To make it to the national championship game last year, both Alabama and Notre Dame relied on key contributions from true freshmen. For the Tide it was wide receiver Amari Cooper and running back T.J. Yeldon, two of A.J. McCarronās best weapons all season who dominated in the title game. For the Irish it was cornerback KeiVarae Russell, who started the entire season, and defensive lineman Sheldon Day, who contributed to one of the best defensive line rotations in the country.
As we look forward to the season, which schools have a youth movement capable of making an impact on the BCS title hunt?
Note: Weāre only counting true freshmen.
Derrick Henry and O.J. Howard, Alabama ā The Tide are stacked at running back with a lot of talented depth behind Yeldon, but Henry is a special talent that is the most prolific high school rusher of all time. I would guess that Nick Saban will be able to find a place for him near the top of the depth chart, especially with Eddie Lacy heading to the pros. In Howard you have the best tight end in the nation and Rivalsā No. 16 overall recruit. (Henry and Howard were both early enrollees and participated in spring practices, another advantage for the two heralded recruits.) A potential offensive set with Yeldon, Henry, Cooper, Howard and incoming blue-chip receiver Robert Foster should terrify opposing defenses.
Ricky Seals-Jones and Sebastian Larue, Texas A&M ā The Aggies bring back Johnny Manziel to orchestrate Kevin Sumlinās offense, but theyāll need to replace a lot of production on the outside, as receivers Ryan Swope and Uzoma Nwachukwu have moved on to the NFL. Enter Seals-Jones and Larue, among a few options arriving in College Station that could find themselves as targets for Manziel. Seals-Jones, a 6-5 Texas native, is the big outside presence while the 5-10 Larue, a Los Angeles prospect, could be devastating in the slot.
Kelvin Taylor and DeMarcus Robinson, Florida ā The Florida offense was not aesthetically pleasing last year, but no one could deny the effectiveness of workhorse tailback Mike Gillislee. Gillislee is gone, meaning the door is now open for Taylor, one of the top running back prospects in the nation and the son of former Gator and NFL star Fred Taylor. A potential blessing for the woeful passing attack (118[SUP]th[/SUP] in the country last year) comes in the form of Robinson, a Georgia native and one of Rivals' top five wide receiver prospects. You could also easily go with cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, the No. 2 two prospect in the nation, but focusing on the renovation of the Gator offense seems like a safe bet.
Robert Nkemdiche and Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss ā While Ole Miss would need an almost miraculous leap to be in contention for the national title, the fact they take on both Alabama and A&M means their collection of shiny new blue-chip talent will have two chances to alter the national scene with major upsets. Nkemdiche is a monster, a 6ā5ā defensive end out of Georgia who doubles as the No. 1 overall recruit in the country. Can we expect him to flirt with Jadeveon Clowney's rookie numbers(eight sacks, five forced fumbles, 12 tackles for loss), or is that a little too ambitious? On the other side of the ball is Treadwell, the best receiving prospect in the nation, who should add another dynamic to Hugh Freezeās hurry-up offense.
Other duo's not in the SEC...
As we look forward to the season, which schools have a youth movement capable of making an impact on the BCS title hunt?
Note: Weāre only counting true freshmen.
Derrick Henry and O.J. Howard, Alabama ā The Tide are stacked at running back with a lot of talented depth behind Yeldon, but Henry is a special talent that is the most prolific high school rusher of all time. I would guess that Nick Saban will be able to find a place for him near the top of the depth chart, especially with Eddie Lacy heading to the pros. In Howard you have the best tight end in the nation and Rivalsā No. 16 overall recruit. (Henry and Howard were both early enrollees and participated in spring practices, another advantage for the two heralded recruits.) A potential offensive set with Yeldon, Henry, Cooper, Howard and incoming blue-chip receiver Robert Foster should terrify opposing defenses.
Ricky Seals-Jones and Sebastian Larue, Texas A&M ā The Aggies bring back Johnny Manziel to orchestrate Kevin Sumlinās offense, but theyāll need to replace a lot of production on the outside, as receivers Ryan Swope and Uzoma Nwachukwu have moved on to the NFL. Enter Seals-Jones and Larue, among a few options arriving in College Station that could find themselves as targets for Manziel. Seals-Jones, a 6-5 Texas native, is the big outside presence while the 5-10 Larue, a Los Angeles prospect, could be devastating in the slot.
Kelvin Taylor and DeMarcus Robinson, Florida ā The Florida offense was not aesthetically pleasing last year, but no one could deny the effectiveness of workhorse tailback Mike Gillislee. Gillislee is gone, meaning the door is now open for Taylor, one of the top running back prospects in the nation and the son of former Gator and NFL star Fred Taylor. A potential blessing for the woeful passing attack (118[SUP]th[/SUP] in the country last year) comes in the form of Robinson, a Georgia native and one of Rivals' top five wide receiver prospects. You could also easily go with cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, the No. 2 two prospect in the nation, but focusing on the renovation of the Gator offense seems like a safe bet.
Robert Nkemdiche and Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss ā While Ole Miss would need an almost miraculous leap to be in contention for the national title, the fact they take on both Alabama and A&M means their collection of shiny new blue-chip talent will have two chances to alter the national scene with major upsets. Nkemdiche is a monster, a 6ā5ā defensive end out of Georgia who doubles as the No. 1 overall recruit in the country. Can we expect him to flirt with Jadeveon Clowney's rookie numbers(eight sacks, five forced fumbles, 12 tackles for loss), or is that a little too ambitious? On the other side of the ball is Treadwell, the best receiving prospect in the nation, who should add another dynamic to Hugh Freezeās hurry-up offense.
Other duo's not in the SEC...
