We’ve reached the point of the season where we have a good idea of which teams are contenders and which are pretenders, which puts us in an interesting position regarding freshman playing time. The truly elite first-year players will see their roles increase, while a few teams have had injuries that will test their depth.
There are a few freshmen in key matchups, and for the most part, those are the ones we’ll focus on in this fifth installment of College Football Network’s Freshmen To Watch list.
Top 10 Impact Freshmen in Week 5
10) Malaki Ta’ase, IDL, New Mexico State
Malaki Ta’ase has put together an excellent freshman season and gets a chance to make his mark against rival New Mexico in what could be an ugly but entertaining matchup.
He’s an extremely undersized interior defensive lineman who can really get after the quarterback. He hasn’t racked up any sacks yet this season, but Saturday could be an opportunity to put together an excellent showing against a weaker offensive front.
9) Elijah Green, CB, Tulsa
Elijah Green was thrust into an already young secondary when a few other players went down, and he’s played really well in his first two games. Saturday, he and the Golden Hurricanes have a huge game against North Texas that could have huge bowl implications.
North Texas wants to throw the ball all over the field, which the Mean Green have done well this season. Green will have plenty of opportunities in coverage, and it will be interesting to see how he does in that spot.
8) Sione I Moa, RB, BYU
Sione I Moa wasn’t expected to contribute much this season, but a slew of injuries to running backs ahead of him on the depth chart opened the door for Moa, and he took it and ran with it. BYU is one of the surprising undefeated teams and Moa will continue to get touches as long as the Cougars continue to face tough defenses, which they’ll do against a reeling Baylor team on Saturday.
7) Fluff Bothwell, RB, South Alabama
I tried to tell everybody about Fluff Bothwell, and he ran all over a terrible Appalachian State defense last Thursday. While the LSU Tigers represent a step up in overall competition, the defensive front hasn’t been great this season, especially against the run.
Expect Bothwell to more than hold his own against an SEC power. I hope the game script goes like LSU’s last few games, where the underdog has hung around for a few quarters, because then we’d get to see more of Bothwell running the ball.
6) Isaac Wilson, QB, Utah
At this point, I’d just assume Isaac Wilson is the starter at Utah until we see Cam Rising on the field actually playing the game. Wilson has played well this season, and he’s done a lot of his damage against quality defenses in Baylor and Oklahoma State.
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Assuming he’s the guy on Saturday, Wilson gets a chance to face a much less threatening defense in the Arizona Wildcats. Is this the game he gets to air it out and put up some big numbers?
5) Michael Hawkins Jr., QB, Oklahoma
Jackson Arnold was the guy for the Sooners until the staff finally pulled the plug midway through the Tennessee game. Michael Hawkins Jr. came in and played really well, probably well enough to earn the starting job. Hawkins’ skill set is very different from Arnold’s, so it will be interesting to see what the offensive staff can cook up against Auburn after a week with Hawkins getting most of the first-team reps.
4) Jordan Lyle, RB, Miami
Jordan Lyle has provided a spark to the Miami offense as the third running back on the depth chart. Even if he’s not seeing the field much, he’s still putting up impressive numbers, highlighted by a 104-yard night Saturday against South Florida.
Lyle has home-run speed, and that was on full display as he set the school record for the longest rushing touchdown on a 91-yard scamper late in the South Florida game. Friday, he plays a Virginia Tech team that has been susceptible to the run.
3) Ryan Wingo, WR, Texas
After Quinn Ewers left the UTSA game with an oblique injury, Arch Manning entered and immediately targeted Ryan Wingo, who is a true deep threat.
I wondered if he would see more action with Manning under center against UL Monroe, and it seems that Manning’s turn at quarterback includes more snaps for Wingo. The true freshman should be an integral part of the Texas offense going forward.
2) Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama
If Alabama wins the national championship in January, I hope Ryan Williams can borrow a victory cigar from a friend, seeing as he won’t turn 18 until February. It’s remarkable that he’s this young and playing college football but even more remarkable that he’s doing so at a high level.
Williams is averaging over 23 yards per target and has four touchdowns this season as he’s been completely unguardable through three games. Saturday, he gets a strong Georgia defense on the national stage.
1) KJ Bolden, S, Georgia
KJ Bolden has quietly been one of the best defensive backs in the SEC this year, but I’m not sure how quiet he’ll be now that the Bulldogs enter the meat of their brutal SEC schedule. In what could be one of the games of the year, Bolden faces off against Williams and an Alabama passing offense that is just starting to hit its stride.
Expect Bolden to make a big play or two against the Crimson Tide as they won’t be afraid to air it out and test his coverage skills.
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