in College Station.
Improved offense has played a big role in that success, and freshman running back Trayveon Williams has been at the forefront of the offensive fun. He has 776 rushing yards and six touchdowns, averaging an eye-popping 7.8 yards per attempt.
While Williams was shut down in a 33-14 loss to Alabama, gaining just 23 yards on nine attempts, he torched Tennessee for 217 yards and a touchdown and also gained 98 yards versus South Carolina. He looks like a major part of A&M's push for a New Year's Six bowl berth.
6. Florida State QB Deondre Francois
5 of 10
It's safe to say Florida State's 2016 season hasn't gone the way head coach Jimbo Fisher and the Seminoles hoped. Hailed as a College Football Playoff contender in the preseason, Saturday's wild 37-34 home loss to Clemson dropped FSU to 5-3 and out of the ACC Atlantic title race. However, there is a bright spot: the play of freshman quarterback Deondre Francois.
Francois earned the starting role in August and has only strengthened his grip on the job through some overall struggles. He has thrown for 2,162 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions, completing 60.5 percent of his passes.
This month, he had a pair of 300-yard passing games, throwing for 372 against North Carolina and 319 against Wake Forest. Saturday against Clemson, he threw for 286 yards with a touchdown and an interception, absorbing big hit after big hit but coming back for more. His development can only be good for FSU's overall future as a program.
5. Florida OT Jawaan Taylor
6 of 10
Florida sits atop the SEC East and is No. 10 nationally with a 6-1 record. The Gators have done it with defense; they allow just 11.7 points per game, No. 2 nationally. The offense? Well, that's been up and down. Florida averages just 29.4 points per game, No. 67 nationally, and has received inconsistent play from its offensive line.
One bright spot? Right tackle Jawaan Taylor. The 6'5", 340-pound true freshman has emerged as Florida's best offensive lineman, clearing the way and mowing down defenders at the first and second levels.
"He's a freshman, you forget that," quarterback Luke Del Rio told SEC Country's Ryan Young. "He's just mauling guys. He's blowing them off the line and he's telling us, 'Run behind me.' OK, if you keep blowing guys off the line like that then of course we're going to run behind you."
The Gators trust him to protect Del Rio and serve as a fulcrum to run behind. He's been impressive and will be a key to the Gators' push for an SEC East title.
4. Michigan DT Rashan Gary
7 of 10
Head coach Jim Harbaugh's second season at Michigan has seen the Wolverines jump into the national conversation as one of the top College Football Playoff contenders. Michigan is 8-0 and ranked No. 2 in both major polls, and it will certainly be one of the top four teams when the initial CFP rankings are announced Tuesday.
Harbaugh has upgraded Michigan's talent and is getting a lot out of it, and freshman defensive tackle Rashan Gary is a prime example. Through eight games, Gary is making impacts in the trenches, piling up 22 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack. Gary was regarded as the nation's top overall recruit and has lived up to that billing, with plenty of room for improvement. He'll make an impact on the playoff picture, too.
3. Houston DT Ed Oliver
8 of 10
It wasn't the greatest month for Houston football. After a stellar September that saw the Cougars make their way into the College Football Playoff picture with a season-opening win over Oklahoma, they fell out of the race after losses to Navy and SMU.
A bright spot? The play of freshman defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Oliver has emerged as one of the nation's top first-year players and top defensive linemen, period. Oliver leads Houston with 51 tackles and 14 tackles for loss, as well as three sacks. He has started all nine games and had some great moments in October.
He had 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and two pass breakups against Tulsa, and he added 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in the loss to Navy. Houston and head coach Tom Herman have a major hometown gem in Oliver. Playing near home clearly agrees with him.
2. Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence
9 of 10
In recent years, Clemson has become a factory for NFL defensive linemen, with one Tiger after another making big impacts on Saturdays and taking the leap to the professional ranks. Ends Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd and Vic Beasley were all early-round picks in the last two seasons. And with the likes of Carlos Watkins, Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence on hand, it appears that assembly line is ready to churn out some impressive defensive tackles soon.
Lawrence has stepped into Clemson's defensive tackle rotation and immediately made a name for himself. The 6'5", 340-pound freshman has excellent size, speed and ability and is producing. Through eight games, he has 34 tackles with five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He's making a major difference for what appears to be another College Football Playoff-bound defense.
1. Alabama QB Jalen Hurts
10 of 10
Alabama head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin took a risk at quarterback this fall. After a pair of one-and-done senior starters, the Crimson Tide brain trust settled on true freshman Jalen Hurts under center. It's turned out to be a masterful decision. Hurts emerged from a four-way quarterback derby and has excelled for the No. 1 Tide.
He has thrown for 1,578 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions and made his way into the Heisman Trophy race for an undefeated team. Hurts is also the Tide's No. 2 rusher, with 521 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground.
The Tide had a tough October slate, and Hurts was ready. He threw for seven touchdowns against four interceptions and had six rushing touchdowns, including a 12-carry, 132-yard, three-score day in a 49-10 rout of Tennessee. Alabama is again a national title contender, and it owes plenty to Hurts' steady play.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
