Fans and analysts rave about five-star true freshmen joining the college football ranks, but in actuality, very few become consistent contributors, let alone starters. However, predicting who those players are isn’t as easy as simply looking at the top recruits in the nation.
Here are 10 true freshmen we believe will have the highest ratings in EA Sports College Football 25.
Projecting the Top 10 Highest-Rated True Freshmen in EA Sports College Football 25
There may be higher-rated true freshmen than those who grace the bottom of this list, but we emphasized the players who will see the field most often in 2024. Additionally, recruits who were unable to participate in spring camp, such as Alabama WR Ryan Williams and Michigan RB Jordan Marshall, could rise into the top 10 prior to the season kicking off.
10) Elija Lofton, TE, Miami Hurricanes
Elija Lofton set social media ablaze with a jaw-dropping one-handed catch in the spring, but he’s more than a one-play highlight reel. The 6’3″ and 230-pound tight end spent time at multiple positions, including tight end, running back, fullback, and wide receiver. He compared his playstyle to Deebo Samuel, serving as a do-it-all offensive weapon.
Although Lofton was the Hurricanes’ eighth-ranked recruit in the 2024 class, he has presumably played his way into the two-deep depth chart.
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding freshman tight end Elija Lofton this spring, he could carve a role in offensive packages this season. pic.twitter.com/HWfE4D1TGW
— Geo Milian (@GeoMilian) March 19, 2024
9) Micah Hudson, WR, Texas Tech Red Raiders
According to 247Sports, Micah Hudson is Texas Tech’s highest-ranked signee ever. He chose the Red Raiders over Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, and several other blueblood programs. His addition comes at an opportune time, as leading WRs Xavier White (NFL), Jerand Bradley (Boston College), and Myles Price (Indiana) are all gone.
Hudson generated over 3,500 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns in high school, and he has the frame (6’0″, 185 pounds) and movement skills to operate inside or outside from Day 1.
8) Jordan Seaton, OT, Colorado Buffaloes
Deion Sanders said the Buffaloes were going to make changes along the offensive line after the unit allowed 56 sacks last year (second most in the FBS), and they did. A major part of the revamp was landing five-star OT Jordan Seaton, who is slated to take over the left tackle job, protecting potential first-round QB Shedeur Sanders’ blindside.
Seaton was the consensus No. 1 offensive lineman in the class and will get to prove his mettle against Big 12 competition this season.
7) Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas Longhorns
At 6’3″ and 234 pounds with a shocking get-off and speed on the edge, Colin Simmons won’t be on the sidelines long in 2024. He’s a plug-and-play defender for Steve Sarkisian’s national championship-contending squad, and the Longhorns need his services to survive a daunting SEC schedule.
6) Dylan Raiola, QB, Nebraska Cornhuskers
It’s safe to say Matt Rhule and Co. want to forget their QB woes from last season — five-star true freshman Dylan Raiola will help them do just that.
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Raiola, the highest-ranked recruit to sign with Nebraska per 247Sports, is the frontrunner for the starting job and could be the only true freshman QB to be named a starter entering the season. He threw for 8,442 yards, 88 TDs, and 11 INTs over the last three seasons in high school and was the No. 2 signal-caller in the class.
5) Josiah Thompson, OT, South Carolina
Josiah Thompson seems to have secured a first-team spot on South Carolina’s offensive line in the spring. The 6’7″ and 300-pounder plays to his size as a mauling run blocker, but he also has the nimble feet and movement skills to mirror SEC pass rushers. He’ll take his punches in Year 1, and Thompson will dole them out as well.
4) DJ Lagway, QB, Florida
The only QB ranked higher than Raiola in the 2024 class was DJ Lagway. The Gators appear comfortable with Graham Mertz as the present starter, but Lagway is clearly the future, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he saw meaningful reps this season.
As a senior, he threw for 4,604 yards and 58 TDs to eight INTs, rushing for another 957 yards and 16 scores. Billy Napier won’t keep that talent on the bench for long.
3) Cam Coleman, WR, Auburn Tigers
Auburn’s leading pass catcher last season? TE Rivaldo Fairweather, with 394 yards and six TDs. All respect to Fairweather, who checked in at No. 1 on our 2024 SEC TE Rankings, but the Tigers were in desperate need of WR help.
Enter Cam Coleman.
Listed at 6’3″ and 188 pounds, the Alabama native is a size/speed threat that can thrive as a team’s X receiver. Will he be able to overcome QB concerns with Payton Thorne under center? That remains to be seen.
2) Ellis Robinson IV, CB, and KJ Bolden, S, Georgia Bulldogs
Cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safeties Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith all left Athens for the NFL this offseason, leaving the Bulldogs with turnover to navigate in the secondary. Five-star true freshmen CB Ellis Robinson IV and S KJ Bolden should factor into the mix right away.
Robinson shined early in camp, but Bolden was reportedly more consistent throughout the spring. Either way, both are physically gifted, have playmaking instincts, and will aid Georgia along its national title quest.
1) Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State Buckeyes
With the most first-round wide receivers in the NFL Draft over the last three years, including Marvin Harrison Jr. (2024), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (2023), and Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave (2022), Ohio State has as compelling an argument for WRU as anyone.
Returning WRs Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss are next off the conveyor belt, but the Buckeyes’ best WR could be true freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith.
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Head coach Ryan Day and WRs coach Brian Hartline have a tendency to reserve playing time for their veterans, but all Smith has done since stepping foot on campus is force their hand — he’s ready to torch secondaries now, and not just Ohio State’s first team at practice.
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