Amazingly, we’re nearly halfway through the college football regular season and there are more freshmen contributing than can be counted in a single article. Accordingly, from here on out, I’ll be focusing on matchups when it comes to listing and breaking down impact freshmen.
There are a few true freshmen in key matchups, and for the most part, those are the ones we’ll focus on in this sixth installment of College Football Network’s Freshmen To Watch list.
Top 10 Impact Freshmen in Week 6
10) Nick Marsh, WR, Michigan State
Michigan State’s hot start has been slowed by a brutal stretch of schedule, and that’s the case for receiver Nick Marsh as well. He missed the game against Boston College and wasn’t a real factor against Ohio State, but Oregon’s defense has been susceptible to big plays, and Marsh has the ability to produce those. He’s in a Friday matchup with a lot of eyes on him.
9) Micah Ford, RB, Stanford
After running for just 14 yards in the first two games, Micah Ford started to see more reps against Syracuse and had a breakout game against Clemson. The emergence of an actual running back in the running game will really help the Cardinal, as it’s been mostly up to quarterback Ashton Daniels to create yardage both through the air and on the ground.
He has a matchup with a Virginia Tech team that has been susceptible to the run at times this season.
8) Danny O’Neil, QB, San Diego State
I’ve included Danny O’Neil on this list a few times this season but foolishly left him off last week ahead of his best game as a college player. O’Neil has a favorable matchup against a porous Hawaii defense. Expect him to help an improving San Deigo State offense in its Mountain West opener. This could be the game we really see Sean Lewis open up the playbook.
7) Malcolm Simmons, WR, Auburn
Malcolm Simmons was the fourth-highest-rated wide receiver in Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class, but he’s the one who has really come on as a true No. 1 receiver as of late. Simmons is succeeding despite playing in a largely dysfunctional offense. He’ll have a tough matchup, but an opportunity to raise his profile against Georgia.
6) Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville
Isaac Brown took over as the primary ball-carrier in a four-part backfield last week against Notre Dame, and he looks like the most explosive of Louisville’s running backs. This week, he has a favorable matchup with SMU in which he could really have a nice game. He’s averaged over eight yards a carry, aided by an explosive 77-yard touchdown in Week 1, and this could be the week he becomes a consistent contributor.
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5) CJ Bailey, QB, NC State
Let’s get it out of the way early. Yes, CJ Bailey was the quarterback at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, the same school as Jeremiah Smith, who resides later on this list. Bailey was thrust into the starting job a few weeks ago after Grayson McCall went down, but this is one of his better opportunities to shine after a matchup with Clemson and a game on the CW.
Wake Forest has some serious defensive issues, and NC State has the wide receiver talent to exploit those.
4) Dylan Stewart, Edge, South Carolina
It’s been a quiet few weeks for the South Carolina edge rusher after he burst onto the scene in Weeks 1 and 2. He has a really favorable matchup with two bigger offensive tackles for Ole Miss, and he should be able to use his speed-to-power moves to really cause havoc and get after Jaxson Dart. If Stewart has a huge game, Ole Miss is on upset alert.
3) Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Smith got little national attention last week despite two incredible one-handed catches mostly because of the things Ryan Williams did to Georgia shortly after, but Smith remains one of the top receivers in the country, regardless of age. Smith is talented enough that he could probably sit out the next two years and still go on Day 1 of the NFL Draft. For our viewing purposes, let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
2) KJ Bolden, S, Georgia
Safeties have feasted against Auburn’s struggling passing attack, and KJ Bolden will have the chance on Saturday to bounce back from a difficult game against the Crimson Tide. Bolden should be in a position to pick off his first career pass and he’ll also be called upon in run support as well.
1) 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. On Saturday, he introduced himself to the college football world at large as one of the best players on a field full of future NFL players.
Williams is the only player in college football right now who runs like some of the players run on EA Sports College Football 25, and the things he can do after the catch are truly special. Against Vanderbilt, he’ll once again have the opportunity to do something spectacular as he quietly mounts a dark-horse Heisman case.
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