Top College Football Freshmen: Best of the 2015-16 NCAA Season

Another year, another brand new batch of doe-eyed freshmen arrive in their chosen schools with dreams of being the next big men on campus. The highly-touted recruits come with a lot of expectations, but not all teenagers can cope with that pressure. However, these 10 first-year players look to have the talent and the situation to succeed immediately.

Read on as we list down the 10 best incoming freshmen of the 2015-15 college football season. Meanwhile, check out our lists of the best sophomores, juniors and seniors for the year.
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Top 10 Freshmen of the 2015-16 College Football Season

10. Iman Marshall, DB, USC

[sc:NCAA240banner ]The consensus top cornerback in the 2015 class, Iman Mashall is a shutdown corner in waiting. He’s got the blend of size, speed and physicality to mix it up with the top receivers in the Pac-12. But Marshall won’t be lined up with opposing teams’ No. 1’s just yet, not with Adoree Jackson and senior Kevon Seymour still on campus.

However, that’s horrible news for the overmatched third- or fourth- receivers he’ll be taking out of the game all season. Good luck throwing against the Trojans this year, Pac-12!

9. Mitch Hyatt, OT, Clemson

It’s an incredibly risky move to start an 18-year-old freshman at left tackle. Mitch Hyatt, who’s in line to start there for +150 ACC championship favorites Clemson this season, isn’t like most 18-year-olds, though. Hyatt is a five-star recruit who was pancaking some impressive competition back in high school.

Hyatt will have the enormous responsibility of protecting quarterback and sophomore star Deshaun Watson, who’s coming off a torn ACL last season, but he has all the talent to take good care of the Tigers’ main man.

8. Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan

Jabrill Peppers didn’t get a chance to show off the talent that made him the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2014 class, according to Rivals.com, after he was limited to just three games due to two separate leg injuries last season.

The redshirt freshman intends to shift positions this year – from corner to safety, and apparently some offense too – and he’ll have a heck of a coach in Jim Harbaugh to guide him through that transition in Ann Arbor. Michigan’s defense was already pretty solid last season – they were No. 7 in total defense (311 yards allowed per game) – and should only get better with Peppers’ return.

7. Kahlil McKenzie, DT, Tennessee

Wonder why there’s significant hype with the Tennessee Volunteers this year? It’s because of head coach Butch Jones’s ability to recruit the likes of Kahlil McKenzie, the No. 1 defensive tackle prospect in this year’s class according to Rivals.com, to Knoxville.

McKenzie, who had 12 sacks and 74 tackles as a high school junior, will have a steep learning curve in the SEC, but he’ll have a nice unit around him. The 6-3, 327-pounder will be a big part (literally and figuratively) of a deep and talented Tennessee defensive line that will look to lift the Vols higher in the SEC.

6. Trent Thompson, DT, Georgia

Trent Thompson will get the chance to prove why he was the No. 1 overall recruit according to 247Sports’ composite rankings almost immediately this season. The 6-4, 307-pound defensive tackle is primed to see some significant playing time in Georgia’s defensive line after a couple of key offseason departures.

With Thompson’s ability to plug running holes (he had 84 total tackles as a senior last season) and to get into the backfield (he had 12.0 sacks in 2013-14), he’s got the tools to make the Bulldogs’ defense so much better this year.

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5. Byron Cowart, DE, Auburn

There’s a lot of hype that comes with being the No. 1-ranked recruit in the nation, which is what Byron Cowart is this year, according to Rivals.com. The 6-3, 227-pound pass rusher has the tools to be a star, and he’ll need to be for the Tigers to make good on their +1,200 odds to win the national championship this year.

Thankfully for Cowart, he’ll also have the perfect coach in Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to help him make an immediate impact in that Tigers defense.

4. Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas

The crown jewel of Texas’s recruiting class, Malik Jefferson will be under a lot of pressure to lift the once-great program back to prominence. The top outside linebacker recruit in the country should definitely help make a Longhorns defense, led by defensive guru Charlie Strong, which was already pretty good last season, even better. Texas limited Big 12 opponents to just 23.4 points per game, second-best in the conference.

3. Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Despite the uncertainty at the quarterback position, one thing’s for sure with Alabama’s passing game: freshman Calvin Ridley will be a big part of it. The top receiving recruit in the nation will step into a Bama receiving corps that not only lost Amari Cooper, but also their other top two receivers from last season.

Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin transformed Bama into a more pass-oriented offense last season. That likely means Ridley, who had 1,131 yards and 12 touchdowns in his last full year of high school ball in 2013, will get his share of touches this year.

2. Martez Ivey, OT, Florida

Martez Ivey picked Florida over Auburn, and thank goodness he did because what would the Gators’ offensive line situation be without the No. 1 offensive lineman recruit in the country? Florida lost so much talent up front during the offseason, and will return just one starter (senior Trip Thurman) from last year.

Not only should Ivey start right away, but he’ll also bring a much-needed dose of quality – even as a freshman – to an O-line that will essentially be starting from scratch this year.

1. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

The ingredients are there for Josh Rosen to succeed as a freshman at UCLA. The young quarterback will be playing behind an experienced offensive line that returns all five starters, as well as top rusher Paul Perkins.

There’s also the small matter of Rosen’s immense talent, which landed him all the way up to No. 2 in Rivals.com’s overall ranking of this year’s recruits. As a senior at St. John Bosco (Calif.) High, Rosen passed for 3,186 yards with 29 touchdowns and only four interceptions. And as a freshman, the Bruins’ +3,500 odds of winning the national championship rest squarely on his young but capable shoulders.
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