By Mark Pszonak
Now that the college football season has begun, everyone can stop projecting and start actually seeing who the top true freshmen in the country will be. Here are some of the true freshmen who excelled during Week 2:
LB Anthony Hill Jr. – Texas
Hill’s performance on Saturday during a victory at Alabama was impressive with six tackles, two tackles for a loss and two sacks. What made the performance even more memorable is that he was able to accomplish all of that in only 22 snaps.
QB Dante Moore – UCLA
In his first career start, Moore completed 17 of 27 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns during a 35-10 victory over San Diego State. While he has yet to be named the starter for Week 3, it is obvious that Moore is ready for the big stage.
WR Duce Robinson – USC
Despite the Trojans having multiple weapons for Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams to play with, he continues to make Robinson a vital part of the offense. The 6-foot-6, 225-pounder once again excelled against Stanford with four receptions for 71 yards.
WR London Humphreys – Vanderbilt
The Commodores have their fair share of problems, but one of them isn’t at wide receiver. The emergence of Humphreys gives Vanderbilt three explosive weapons, joining Will Sheppard and Jayden McGowan. During a loss at Wake Forest, Humphreys finished with four receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown.
More Sports News
TE Juice Vereen – NC State
Kevin Concepcion has also added a very nice boost to the offense through two games, but on Saturday during a loss to Notre Dame, it was Vereen who shined with four receptions for a team-high 65 yards. Despite the loss, the Wolfpack have quickly found young weapons.
RB Darius Taylor – Minnesota
Coming into the season, the question around Minneapolis was who would replace star running back Mohamed Ibrahim. Sean Tyler, who was brought in through the portal, has performed well through two games, but on Saturday night it was the play of Taylor who had everyone buzzing. Finishing with 193 yards and one touchdown on 33 carries, the Gophers seem to have found their next workhorse.
DL T.J. Parker – Clemson
Even with a talented group of defensive ends returning at Clemson, Parker has already entrenched himself in the rotation. During an easy victory against Charleston Southern on Saturday he excelled with four tackles and three tackles for a loss.
WR Eric Singleton Jr. – Georgia Tech
The Georgia Tech offense has shown some spark through two games this season, with Singleton quickly becoming a major part of that success. In a victory against South Carolina State he showcased his potential with three receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown.
RB Jahiem White – West Virginia
After an impressive spring, it was assumed by many that White would make an impact this season in Morgantown. It only took until the second game for that to happen as he rushed for 110 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries during a victory over Duquesne.
QB Jaden Rashada – Arizona State
While his production was a bit of a step down from the opener, the level of competition also increased dramatically. Completing 16 of 29 passes for 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 27-15 loss to Oklahoma State, Rashada continued to show potential and maturation.
DB Caleb Downs – Alabama
After leading the team in tackles during the season opener, Downs accomplished the feat once again on Saturday against Texas. Finishing with 10 tackles, which tied the team-high with Trezmen Marshall, Downs is positioning himself to be the next great Tide defensive back.
QB Anthony Colandrea – Virginia
With starter Tony Muskett out with a shoulder injury, Colandrea was called into duty and excelled during a tough 36-35 loss to James Madison. Completing 20 of 26 passes for 377 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, Virginia has found their quarterback of the future, even if he is likely to resume his backup role for the time being when Muskett returns.
RB Treyaun Webb – Florida
With Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne already in the backfield, it wasn’t expected that there would be too many carries this season for Webb. However, it looks as though the Gators will be giving him an opportunity to showcase his talents in 2023. He grabbed that opportunity against McNeese State on Saturday with meaningful snaps that resulted in 71 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
DB Jalon Kilgore – South Carolina
After totaling 12 tackles in the season-opening loss to North Carolina, Kilgore responded in Week 2 with a team-high six tackles against Furman. The Gamecocks have several true freshmen making an immediate impact, but for now it continues to be Kilgore who has shined the brightest.
DB Dillon Thieneman – Purdue
Two college games played and Thieneman has been the leading tackler in both for the Boilermakers. A week after finishing with 10 tackles, he added seven more during a hard fought 24-17 victory at Virginia Tech.
QB Keyone Jenkins– FIU
Jenkins has quickly brought excitement to the Panthers’ offense in his two games. During a comeback 46-39 victory over North Texas he completed 20 of 32 passes for 291 yards and one touchdown. While he did throw two interceptions during the victory, he added a spark to the unit and has helped FIU to a 2-0 start.
