By: Alec Nederveld
ACC
Rueben Bain Jr.
DL, Miami
Bain, a hometown kid who played at Miami Central HS last fall, has proven himself. He leads the U with 4.5 sacks, 2.5 more than second place, and has forced an additional two fumbles.
But what’s most impressive is how the freshman keeps improving as the competition gets tougher. After picking up five tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble against UNC, Bain did more and notched eight tackles, two sacks, and another forced fumble in last week’s win over Clemson. Even if he comes back to earth, Miami will have a major disrupter.
Big Ten
Darius Taylor
RB, Minnesota
A three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Taylor has quietly become the best player on the Gophers offense. After a slow start against Nebraska, the Walled Lake, Michigan freshman rattled off 529 yards and four scores over the next three games.
He unfortunately got hurt, missing two games, but bounced back last week with a respectable fifty-nine yards vs. a tough Iowa defense. Last season, Minnesota’s Mo Ibraham ran for 1,665 yards and twenty touchdowns. If Taylor stays healthy, he can do the same.
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Big 12
Anthony Hill Jr.
LB, Texas
While Hill doesn’t consistently have the best stats, he proves himself in big games. The consensus five-star played his best ball against Alabama and Oklahoma, picking up all three of his sacks and 14 of 30 tackles in the two games.
Decommitting from Texas A&M looks to be the right move for the Denton, Texas native who is a similar player to LSU sophomore Harold Perkins Jr. 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks noticed this and stated Hill would be the Perkins of 2023 in an article from last November. As he keeps putting it together, Big 12 and future SEC opponents need to watch out for this star wearing Burnt Orange.
Pac 12
Spencer Fano
OT, Utah
Starting a true freshman at left tackle can be scary, especially with a backup quarterback. However, Fano has quieted doubts on the No. 13-ranked team. A four-star and the No. 1 recruit in Utah, Fano has started every game for the Utes.
Mike Farrell Sports Scouting Director Steven Baloni recognized his “Quick and powerful initial punch with good hand placement” and that he’s an “Aggressive blocker that looks to take people out of the play” from high school film. These have both carried over in his first college season. Despite injuries that have plagued Utah’s roster, Fano has been a steading force to help the team.
SEC
Caleb Downs
S, Alabama
It is rare to start at Alabama as a true freshman. Only the most elite players like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Patrick Surtain II had in the past. Now, Caleb Downs is doing the same.
In Mark Pszonak’s top true-freshman series, Downs has been featured six times, by far the most. The brother of Indianapolis Colts rookie WR Josh Downs, Caleb currently leads Alabama with 63 tackles. He’s also added two interceptions, one pass breakup, a forced fumble, and a tackle for loss. Downs isn’t just a star in the making – he’s already a star who has a long career ahead of him in football.
