College football season technically started last week, but this weekend marks the real kickoff. Check out some of the notable true freshmen set to start this weekend and see if they’re developing at the pace expected.
RELATED: Rivals.com Freshman All-America Team – Offense | Defense
COMMITMENT PREDICTIONS: Where will the four as yet unannounced five-star awards go?
Smith is a generational talent at the wide receiver level and finished his high school career as the No. 1 prospect in the Rivals250. The South Florida native, Percy Harvin And Dorial Green-Beckham are the only three receivers to ever complete the ranking cycle as the top prospect in the country.
When Smith arrived in Columbus, he immediately made his presence felt during practice, recording multiple highlight reels. Now, the freshman phenom is set to start for the Buckeyes on Day One, something that hasn’t happened in recent memory. State of Ohio receiver has completed.
Pronunciation: Right on schedule
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The revival of the Nebraska football program under Matt Rhule expects him to step it up this season and is confident a freshman quarterback can lead the Cornhuskers out of the Big Ten cellar.
Raiola, a five-star and No. 2 player in the 2024 Rivals250, committed to Ohio State early in the recruiting process but decommitted and chose GeorgiaHe transferred to Buford High School in Georgia for his senior year and appeared to enroll early with the Dawgs, but transferred to Nebraskawhere his father was a real American, just before National Signing Day.
The torch will be officially passed to Raiola in the first week of his freshman year.
Pronunciation: Right on schedule
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It’s fair to say Chestnut brown has never had a receiver like Coleman. The five-star likely would have been the No. 1 receiver in almost any other year, but the 2024 class was so loaded with receivers that he ended up as the No. 7 player on the 2024 Rivals250.
A former Texas A&M If we understand him correctly, Coleman’s skills should pay immediate dividends for Auburn’s offense, which should see significant improvement this season.
Pronunciation: Right on schedule
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Deion Sanders promised the Colorado offensive line this offseason and he did. In one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 cycle, the Buffs were able to land Seaton’s commitment.
The five-star and top-ranked offensive lineman in the 2024 Rivals250 is slated to be Colorado’s starting left tackle and star quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Pronunciation: Right on schedule
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Thompson has added a lot of solid mass to his frame since joining South Carolina and is expected to start at left tackle for the Gamecocks on Saturday. The talented offensive lineman is an excellent athlete at the position and showed tremendous potential in high school.
That I physically matured so quickly was unexpected, but Shane Beamer and the staff is at least happy that he is ready to play.
Pronunciation: Ahead of schedule
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Five stars David Steen got the most headlines for Oklahoma‘s defensive line class of 2024, but Jackson, his high school teammate from IMG Academy, has reached the starting lineup faster.
Jackson’s strength, speed and discipline helped him make an early impression on Brent Venables and the Oklahoma coaching staff. His recruitment was relatively uneventful, and apparently, so was the beginning of his college career.
Pronunciation: Ahead of schedule
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The French Brown era at Syracuse started off with a bang on the recruiting trail. One of his biggest early victories was signing Barnes, whom he defeated Old lady and Georgia for his signature. The four-star prospect from Tennessee, listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, knows how to use his size and long arms to keep receivers in check.
Now he steps into Syracuse’s starting lineup in Brown’s first season at the helm.
Pronunciation: Ahead of schedule
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The first of the two Boilermakers on this list, Grant, should still be playing high school football, and not yet preparing for his first college start. The Rivals250 defensive back from Tennessee has committed Purdue In January of this year and then in May, he transferred from the class of 2025 to the class of 2024 and enrolled at Purdue.
Grant, a tall, long cornerback, ran an impressive 100-yard dash in 10.71 seconds in high school and Purdue’s coaching staff expects him to immediately improve the defense.
Pronunciation: Ahead of schedule
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Rigby is favored over some of the other receivers on Purdue’s roster because of his size. The 6-foot-3 freshman landed in Purdue’s starting lineup this week after an injury to the presumptive starter CJ Smithamstring.
Purdue’s Air Raid Offensive Coordinator Graham Harrell were a major reason why Rigby chose the Boilermakers over Kentucky, Louisville, West Virginia, Kansas State, Indiana and others.
Pronunciation: Ahead of schedule
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A clear ‘miss’ on the high school rankings, Knapp, a former three-star, will line up as Notre Dame‘s starting left tackle on Saturday night when the Fighting Irish traveled to College Station to take on Texas A&M. Knapp jumped at the chance to step into the starting role after being the likely starter Charles Jagusah was injured earlier this month and had his season ended.
After finishing his high school career at 270 pounds, Knapp is now 25 pounds heavier, according to Notre Dame’s roster. That extra bulk should prove useful against Texas A&M’s excellent pass rushers.
Pronunciation: Ahead of schedule
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Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.comthe leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
