One of the most interesting elements of college football is the cyclical nature of the sport. It seems like as soon as a player arrives and reaches their peak potential for a program, they are already close to moving on to the NFL and will need to be replaced by the next wave of talent. Some college football teams are hit harder than others and as a result, they are forced to rely more heavily on younger players. Here is a look at the top four college football teams that will have to rely the most on freshman players this season.
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide have consistently landed some of the top recruiting classes over the years and Nick Saban’s ability to keep the cupboard stocked with talent has been a major factor in their success. Alabama was hit again following its latest national title win with key losses including Heisman trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry and massive defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, among others. As a result, Saban will need to rely on that many more young players to factor in to his plans. The Tide don’t rebuild; they reload. Alabama secured the top recruiting class for 2016, including a pair of five-star linebackers in Ben Davis and Lyndell Wilson, and both players should see significant playing time immediately. The Tide will also turn to redshirt freshman Blake Barnett to replace Jake Coker at quarterback. Bo Scarborough will get the first shot at replacing Henry, but four-star tailback B.J. Emmons could challenge for significant touches in his freshman season. Alabama will have arguably the most talented class of freshman for 2016 and they will rely heavily on them this season as they look to defend their SEC and national titles.
Clemson Tigers
The ACC champion and national title runner-up has also been forced to retool following a breakthrough season and that means a number of freshmen being forced in to significant playing time. The nation’s No. 2 overall recruit defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence is set to play big minutes along with linebackers Tre Lamar and Rahshaun Smith. Cornerback Trayvon Mullen and safety Isaiah Thomas are also candidates to start right away for a Tigers’ defense that returns only three starters from last season. Clemson’s offense remains loaded with playmakers led by quarterback Deshaun Watson, but they will be very green on the defensive side of the football with a significant need for their freshman players to step up and play at a high level.
Michigan State Spartans
The defending Big Ten champion Spartans will be in tough trying to hold off Ohio State and Michigan this season with just nine returning starters including only three on offense. Michigan State signed a 19-member recruiting class that ranked among the nation’s top 25 with a focus on filling major holes at wide receiver and defensive end. Receivers Donnie Corley, Cameron Chambers and Justin Layne could all get early looks on offense while four-star defensive end Josh King should be a lock to play significant minutes at defensive end. The competition level will make retooling that much more difficult in the Big Ten, but Mark Dantonio has done a tremendous job recruiting. If their freshmen players can excel, then the Spartans will have a shot at defending their Big Ten crown in 2016.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The good news for Michigan State is that Ohio State will have plenty of fresh faces in their lineup as well as they look to bounce back following last year’s disappointment. Urban Meyer is 50-4 as the Buckeyes’ head coach and has done a tremendous job when it comes to both recruiting and developing his young players. However, he has dealt with some significant personnel loss this offseason with stars that won’t be easy to replace. Defensive end Joey Bosa could very well be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft while running back Ezekiel Elliott, wide receivers Braxton Miller and Michael Thomas, as well as linebackers Joshua Perry and Darron Lee all have the potential to be first-round picks. Ohio State will have 44 freshmen compared to just six seniors on their roster when the season kicks off next fall and that means they will need to rely heavily on their young stars in 2016.
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