The past college football season was marked by an impressive freshman season from a quarterback, Jalen Hurts, who reached the national title game and scored a go-ahead touchdown inside the final two and a half minutes. Hurts made plenty of mistakes, but for a freshman, he played well in his first season. In 2012, Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, and in 2013, Jameis Winston of Florida State became the second. Which new recruits will step onto the gridiron as freshmen and immediately make a difference for their teams this season, bearing the early enrollee?
Cam Akers, Florida State Seminoles
The fact that Florida State just lost a legendary running back, Dalvin Cook, means that after several seasons in which that position was held down largely by one player and one player alone, there will be fresh competition for the starting spot and a need for someone to claim the role with authority. The best bet could be a freshman, Akers, who was the focus of a ferocious recruiting battle between the Seminoles and Ole Miss. Probably influenced by NCAA sanctions and a continuing investigation of potential violations in Mississippi, Akers make the reasonable (and probably wise) decision to go to Florida State. He could become a special college football player right off the bat.
Najee Harris, Alabama Crimson Tide
The running back who could outshine Akers is Harris. Alabama seems to have a factory where stud running backs are produced. Bo Scarbrough was the hero of the Tide’s run to the national championship game last season, but he had plenty of help from other running backs on the team. In the 2017 running back rotation, Harris could be the breakout star as a newcomer. The big advantage he has is that as a player coming out of high school, he has not been through the SEC grind. Running backs can become less productive the more they get hit. Harris has not absorbed college hits the way his new teammates have in recent SEC seasons.
On another note, it will be interesting to see what the Tide do at offensive coordinator. The rumor has been that they’ve been looking at a coach who’ll bring a spread offense and possibly up-tempo, which could be a little bit different for them. Harris will have to fit in that role.
Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State Buckeyes
When the Buckeyes try to avenge their loss against Penn State, a team which developed a very strong passing game in the latter half of the 2016 college football season, they will need top-quality cornerbacks. Given that Ohio State lost both of its starting quarterbacks from last season, and since safety Malik Hooper also chose to leave early for the NFL Draft, coach Urban Meyer will definitely need reinforcements, so Okudah is in prime position to not only play a lot, but to be counted on to provide next-level playmaking in the defensive backfield – against Penn State and every other team OSU faces in the 2017 college football season.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines have had the offensive line and the quarterback. What they have needed the past few seasons was a dynamic bunch of receivers who could change the game either with speed or size. Peoples-Jones is expected to be the speed receiver who can relentlessly get open and then make defenders miss in the open field. Michigan is thought to have scored big on the recruiting trail at receiver, so as long as another receiver can thrive on the other side of the field, Peoples-Jones should get all sorts of chances to make his mark on the Michigan offense in the 2017 college football season.
Shawn Robinson, TCU Horned Frogs
The Kenny Hill quarterback experiment at TCU was a disaster in 2016. Even though Hill returns, TCU would certainly like to look around for options under center and see if a better alternative can’t be found. Robinson, with a complete package of skills on paper, could become the Horned Frogs’ new hope and the program’s answer to what Trevone Boykin was two and three seasons ago.
Click here to bet on the college football futures for the 2017 season right now. DSI has all of the latest lines, spreads and props for this week’s action!
