Sammy Watkins and the Best College Football Freshmen Seasons of All Time

Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins is having one of the better seasons for a freshmen in college football history.

Watkins has hauled in 43 passes for 978 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Watkins is one of the primary reasons why Clemson is having their dream season this year, giving Tajh Boyd a premier receiver.

Freshmen are not usually known for having great seasons, but there have been multiple times where they have put up some great numbers and led their teams to success.

The following list is in no particular order.

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: 2007

Bradford, while a redshirt freshmen, set the NCAA record for passing touchdowns by a freshmen at 36.

Bradford finished the season with 3,121 yards, 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also led the Sooners to a Big 12 Championship, but a loss to West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma: 2004

Peterson put together the absolute best season by a freshmen at any position in college football history. Like Bradford, Peterson set an NCAA record for freshmen.

Better yet he set three.

Peterson ran for 1,925, opened the season with nine straight 100+ yard games and finished with 997 Heisman points, the highest ever for a freshmen.

Peterson would finish the voting ahead of teammate and reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Jason White, but finished 328 points behind winner Matt Leinart.

Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech: 2007

Watkins has a lot more work to do to catch up to Crabtree's freshmen season. Granted Crabtree was a redshirt freshmen, he put together one of the best seasons by a receiver ever in Mike Leach's Air Raid offense.

Crabtree hauled in 134 receptions for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns. Pretty amazing, huh?

Marcus Dupree, Oklahoma: 1982

More famously known as "The Best That Never Was," Dupree dazzled as a freshmen, rushing for 1,144 yards and 13 touchdowns in the final eight games of the year.

Dupree entered Oklahoma as one of the most touted recruits ever and changed the game of college recruiting forever.

Dupree earned Second Team All-American honors and was also named to the All Big-Eight team.

Ron Dayne, Wisconsin: 1996

The NCAA's career rushing leader, the Dayne Train put together an impressive freshmen season in 1996.

Dayne, a 270-pound freshmen running back, rushed for 1,863 yards for the Wisconsin Badgers and played well in the Badgers' bowl game.

In the 1996 Cooper Bowl, Dayne rushed for 246 yards and led them to a 38-10 win over Utah.

Colt McCoy, Texas: 2006

A redshirt freshmen in 2006, McCoy was given his shot at Texas and replaced Vince Young behind center in Austin.

McCoy led the Longhorns to a 9-3 season, passed for 2,570 yards, 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

McCoy would go on to set the NCAA career wins record by a starting quarterback before Boise State's Kellen Moore broke it earlier this year.

Herschel Walker, Georgia: 1980

Walker, one of the greatest college players of all time, had an equally impressive season. Walker carried the ball 274 times for 1,616 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Walker's 1,616 yards and 15 touchdowns was a freshmen record at the time.

Walker would go on to win the Heisman in 1982 before leaving Georgia for the USFL after his junior year. At the time, the NFL would not accept juniors.