By Mark Pszonak
With the college football season passed the midway point, everyone can stop projecting and start actually seeing who the top true freshmen in the country are. Here are some of the true freshmen who excelled during Week 8:
QB Emory Williams – Miami-Florida
Filling in for an injured Tyler Van Dyke, Williams performed like a veteran during an important 27-20 double overtime victory over Clemson. Completing 24 of 33 passes for 151 yards, one touchdown and one interception, it looks as though the future of the quarterback position is in good hands in Coral Gables whether he is needed again this season or in 2024 and beyond.
QB Avery Johnson – Kansas State
Johnson followed up his amazing debut with a solid performance during Kansas State’s 41-3 victory over TCU. Splitting time with Will Howard, he completed 5 of 10 passes for 90 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for 73 yards on 16 carries. It is safe to assume that he will be a regular part of the Wildcats’ offense for the remainder of the season.
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QB Keyone Jenkins – Florida International
After an off game against UTEP, Jenkins was a steady leader during a 33-27 overtime victory over Sam Houston. He finished the game by completing 26 of 38 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown. He also added a rushing touchdown as FIU moved to 4-4 on the season.
QB Blake Murphy – Louisiana-Monroe
Playing in his first game of the season, Murphy gave the Warhawks some excitement after completing 18 of 33 passes for 320 yards, one touchdown and one interception during a 38-28 loss at Georgia Southern. Will he be the starter for the remainder of the season?
QB Jaylen Raynor – Arkansas State
Raynor had an up-and-down performance during a 27-17 loss to Coastal Carolina, but overall still showed that the Red Wolves offense will be exciting in the coming years. He completed 19 of 35 passes for 306 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while also leading the team with 52 yards rushing on 11 carries.
ATH Zachariah Branch – USC
After missing a few games with an injury, Branch once again did a little bit of everything for the Trojans during a tough 34-32 loss to Utah. On offense he had a rushing touchdown and one reception for two yards, while on special teams he returned five kickoffs for 93 yards and had a huge 61-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.
RB Kaden Feagin – Illinois
Feagin continued his solid season with 97 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries during a tough 25-21 home loss to Wisconsin. He also had one reception for 10 yards. While this season continues to be disappointing for the Illini, the play of Feagin has been a positive.
RB Trey Holly – LSU
While his time on the field came when it was a foregone conclusion during a 62-0 victory over Army, Holly still impressed during his first playing time of the season. He finished the game with six carries for a team-high 91 yards and one touchdown. This likely won’t lead to much more of a workload this season, but it could be a sign of things to come in 2024 and beyond.
WR Jayce Brown – Kansas State
After totaling two receptions for 36 yards through his first four games of the season, Brown made a statement on Saturday night against TCU with a team-high four receptions for 88 yards and his first collegiate touchdown.
TE Nyck Harbor – South Carolina
Despite a disappointing overall season for the Gamecocks, Harbor is beginning to showcase his abilities in Columbia. During a 34-12 loss at Missouri, he finished with two receptions for 50 yards and had one carry for nine yards as South Carolina looks ready to get the ball into the hands of their young playmaker more often.
DL Princewill Umanmielan – Nebraska
Umanmilan had a rather quiet start to his collegiate career, but that all changed on Saturday against Northwestern. During the 17-9 victory he finished with a team-high seven tackles, two tackles for a loss and one sack. Glimmers of hope have emerged in Lincoln this season with the play of young talent like Umanmielan helping move things in a positive direction.
DL Rueben Bain – Miami-Florida
Bain flashed in a couple of games earlier this season but had his best game by far on Saturday night during a 27-20 double overtime victory over Clemson. Finishing with a team-high eight tackles, two tackles for a loss and two sacks, he has positioned himself as one of the top true freshmen defensive lineman in the ACC this season.
LB Suntarine Perkins – Ole Miss
Perkins continued his solid play this season with five tackles and one tackle for a loss during a 28-21 victory at Auburn. He is now tied for fourth on the team with 29 tackles.
LB Kamren Robinson – Virginia
Despite it being a disappointing season for Virginia, Robinson has become an important part of the Cavs defense. That disappointment took a hiatus on Saturday night though as the Cavs produced one of the biggest upsets of the season with a 31-27 victory at undefeated North Carolina. Robinson was one of the highlights of the defense with eight tackles and one tackle for a loss.
DB Jalon Kilgore – South Carolina
Kilgore finished with eight tackles, one tackle for a loss and two pass breakups during a 34-12 loss at Missouri. Kilgore has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season in Columbia.
DB Jermaine Mathews – Ohio State
Mathews had been eased into the rotation during the season, but with starter Denzel Burke out with an injury he was called into meaningful duty against Penn State. He responded by finishing with three tackles and one pass breakup as he more than held his own throughout the game.
DB Caleb Downs – Alabama
At this point it is expected that Downs will be one of the top tacklers for the Tide on a weekly basis. That continued again during a comeback victory against Tennessee when he finished with nine tackles.
LB Nate Johnson – Appalachian State
Johnson has quietly put together a very good season for the Mountaineers. He enjoyed his best game at Appalachian State on Saturday during a loss to Old Dominion when he finished with six tackles, two tackles for a loss and two sacks.
DB Raion Strader – Miami-Ohio
Strader added two more pass breakups on Saturday, to go along with four tackles, during a 21-17 loss to Toledo. His nine pass breakups this season are 2nd most in the MAC and 6th nationally.
