There will be hundreds of new players across the country joining college football teams this season and the very best of them will have the opportunity to make a substantial impact at the highest level right away. There is more pressure than ever on freshman players to live up to expectations from the outset and we have taken the time to come up with some interesting scenarios that we think will play out over the course of this season.
The college football season is quickly approaching and many are expecting the Michigan Wolverines and Alabama Crimson Tide to be two of the headline acts. The Crimson Tide are the championship favorites and it was reported today that the Wolverines have seen more action than any other team on the board. If they’re to truly step up and shine, a couple of their freshmen will have to make some noise. With that in mind, here is a look at four bold predictions for the top college football freshman in 2016.
Jacob Eason Will Set The SEC Freshman Passing Record
Bulldogs’ quarterbacks rank first, second and fifth on the SEC career passing list and the reality is that Jacob Eason could legitimately top all three of those passers when is all said and done. The 6’6’’, 217-pound passer has been talked about a lot for his potential to make Georgia a serious contender in the SEC and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he lived up to all of those expectations. Eason has all of the tools to put up big numbers from the outset at Georgia. There is a general assumption that the Bulldogs will rely on their ground game early on with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, but given that they have an easy schedule, they might decide to unleash Eason early on. It isn’t unreasonable to think that he can top former Bulldogs’ quarterback Quincy Carter’s true-freshman league record of 2,484 passing yards.
Rashan Gary Will Dominate With The Michigan Wolverines
The No. 1 overall prospect from the 2016 recruiting class arrives at Michigan with massive expectations and will look to follow in the footsteps of Jadeveon Clowney, Dorial Green-Beckham, Robert Nkemdiche and Leonard Fournette with productive freshman seasons. Ryan Glasnow and Maurice Hurst Jr. combined for 11.5 tackles for loss last year but Gary could easily work his way in to the mix as a dominant force that demands more snaps as the season progresses. The 6’4’’, 287-pound tackle will be a disruptive force against both the run and pass and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he emerged as a dominant force on the Wolverines’ defensive line in his freshman college football season.
Nick Bosa Will Top Joey Bosa’s Freshman Sack Total
Bosa will begin his freshman season behind Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis on the Buckeyes’ depth chart at defensive end where he will have the opportunity to be a third-down specialist. That will mean pinning his ears back and getting after the quarterback on every single snap and the 6’4’’, 265-pounder is ready for the role. Bosa has all of the tools to be an elite edge rusher and we fully expect him to shine for Ohio State in 2016 as he looks to top the 7.5 sacks that his brother Joey Bosa recorded for the Buckeyes in his freshman college football season back in 2013. Ohio State plays in the rough and tumble Big Ten, which means he’ll have plenty of opportunity to get in the trenches and mix it up.
Ben Davis Will Shine For The Alabama Crimson Tide
The son of Alabama’s all-time tackles leader, Ben Davis, arrives at the school chasing his father’s record this season. The Crimson Tide’s front-seven is still ridiculously deep but Davis is one of two highly coveted linebackers the team added and Nick Saban will give him every opportunity to prove he can play big minutes right away. Davis will compete with Tim Williams, Ryan Anderson, Reuben Foster and Shaun Dion Hamilton among others but if he performs to his potential when he gets his chance he should dominate for Alabama as a freshman in the 2016 college football season.
