Top 10 true freshmen in college football history
Lately, with the rise of exceptions to extend athletic eligibility in the NCAA, seeing a top true freshman in college football is rare. Players often choose the eponymous redshirt year in order to lengthen their time in the NCAA and better develop their skills and character for the pro side of the game. However, we'll fall back on the record books to dig out some true freshman, with some exemptions for outstanding redshirt freshmen.
Ranking 10 Best College Football Freshmen Ever
Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston are some of the prominent names that appear in front of our eyes when we try to recall standout stars of the NCAA world. The list is quite long and dates back to the early 1980s, when prospects like Herschel Walker entered the arena.
#10 Herschel Walker-RB
Better known nowadays for his political association with Donald Trump, Herschel Walker was an RB at the University of Georgia. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 1982, but it was its first season that shocked everyone.
As a true freshman, he helped the Bulldogs win the National Championship versus Notre Dame in a game in which he ran for 150 yards and was named the MVP.
Previously, he became the first true freshman to earn All-American honors and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. He set the NCAA's freshman rushing record with 1616 yards.
#9 Sam Bradford-QB
A Heisman Trophy winner in 2008, 2007 was already showing Bradford's potential in his first season as a redshirt freshman in college football.
He set records for freshman QBs with 36 TDs and a 69.5% percentage. He also threw for an astonishing 3121 yards. The Sooners went 11-2, winning the Big 12, but falling in the Fiesta Bowl.
#8 Roberto Aguayo-K
It feels weird to add a kicker to any list of top players, besides Adam Vinatieri do you even remember any other kicker in the game? But Aguayo's 2013 season was really phenomenal.
As a true freshman in college football, he led the ACC in points with 157 (Which happens to be the record for points by a kicker in FBS in a single season), scored 21 out of 22 field goal attempts, and was a perfect 94-94 on extra points. In three seasons, he never missed an extra point.
#7 Adrian Peterson-RB
In 2004, Adrian Peterson was a true freshman in college football with the Sooners and he set the record for the most rushing yards for a freshman in NCAA's history (Walker's record had already been broken).
In that year, Peterson had nine consecutive games with over 100 yards and was named First Team All-Big 12, Unanimous All-American, Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, and Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year. He ran for 1925 yards and 15 TDs.
With 339 carries, he still holds the carry record in the FBS. In the Big 12 title win versus Colorado, he ran for 172 yards and three touchdowns. Sadly, in the Orange Bowl versus USC, Oklahoma would lose the title in a 55-19 defeat in which Peterson was held to 3.3 yards per carry.
#6 Jeremy Maclin-WR
As a freshman in college football with the Missouri Tigers, Jeremy Maclin set the all-purpose yardage freshman record in the NCAA. Maclin wasn't really a true freshman, since he had to redshirt in his first year due to an injury in the preseason.
But we'll give him a pass since it was out of control. In 2007, he was a Consensus All-American and the Big 12's Offensive Freshman of the Year. He had 2766 all-purpose yards that year.
#5 Luke Kuechly-LB
The only defensive player on this list, Kuechly had 158 tackles in his true freshman season in college football with Boston College. That was the second most by any player that year.
He had 13 tackles in a game versus Clemson and at least 10 in 9 out of 10 games. Paired with 13 tackles for a loss and an interception return for a touchdown, he had a really good season with the Eagles. He was the ACC's Defensive Rookie of the Year. He would later prove his mettle as a rookie in the NFL.
4# Marcus Dupree-RB
Marcus played under future Super Bowl-winning Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer, who described him as the best player on the Sooner's 1982 roster. Dupree features high on the list for how much he achieved in so little time.
He wasn't the starter until the seventh game of the season, and nonetheless, he ran for 1144 yards and 13 TDs. He was a second-team All-American, first-team All-Big Eight, and Big Eight Newcomer of the Year.
3# Ron Dayne-RB
The fact is that Ron Dayne should hold the FBS record for most rushing yards by a freshman, sadly, before 2002, bowl statistics didn't count towards NCAA records.
Even with that, his 1863 rushing yards in 1996 rank third. If we count his bowl statistics, he has 2109 yards with 21 TDs, which puts him head and shoulders above anyone else.
He accounted for 45% of Wisconsin's points that year and had 133 receiving yards. Take into account that he wasn't the starter for the first four games of the season. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Copper Bowl MVP in a season in which he single-handedly carried the Badgers to an 8-5 record.
#2 Jameis Winston-QB
Winston wasn't a true freshman, but again, we are making an exemption for him to enter the list since he was the second freshman ever to win the Heisman. Also because he led the Seminoles to a 14-0 record, won their first national title in thirteen years, and set an FBS freshman passing record of 4057 yards with 40 TDs. If you ask us, that's impressive enough, redshirt or not.
#1 Johnny Manziel-QB
The man, the legend Johnny Football happens to hold the top spot in this extensive list. Before him, it seemed impossible for any freshman to win the Heisman.
For this reason alone, Manziel earns the top spot. He set an FBS total offensive yards record with 5116, with 3706 passing yards and 26 TDs, and 1410 rushing yards and 21 TDs.
Honors came pouring down, Heisman, Davey O'Brien, and Manning awards, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, consensus All-American; and First Team All-SEC. You name it, he's got it.
With an 11-2 record, a No. 5 finish in the AP poll, and a victory over eventual national champions Alabama, Manziel's redshirt freshman season was the stuff of dreams, and it completely redrew the picture about what freshmen were able to achieve.