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As we approach the fantasy college football season approaches, RotoBaller will be your one-stop shop for everything college football-related. As opportunities to play daily fantasy sports and season-long fantasy expand, we will investigate some of the top freshman players to keep an eye on for your fantasy leagues to keep you ahead of the competition.
Every year, young stars make their mark in college football. As a freshman at Clemson, quarterback Trevor Lawrence led the Tigers to the National Championship and his fair share of national recognition.
In this article, we take a look at some of the top freshman fantasy players to monitor at each position to prepare you for the 2021 college football season.
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Quarterbacks
CJ Stroud was recently announced as the starter for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the expectations will be high from the outset. Stroud, a highly ranked member of the class of 2020, maintained his freshman eligibility after making just one appearance last season - a 48-yard touchdown run. The Rancho Cucamonga, California, native beat out three similarly highly-touted quarterbacks for the starting role, so any sign of floundering could lead to a quick exit. Stroud's fantasy value will come from his deep stable of wide receivers - Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson both decided to pass up possible first-round draft pick opportunities to return to school - and his ability to scramble for extra yards at the end of a play. Coach Ryan Day has hopes of competing for a national title, and Stroud will hope to help him achieve that goal.
When Bryce Young committed to Alabama, recruiting prognosticators penciled him in over Mac Jones last year before camp, but it was Jones who won the job and ended up as a first-round draft pick for the New England Patriots. With Jones departed, Young is the unquestioned starter in Tuscaloosa as a redshirt freshman. Young stands at only 5-foot-11, but the top-ranked quarterback in the class of 2020 brings a strong dual-threat pedigree and an underappreciated arm. Coach Nick Saban's last three starting quarterbacks (Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts & Mac Jones) are all in position to start some games for their respective NFL teams this season, and the hope is that Young can develop into the next NFL quarterback in the mold of a smaller athlete like Russell Wilson.
Notre Dame has the unenviable task of replacing eight offensive starters, including four offensive linemen and their longtime star quarterback Ian Book. Book's proficiency and knack for the big regular season win will be missed in South Bend, Indiana, but the team brought in Wisconsin transfer Jack Coan to fill the gap year. Coan has a rather mediocre track record at Wisconsin and was passed up on the depth chart by Graham Mertz, leading to the transfer. Coach Brian Kelly, keeping his options open, also went out and recruited four-star freshman Tyler Buchner to compete for the job and to push Coan. During his junior season of high school in California, Buchner threw for 53 touchdowns and added a staggering 28 more scores on the ground. If Coan is to falter, Buchner would appear to be a strong option to monitor in fantasy circles.
Running Backs
Travis Etienne had a storied career as the Clemson running back, but finally departed alongside his quarterback Trevor Lawrence to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL. Lyn-J Dixon is the immediate successor, with sophomore Kobe Pace pushing him in spring camp, but true freshman Will Shipley is one of the most highly anticipated recruits of coach Dabo Swinney's tenure and brings a skillset that will be difficult to keep off the field. Shipley has been clocked at a fast 4.46-second 40-yard dash, and combines great field vision with soft hands that will allow the Tigers to use him as a receiving threat as well to compliment Dixon and Pace. Don't be surprised if Shipley takes a stranglehold on the running back spot by the end of the year.
Ohio State had an embarrassment of riches last season in the backfield with Master Teague III and Trey Sermon. Sermon moved onto the NFL and will be likely replaced by TreVeyon Henderson, a five-star true freshman who has been turning heads ever since he stepped on campus in Columbus. Teague brings a veteran presence and 1,409 career rushing yards, but he has never played the role of the sole top dog on the depth chart. Henderson will get opportunities against quality competition early on - Ohio State hosts Oregon in Week 2 - that will go a long way to showing whether or not he can follow in the long lineage of star Buckeye running backs.
Wide Receivers
If you want to feel old, take a look at Ohio State's roster and you'll see a familiar name - Marvin Harrison Jr. The son of former Colts star and Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, Junior is a 6-foot-3 wide receiver that played prep ball in Philadelphia and comes to Ohio State with plenty of prestige. The four-star recruit caught all seven targets thrown his way during the Buckeyes' spring game and has developed a strong rapport with fellow freshman quarterback CJ Stroud. He'll be competing with Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to carve out an early role behind the two Buckeye star receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. The wide receiver room is very deep, but Harrison Jr. has the talent to emerge as a credible red zone threat.
Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield has his hands full replacing longtime starting quarterback Brady White, as well as receiver Tahj Washington via transfer to USC. The quarterback competition to replace White has been fierce with former Arizona transfer Grant Gunnell seemingly in the lead until a recent injury, and competing for reps with LSU transfer Peter Parrish and freshmen Seth Henigan and Keilon Brown. No matter who is throwing the ball, Silverfield was sure to go out and get some weapons to help ease the transition by the way of freshman receiver Roc Taylor. Memphis beat out the hometown program Ole Miss, which was one of six SEC programs to offer a scholarship to Taylor, to get the 6-foot-2 receiver on campus. Taylor should slot in behind star receiver Calvin Austin and tight end Sean Dykes as an immediate difference maker for the Tigers.
Lincoln Riley is known as a quarterback whisperer, but he's done a fairly good job at developing receivers of late. Last year's breakout freshman Marvin Mims was buried on the depth chart during camp only to lead the team with 610 yards and nine touchdowns. This year's true freshman, Mario Williams, comes in with a higher pedigree and big opportunity to be a top target for Heisman trophy favorite Spencer Rattler. Williams is a speedy 5-foot-11 receiver with a football IQ that far surpasses most eighteen-year-olds. With fellow receiver Charleston Rambo having transferred to Miami (Florida), Williams should have an opportunity alongside Theo Wease as a top-3 receiver in Riley's high-flying pass-happy offense.
Tight Ends
The tight end position is typically a spot where it takes a few years to develop into a consistent player, but there are a few freshmen who have immediate paths to playing time and advanced physicality for their age that should help them compete. At Pitt, the tight end position has been disastrous under coach Pat Narduzzi's guidance. The team has brought in five graduate transfers in the past five years to serve as stop-gaps, largely unsuccessfully. The last objectively good tight end for Pitt was Scott Orndoff, who torched Clemson in the 2016 road win, or his predecessor and current Chicago Bear J.P. Holtz. The Panthers went out and recruited three freshmen tight end prospects in 2021, one of whom could make an immediate impact. Gavin Bartholomew, who ranked as the 68th best tight end prospect in the class of 2021, was relatively lightly recruited but has made waves during camp. At the end of spring camp, Bartholomew was running with the first team and his 6-foot-5, 250 pound frame should help him hold up in the blocking part of the game. The path to playing time is there, but will offensive coordinator Mark Whipple utilize the tight end more than in prior years?
Michigan State may have fallen upon a gold mine when three-star recruit Kameron Allen fell into their laps. Allen, a Forney, Texas, native, was ranked as the 65th best tight end recruit and similarly to Bartholomew did not have many big programs pursuing him. Coach Mel Tucker saw the 6-foot-5, 220 pound tight end and he has immediately stood out in practices for his pass-catching. While development is still needed to get Allen prepared for the physicality of the tight end position in the Big Ten, Allen certainly has potential to expose mismatches with his elite receiving ability and speed.
Kickers
Andres Borregales takes over as the Miami Hurricanes kicker, replacing his brother Jose, winner of the 2020 Lou Groza Award, for coach Manny Diaz. The younger Borregales brother was ranked as the third-best kicker in the nation and knocked in a 57-yarder in high school. The Hurricanes' offense, led by sixth-year quarterback D'Eriq King, should put up a fair share of points and Borregales will have opportunities to tack on extra points and show off his strong leg in hopes of following in his brother's footsteps.
When seeking out a kicker for fantasy you should be zeroed in on a player who will get a lot of opportunities. The Ole Miss Rebels' offense is expected to be a high-scoring affair in most games, which should make a good recipe for freshman kicker Caden Costa. Under Lane Kiffin, the Rebels opened up their offense and quarterback Matt Corral broke out in a big way last season. If the team can keep up its offensive pace - as many expect them to - Costa should have his fair share of opportunities to tack on fantasy points this year.
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