CFB: Ranking 5 Freshmen To Have an Instant Impact in 2021

Projecting freshman impact in college football is about as easy as rolling a 00 in roulette, but that doesn’t stop us from trying. Today, I’m going to break down five impact freshmen for 2021. There’s a number of factors that make this projection more difficult than in years past: the 2020 COVID year, the recruiting dead period which didn’t let recruits on campus for official visits (unless you’re Arizona State), and the number of players who stayed for an extra year, clogging up spots on the depth chart as older players exhaust their eligibility. With that said, let’s get into the rankings.

Korey Foreman - DE - USC

Might as well start with one of the easiest choices. Clay Helton saw Oregon snatch a star DE out from under their own nose a few years ago in Kayvon Thibodeaux. Now Helton gets a top-ranked recruit of his own for 2021, a nice rebound after the historically bad 2020 class that ranked SC 64th in the nation via 247Sports, sandwiched between Duke and Boise State. Foreman headlines USC’s 7th-ranked 2021 class and projects to come in and have an instant impact, much like Thibodeaux had with the Ducks in 2019.  

Ty Thompson - QB - Oregon

Thompson is the highest-rated recruit in the 247Sports era, and he’s probably the best bet for Mario Cristobal under center if the Ducks want to break into the College Football Playoff in 2021. Anthony Brown will probably get the nod to start the season, but don’t be shocked if Thompson takes over sometime during the season. There’s just a limit to what Brown can do, we saw it multiple times across the 2020 season where Oregon would be hesitant to run true passing plays with Brown. There would be much less restriction with Thompson, and if/when Oregon loses at Ohio State early in the season, Cristobal might want to see a more certain option running the offense.

Agiye Hall - WR - Alabama

I already wrote about Hall a little when I broke down the ‘Bama WR battle. There are probably three guys I could write in this spot in the Crimson Tide WR room, but we’ll stick with Hall. He starred in the Alabama spring game and ranks as a consensus top-100 player in the class of 2021. Nick Saban has shown he is not afraid to play star freshman if he knows they are clearly the best option, and with four first-round picks out wide graduating to the NFL over the last two years, there’s plenty of snaps to go around for the young guns on the Alabama roster.

Ja’Tavion Sanders - ATH - Texas

As the lone five-star recruit in the Longhorns 2021 class, a lot of eyes will be on Sanders and Sark on how the new coach uses the best athlete in his inherited recruiting class. Sanders makes an impact on both sides of the ball, catching 11 touchdowns and recording four sacks his senior year of high school. That versatility is key, as Sark and DC Pete Kwiatkowski are both looking for ways to get Sanders on the field. Sark did say Sanders will start on the offensive side of the ball, but don’t be shocked to see him on both sides in spurts if the situation is right.

Nyland Green - CB - Georgia

The Bulldogs lost six guys in the secondary from the 2020 roster, leaving the door wide open for the fourth-ranked corner in the 2021 class to challenge (via 247Sports) for playing time. The unit as a whole will be inexperienced, so Green has a prime opportunity to establish himself.

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-By: TJ Mathewson