For years, the general consensus around college football was that freshmen would rarely touch the field, much less become instant impact players for their teams.
However, in 2024, true freshmen are often some of the most exciting players in the country. In a world where star players can transfer at will, sit out from “meaningless” bowl games, and hardly ever play more than three years of college football, freshmen are often the sports’ biggest storylines.
That should be the case yet again this season, and media outlets across the country are picking their lists of the top youngsters on rosters across the country.
Obvious inclusions like Jeremiah Smith (WR, Ohio State) and Ellis Robinson IV (CB, Georgia) make their regular appearances on 247Sports’ Preseason True Freshman All-American list, but a trend has begun with a pair of Big 12 players as well.
The first player mentioned is Texas Tech wide receiver Micah Hudson, who has made all kinds of noise throughout the spring and summer months in Lubbock (Tex.). Listed at 6-foot-0, 195 pounds, Hudson exhibits the skillset that should make him an instant contributor in Zach Kittley’s wide-open air raid offense.
Hudson was ranked as the No. 25 overall player and No. 5 wide receiver in the 2024 class, and thus far, he’s lived up to his five-star billing.
“You could go in a number of directions for the final receiver slot,” 247Sports’ Chris Hummer says. “The 2024 class features an outrageously deep group of wideouts who will play as true freshmen. But let’s highlight Micah Hudson, who is the top-ranked recruit in Texas Tech history. Hudson has impressed since he stepped on campus and multiple sources have pointed to him as a Day 1 contributor in what should be a high-flying offense.”
The second Big 12 name mentioned comes by way of the Colorado offensive line, where offensive tackle Jordan Seaton figures to be a day-one fixture. Ranked as the top OT and No. 13 overall player in the 2024 class, Seaton is a scary athlete at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds.
“It’s no secret that Colorado brought in Jordan Seaton to play right away,” Hummer writes. “The Buffaloes took an all-in approach to land Seaton over Maryland, and it didn’t take long during spring for Seaton to emerge as the program’s likely starting left tackle. Colorado’s offensive line struggled last season — Deion Sanders publicly ripped the unit on multiple occasions — and it’ll be up to Seaton and four other new starters to keep Shedeur Sanders clean.”
