Preseason College Football: Freshman All-Big Ten Team

It's hard to say whether you want to see freshmen on the depth chart of your favorite team.

After all, if you've got a freshman starting at safety, it could mean that he is so good, that the coaches can't keep him off the field.

It could also mean that the coaches have no other—i.e. better—options.

It could mean that injuries forced the coaches' hand; a player that really should spend his first year on campus in the weight room, finds himself 25 pounds underweight, starting at left guard.

Imagine the pressure.

One day you're the star of your high school team, playing in front of 350 people—all of who you know by first name—at your high school football field.

Nine months later, you're playing the first game of your collegiate career in front of over 100,000 belligerent Buckeye fans.

Personally, I'd rather see a starting lineup that is nothing but seniors and juniors, but that's just not the way it works.

Some of the players in the following slideshow have earned their potential playing time over upperclassmen. Others probably shouldn't have playing time just yet.

Yet, in the words of William James, "He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had failed.”

However you spell it, the following players will have the good fortune to make an impression the first time they suit up in a collegiate uniform. Time will tell how well they perform.

Quarterback

It was hardly a huge surprise when Ron Zook named redshirt freshman Nathan Scheelhaase his starting quarterback for the 2010 season.

This was despite the fact that Zook had two experienced quarterbacks already on the roster. But that's Ron Zook, and perhaps that's why he's in a situation where his job is literally riding on the back of a redshirt freshman.

This shouldn't take anything away from Scheelhaase, whose talents are palpable.

Scheelhaase's father played cornerback for the Iowa Hawkeyes , so it surprised some when he committed to Illinois.

When choosing the Illini, he cited their style of play as being more suitable to his abilities as both a runner and a passer.

He stands at 6'3, weighs 200 pounds, and runs a 4.5 X 40. In effect, Scheelhaase should fit right into Illinois' spread option attack; an attack which propelled former quarterback Juice Williams to over 500 yards rushing each of his four years as a starter.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether Scheelhaase will develop as a passer; something his predecessor Williams never did.

Meanwhile, Penn State will be looking to fill the void left by two time All-Big Ten quarterback Daryll Clark.

It is likely that void will be filled by one of two sophomores, but one never knows. After the spring game, when true freshman Paul Jones outshined said sophomores, there were questions.

However, PSU has recently announced that they intend to redshirt Jones. Much of the reason for this has to do with the progress of fellow true freshman quarterback Robert Bolden.

At an August 11 stop at State College, Big Ten Network commentators Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith both felt that Bolden was the best quarterback and he would start Penn State's opener.

Bolden was the eighth-ranked prep quarterback in the nation in 2010. He stands at 6'4", 205 pounds, and runs a 4.6 X 40.

It is hard to imagine a true freshman giving the Lions their best chance to win early games at Alabama and Iowa City, but stranger things have happened.

Running Backs

It is well known that the best athletes play running back. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that two of the three Big Ten teams that tend to sign the most highly-rated recruits, are two of the teams most likely to have impact freshman running backs.

Last season, Michigan graduated their two top rushers, Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown.

This year, all signs are pointing the Wolverines going to a running-back-by-committee.

One of the members of that "committee" will be Fitzgerald Toussaint. Toussaint was a moderately-ranked running back—by Michigan standards—out of Ohio. He had a good chance of playing last year, but redshirted, due to a fractured shoulder.

It is likely that if one player does emerge as the "featured" back, it will be Toussaint or junior Michael Shaw.

Meanwhile, in State College, there is no question that senior Evan Royster will be the starter this year. However, fighting for carries behind him will be a number of players, including true freshman Silas Redd.

Redd was the seventh-ranked prep running back in the country last year. He has the natural skills, but he must learn how to block and run routes.

He enrolled early at Penn State, and thrilled fans with the offensive highlight of this year's spring game.

Royster is Mr. Consistency, and his backup last year, Stephfon Green, has more experience than Redd. Nevertheless, with Redd's upside, it may be difficult to keep him off the field.

On the other hand, the situation at Purdue is much different than Michigan or Penn State.

Due to injuries , Purdue finds itself with a very sparse backfield. There is true sophomore Al-Terek McBurse, and...well, that's it.

The Boilers' feature back was supposed to be junior Ralph Bolden, but he tore his ACL in spring practice. It remains to be seen whether he will play this year.

This opens up the door for true freshman Reginald Pegram. He was only a two-star back out of Texas, but he had other impressive offers on the table, including Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.

Odds are he would have redshirted had Purdue been able to fill out their depth chart, but sometimes that's the way things go.

Opportunity has knocked. We will see how Pegram reacts.

Wide Receivers

This season, the Big Ten is loaded at receiver. Perhaps there are no receivers with the natural skills of Alabama's Julio Jones, or the ability of Notre Dame's Michael Floyd.

However, outside of Illinois and maybe Northwestern, I can't think of one Big Ten roster without substantial and proven talent at receiver. Nevertheless, in today's spread-happy offenses, there is always more room for yet more receivers.

This is certainly true at Purdue, where there have been at least two receivers with 50 or more catches four of the last five years.

This season, the top receiver will be senior All-Big Ten receiver Keith Smith, who had 91 receptions for 1,100 yards last year.

On the other hand, Purdue's second top receiver, Aaron Valentin, has graduated. This opens up the door for a number of receivers, including redshirt freshman Gary Bush.

Bush was a small, lightly-recruited receiver out of Florida in 2009. He has since packed on 15 more pounds, increased his speed, and has drawn the praises of head coach Danny Hope, who commented Bush has "probably made the best strides of all: he's become a complete receiver in the last year."

Then there is Purdue's in-state neighbor to the west, the Indiana Hoosiers. Bill Lynch's offense has, in my opinion, one of the three best returning receiver groups in the Big Ten. However, with senior Ben Chappell slinging the ball, there should be room for more.

Enter redshirt freshman Duwyce Wilson. Wilson was a surprising commit for the Hoosiers, as he was the 38th-ranked prep receiver in 2009, and had offers from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Cincinnati, among others.

Standing at 6'3", he will be one more Indiana receiver that appropriately enough, looks like he would be just as comfortable on the basketball court as the gridiron.

Then there is Ohio State, who is never short on talent. They also return their top two receivers, but with the graduation of Ray Small and the transfer of Duron Carter, there will be opportunities in Columbus.

To begin with, true freshmen Corey Brown and Tyrone Williams will look to make a name for themselves.

Brown came to OSU out of Philadelphia, thus earning the nickname "Philly" Brown to help differentiate himself from OSU cornerback Corey Brown.

His speed and separation abilities quickly made waves with the coaches. Moreover, there might be opportunity for him in the return game. This makes one immediately draw comparisons to Ted Ginn Jr., OSU's—and now the San Francisco 49ers'—former wideout.

However, the Buckeye's quarterback Terrelle Pryor recently compared him to the Philadelphia Eagles' DeSean Jackson.

Meanwhile, Tyrone Williams is a different type of receiver. He is not the speedster that Brown is. Rather, standing at 6'7" and weighing 215 pounds, he is a physical receiver that will go up and make plays.

Needless to say, a player with those measurables might be just what Terrelle Pryor looks for if he finds himself in trouble.

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Chris Fields will also look to get on the field. Coming from Painesville, Ohio, Fields wasn't quite as sought after as Brown or Williams.

However, he has spent the last year working hard. He is a speedster that has gained 10 pounds since joining the team. Following spring practice, he earned high praises from his coaches, and teammates.

Senior receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said of Fields, "Chris has made big strides this spring. When Taurian [Washington] was sick a few days this spring, Chris was able to step in at the three spot and we didn't really miss a beat."

Obviously, there will only be so much room for playing time in Columbus. Time will tell who makes the grade.

Tight Ends

Both Iowa and Wisconsin are teams that like to use their tight ends.

Last year's All-Big Ten team featured Iowa tight end, Tony Moeaki on the coaches' first team and the media's second team. Moreover, Wisconsin's Garrett Graham was on the media's first team and the coaches' second team.

Over the last five years, Wisconsin has had a tight end make either the first or second All-Big Ten team four times. Iowa has had a tight end receive that honor three out of the five years.

In effect, it's not surprising that the freshmen tight ends that figure to make the biggest splash are a Hawk and a Badger.

Brian Wozniak is a redshirt freshman out of Ohio that was moderately recruited .

Since joining the Badgers last year, Wozniak has packed an additional 30 pounds onto his 6'4" frame. He will compete with junior Jake Byrne for Graham's traditional tight end position, while senior Lance Kendricks remains at Wisconsin's H-Back.

Meanwhile, C.J. Fiedorowicz is a true freshman out of Illinois that was the second highest ranked tight end in the country. He originally committed to the Illini, but switched to the Hawks due to the way Iowa uses their tight ends.

Fiedorowicz stands at 6'7" and is already 240 pounds. The Big Ten Network's Dave Revsine recently tweeted, "CJ Fiedorowicz will be a match-up nightmare."

He will not start for for Iowa in 2010, but I'd be very surprised if the coaches don't pull his redshirt, and get him some meaningful game experience.

Offensive Line

In the land of "three yards and a cloud of dust" there may be no more important position than that of offensive lineman.

Nonetheless, due to both the physical rigor and maturation that is required of a lineman, as well as the mental acuity, there aren't that many freshmen linemen that crack the depth chart.

However, every now and then, one or two get through.

This season, the most notable of them looks to be Taylor Lewan, the Michigan redshirt freshman. At the beginning of fall practices, Lewan was penciled in as the starting left tackle, though it remains to be seen if he can hold onto that position.

All accounts are that he has done well. He, along with fellow redshirt freshman Michael Schofield, drew the praises of Michigan offensive coordinator Calvin Magee, who said,"(Lewan and Schofield) have been competing their butts off. They are much improved because some more time has passed, and they've matured. They know we want that competition, so they are preparing well."

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, redshirt freshman Ed Olson will look to help shore up a line that let up the most sacks in the Big Ten last season.

Olson, who hails from Minnesota, was the 50th-ranked lineman in the 2009 class. He came to the Gophers weighing 270 pounds, but has since bulked up to 305.

Coming into camp this year, it looked as if he was going to push for a place on the depth chart at left guard. However, it would appear he has asserted himself to the point where he has supplanted Minnesota's returning starter at the all-important left tackle position.

All indications are it is his spot to lose.

Those are the only freshmen that are likely to start this season. However, there are other freshmen that will push to make the two deep, and could be one injury away from seeing the field.

To begin with, there is Ohio State true freshman Andrew Norwell. Norwell was the second-highest ranked lineman in the country. Already standing at 6'6" and weighing 290 pounds, he is a formidable presence.

Even more impressive has been his performance in fall camp. In fact, he has been so impressive that OSU coaches are talking of redshirting sophomore Marcus Hall and putting Norwell as the No. 2 right tackle.

In East Lansing, the O-line is undergoing something of a rebuilding project, with three of last year's starters gone.

There are no freshmen that are likely to earn starting time, but a number of freshmen do appear on the depth chart.

Firstly, there is redshirt freshman Nate Klatt. Klatt came to MSU as the seventh-ranked center in the 2009 class. He has since put on 10 pounds, and is pushing senior, and returning starter, John Stipek. As of now, he is the second-string center on the Spartans' depth chart.

At right tackle, redshirt freshman Henry Conway has pushed his way up the depth chart. Unlike most young linemen, Conway actually had to lose weight since coming on campus.

He spent much of the offseason battling a neck injury, but has since been declared fully healthy, and coach Mark Dantonio has called him "a full go." At the start of camp, Conway was co-No. 2 right tackle along with senior J'Michael Deane.

Meanwhile, there might be no more surprising ascension up the depth charts than in Iowa City.

Redshirt freshman Brett Van Sloten was a 6'7", 255-pound, unranked offensive line prospect out of Decorah, Iowa. Now, he is a 290-pound redshirt freshman that finds himself the No. 2 right tackle on Iowa's depth chart.

Defensive Line

Wisconsin enters 2010 with a number of questions on defense. Most notably, they lost three of their starting four linemen from last season. They are hoping that redshirt freshman Jordon Kohout will be one of the answers.

Kohout was a highly-ranked prep lineman out of Waupun, Wisconsin. When he came to Madison, he was talented, but undersized. Consequently, he decided to redshirt. He has since packed on another 25 pounds, and appears poised to take over the starting defensive tackle spot.

He has missed some practice time with a minor knee injury, but it is likely that he will be on the field for the Badgers first game against the UNLV Rebels.

Meanwhile, Purdue returns three of their four linemen, but redshirt freshman Kevin Pamphile appeared ready to take over the one open spot on the inside of the line. Unfortunately, a foot injury has sidelined him until at least the Big Ten opener.

This will open up the door for three more freshmen: Redshirts Justin Kitchens and Brandon Taylor, and true frosh, Bruce Gaston.

Whoever gets the job, he will have to step up his game quickly, as the Boilers ranked dead in the Big Ten against the run.

At Ohio State, the starting line appears set. However, as the Bucks like to rotate players in, there will be room for playing time.

This is where redshirt freshmen Melvin Fellows and Adam Bellamy enter into the equation.

Fellows was a hugely-recruited end out of Garfield Heights, Ohio. He redshirted last season due to a leg injury that has since been operated on.

The 6'5", 250-pound end will back up All-Big Ten lineman Cameron Heyward this year.

Meanwhile, Bellamy wasn't quite as ballyhooed a prospect as Fellows. At 6'4", 275 pounds, Bellamy had to add some weight before he would be ready to line up for the Buckeyes.

He now weighs in at 295 pounds, and is competing with sophomore John Simon for playing time. Furthermore, he shined in Ohio State's recent open scrimmage.

Finally, there is Michigan State. The Spartans are also probably set on the line, but the coaches will have a difficult time keeping a number of talented freshmen off the field.

Firstly, there is true freshman William Gholston. He is a very highly-ranked defensive end/linebacker prospect that committed to MSU over offers from Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee, OSU, and Michigan, among others.

He can play end in a 4-3 alignment or a rush linebacker in a 3-4. He still has a good deal of technique that he will have to work on, but he is doing well in practices, and the coaches are looking for ways to get him on the field.

Then there is Denzel Drone, a redshirt freshman from Florida. He was a lightly-recruited linebacker that packed on an extra 25 pounds in his redshirt year.

Much as with Gholston, he can play an end in a 4-3 or a rushing linebacker in a 3-4.

Drone shone in the Spartans' preseason scrimmage accumulating seven tackles, a sack, one forced fumble, and one recovered fumble.

Linebackers

Last season, Wisconsin true freshman linebacker Chris Borland won Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Mike Taylor also started at linebacker in his first year of action for Wisconsin.

This season, it seems unlikely that any freshmen will start at linebacker for any team, but there might be a few that make the depth chart, and get some valuable playing time.

Firstly, there is Dorian Bell, Ohio State's redshirt freshman. Bell was a much-ballyhooed linebacker out of Pennsylvania, whose offer list reads like a who's who of college football.

In the end, he chose the Buckeyes. However, due to sickness and other small problems, OSU chose to redshirt him.

Bell is obscenely fast, and projects to play at the weakside linebacker spot. This season he will back up All-Big Ten linebacker Ross Homan, who is entering his final year of eligibility.

Michigan State is another team with a set group of linebackers.

Nevertheless, with all the talk of them switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 , there may be more playing time for freshmen linebackers.

Head coach Mark Dantonio has since downplayed a full schematic switch, but has not denied that a 3-4 will play a part in what the Spartans do.

This could pave the way for opportunities for the aforementioned William Gholston, as well as true freshman Max Bullough and redshirt freshman Denicos Allen.

Allen was a lightly recruited and undersized linebacker out of Ohio. Once he got on campus, he was quickly groomed to play safety, only to move back to linebacker this past spring.

Right now, he is battling returning starter and sophomore Chris Norman for the starting "star" linebacker position, which is the weakside backer in the 4-3.

According to defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, "Denicos has great football instincts. He's got the ability to make plays." Moreover, Dantonio has said that, "Norman is No. 1 there, but Allen is probably 1A."

As for Bullough, he projects to play the middle linebacker position, which is where All-American Greg Jones plays.

Needless to say, Bullough is not supplanting Jones, but he could find playing time in a 3-4, in situational schemes, or on special teams.

Either way, it is evident that the coaches want him on the field. Dantonio has said, “We want to make sure that we put them (Bullough and Gholston) into situations where they can contribute on a consistent basis because you don’t want to just take away a guy’s year (of eligibility). Those guys can play and have an impact."

Meanwhile, in Iowa City, the two of the three starting linebackers project to be seniors. Furthermore, three of the top five linebackers will be seniors, with the other two being juniors.

On top of that, Iowa signed a large number of linebackers in their 2010 class. Due to this, I'd be very surprised if head coach Kirk Ferentz didn't pull the redshirt off at least one of those linebackers.

Moreover, I wouldn't be shocked if that linebacker found himself in the two-deep when Iowa plays its first game of the season.

It would seem one of the most likely to play is James Morris, the Iowa City Press-Citizen's Male Athlete of the Year.

On August 6, Kirk Ferentz said, "It would be realistic to expect James Morris to see the field this season."

Morris further commented , "My goal is to play as early and often as I can. That’s everybody’s goal. Not everyone will say that. Also, my goal is to help the team. However I can do that and still see reasonable time, I’m going to do it.”

Of course, Morris probably won't see much playing time outside of special teams, but much as with A.J. Edds before him, it will be a good way for him to get his feet wet.

Defensive Backfield

As if Rich Rodriguez didn't have enough troubles, it seems as if his entire secondary is gone.

The news of a flurry of injuries, dismissals, and transfers has been bad news to Wolverine fans, but it has opened the door for a number of freshmen.

First of all, there is Cameron Gordon, who was slotted to start at strong safety even before all the turmoil started.

Gordon was recruited as a wide receiver, but after taking a redshirt year, he switched to safety. The results have been one of the few bright spots for Michigan's beleaguered secondary.

Gordon will have to immediately take up a leadership role, as it is likely that at least one of the cornerbacks will be a converted safety or a true freshman.

The three true freshmen that will be competing for the job are: Pennsylvania's Cullen Christia, and Ohio's Courtney Avery, and Terrence Talbott .

I suspect Rodriguez will look for the most mentally tough of the bunch, as whoever gets the starting nod is going to get picked on like nobody's business.

And speaking of getting picked on, the Indiana Hoosiers' defense returns only four starters from a unit that ranked tenth in the conference in both total defense and scoring defense.

In effect, the defense projects to be even worse in 2010. However, one of the few bright spots has been the play of redshirt freshman cornerback, Lawrence Barnett.

Barnett was a marginally-recruited back out of Ft. Wayne.

Following his redshirt year, he had a superb spring that ended with him having to get wrist surgery that slowed his development a bit. Nonetheless, he has not used that as an excuse, as he continues to impress coaches with his play in fall camp .

At Purdue, the Boilers graduated their entire secondary. Therefore, one player looking to earn playing time, and hopefully a starting position is redshirt safety Ishmael Aristide.

Due to an injury before his senior year of high school, Aristide hasn't actually played football for over two years.

However, at 5'11, and 200 pounds, he has big-time speed. He will be in competition for the free safety position, but if he doesn't win that, he could be the Boilers' nickelback.

Finally, it is well documented that Michigan State struggled mightily against the pass last season.

One antidote to their secondary woes might lie in true freshman Isiah Lewis.

Lewis, who hails from Indiana, was the 20th-ranked prep safety in the nation last year. He is a heavy hitter that coach Mark Dantonio recently singled out, saying that he could contribute this season.

Specialists

Right now, both Michigan specialist jobs are up for competition, and three of the four competitors are freshmen. Two of them are of the redshirt variety and one of them—Will Hagerup—is a true freshman.

Hagerup was the fourth-ranked punter out of last year's prep class. With offers from Alabama, Florida, and Ohio State, as well as his home state Wisconsin Badgers, Hagerup chose to go with the Michigan Wolverines.

Part of that decision had to do with the knowledge that Michigan's All-Big Ten punter, Zoltan Mesko, would be graduating last year.

As of now, Hagerup is the favorite to win the punting duties, with his primary competition coming from redshirt freshman, Seth Broekhuizen.

At kicker, the favorite is redshirt freshman Brendan Gibbons with Broekhuizen also competing there .

Meanwhile, at Northwestern, punting is an area of great concern for coach Pat Fitzgerald. The Wildcats were dead last in the conference with an average of 35 yards per punt.

Part of the reason for this was because Stefan Demos was pulling double duty, handling both the kicking and punting jobs. Despite some notable gaffes, he was an able kicker, nailing 72 percent of his field goals. On the other hand, his punting left something to be desired.

Nevertheless, Demos' punting woes should be over this fall, as redshirt freshman Brandon Williams has emerged, and will take over as the starting punter.

In Minnesota, redshirt freshman Dan Orseske also appears ready to take over the starting role as punter. He would have been the starter last season, but a bout with mononucleosis forced him to take a redshirt.

Gophers coach Tim Brewster said Orseske might be the best young punter in the nation. Of course, Brewster has been prone to hyperbole, but Oreske's leg strength is not in question. At this point, it is just a matter of working on his consistency.

Finally, Michigan State will have to replace Brett Swenson, whose eligibility ran out last year. Swenson holds almost every MSU kicking record that is in existence, so replacing him will be no small issue.

One of the two players vying for his spot will be redshirt freshman Kevin Muma. Muma will be competing against sophomore Dan Conroy.

Conroy has actual game experience, but it was Muma that was officially Swenson's backup last season.