College Football Best Freshman: Clemson's Sammy Watkins or UGA's Isaiah Crowell?

Sammy Watkins and Isaiah Crowell have done some pretty spectacular things for their respective teams. The great part for fans is that both guys are just freshmen. There's a lot of great football that fans can look forward to in years to come.

But which one is better in their freshman year?

Typically, freshmen aren't expected to do a lot. There's a big difference between high school and college football in a lot of areas.

The overall level of play, by both teammates and opponents alike, is much greater at the college level. The schemes are more intricate and detailed and players have to learn more about every aspect of the game than they've ever had to in the past.

Of course, they also have to learn their respective team's system and how they conduct business. All of this while still getting settled into college life and getting an education.

So, which of these players is making the biggest statement already in their young careers?

Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

How important has Sammy Watkins been to his Clemson team this year? It's hard to measure exactly what he means to this team.

In just four games, Watkins has 28 catches for 433 yards and six receiving touchdowns. That is impressive in itself. There are some fairly good receivers around the nation that will be lucky to grab six touchdowns all year and Watkins has done it in only the first third of the season.

In the first two games (against Troy and Wofford) Sammy was good. He picked up 11 catches for 137 yards and a pair of scores during those wins.

However, more importantly, Watkins has stepped up big against Clemson's toughest opponents to date.

Against Auburn, Watkins pulled down 10 passes for 155 yards and two scores which helped lead the Tigers to a great win over the defending National Champions. He followed that up with a seven catch, 141 yard and two score day against No. 23 Florida State.

In Clemson's two biggest games, Watkins has been right there, making big plays and helping put points on the board, In fact, he's arguably had the better days against the better opponents.

In no small part, his play has helped elevate his team to a No. 13 ranking and a potential lead in the ACC title race.

On top of all of that, Watkins has carried the ball 15 times for 92 yards, averaging 6.13 yards per carry. In short, he's a threat in a couple of different ways and has been difficult for defenses to manage.

Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia

Crowell is something special and he represents the present and future of Georgia's ground attack.

In four games, Crowell has carried the ball 77 times for 411 yards and two touchdowns. He's averaging a very respectable 5.34 yards per carry.

Crowell has been solid throughout Georgia's shaky season.

Against No. 4 Boise State, he averaged a decent four yards per carry, picking up 60 yards on 15 hauls. He followed that up against No. 10 South Carolina with a 16 carry, 118 yard performance with a touchdown. That's a tremendous 7.38 yard-per-carry average.

Against Coastal Carolina, Crowell averaged 5.38 yards on each carry and scored another touchdown. Then there was that performance against Mississippi.

On the road at Ole Miss, Crowell proved that he could be a real workhorse, running the ball 30 times and gaining 147 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

Crowell is averaging a little over 102 yards per game and has brought a spark to the Bulldog offense. He hasn't put a lot of points on the board for Georgia, but he's kept drives alive and been a driving force that has helped balance the offense.

Crowell has also caught the ball three times for 52 yards and another touchdown, showing he can be a dangerous threat stepping out of the backfield and hauling in passes.

That's a big boost for an offense to know they can count on a guy to run the ball or catch it. It gives a level of depth to the offense that a pure runner or pure catcher doesn't.

Which Is Better at This Point?

When you try to compare a wide receiver to a running back, it's like comparing apples to oranges. They do different things and will have different stats.

Having said that, both of these guys have put up tremendous stats—particularly for freshmen. Both of them have become big parts of their respective offenses and both are being relied upon to provide a level of security for their teams' futures.

The difference right now, in my mind, comes down to two areas.

Touchdowns: While a player can pick up the biggest portion of yards, only to watch someone else take the ball into the end zone, being a part of the scoring process is pretty big. It indicates a level of comfort with the coaching staff and the quarterbacks in that particular player to get the job done in clutch situations.

Either that, or it indicates big plays.

In that arena, Watkins is leading Crowell. With six TD's to Crowell's two, Watkins has consistently found ways to put points on the board and has helped propel his team into the rankings while Georgia fell out of the rankings like a rock.

The other area that stands out to me is how Watkins has come up big in the biggest games.

Boise State and South Carolina represent the 52nd and 61st rushing defense respectively. It should be expected that Crowell would have decent days against them. Yet against Boise State, he had one of his worst days statistically.

Conversely, Florida State has the 19th rated pass defense, and that happens to be the game where Watkins averaged the most yards per catch (20.14) and scored two touchdowns.

When his team needed him most, he came up big.

There's a lot of football left to play and Crowell may prove down the stretch to be the better and more important player. Given the performances we have to work with to this point however, I have to say that Watkins has been the better frosh.