College football’s 10 best true freshmen for 2024 season

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There are a plethora of true freshmen that could carve out a big role for their teams in 2024.

The 2024 college football season is officially underway, with more Week 1 games coming up in just a few days.

With Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) becoming more and more prominent, we’ve seen players extend their collegiate career to maximize their earnings, leading to more veterans staying around and remaining key contributors.

However, the 2024 recruiting class was a strong group and has a number of Day 1 contributors — with many potential starters as well all across the board.

Here are 10 true freshmen that could be poised for a major season in 2024.

Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith

How could we start anywhere other than one of the most prolific wide receiver recruits in recent memory?

Five-star Jeremiah Smith, ranked the No. 1 player in the Class of 2024, was a phenom before he even arrived on Ohio State’s campus, given his massive frame (6’3”, 215 pounds) and ability.

That quickly caught on with the Buckeyes, as Smith was a highlight-reel machine during the spring as he got accustomed to his new team. He is expected to have a huge role in the Ohio State offense.

Smith should start alongside wideouts Emeka Egbuka, the clear No. 1, and sophomore Carnell Tate, who was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2023.

At the moment, it feels the sky’s the limit for Smith even as a true freshman.

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola

The most highly-touted quarterback in the Class of 2024, Dylan Raiola was named the starter at Nebraska ahead of his true freshman season.

On National Signing Day, Raiola , a former Ohio State and Georgia commit, flipped to Nebraska, where he has significant family ties. His name was immediately thrown into the starting quarterback conversation, given the inconsistencies that the Cornhuskers had at the position last year.

Still, head coach Matt Rhule made Raiola earn the job, ultimately leading to him being named the starter ahead of Week 1.

Raiola will work with a brand-new receiving core, as the Huskers brought in Wake Forest transfer Jahmal Banks, a 6’4”, 220-pound target who caught 59 passes for 653 yards and four touchdowns last season. Additionally, Texas transfer Isaiah Neyor was named a starter, giving Nebraska another big-bodied wideout at 6’4”, 220 pounds.

The expectations are going to be high, even as a true freshman, but Raiola has been given the keys to the program and has the potential to start off strong as a freshman.

Auburn WR Cam Coleman

Five-star receiver Cam Coleman was named as a starter on Auburn’s initial depth chart ahead of their Week 1 game against Alabama A&M alongside Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Georgia Southern transfer Robert Lewis.

Coleman, standing at 6’3”, 197 pounds, screams big-play ability with his speed and size, which could make him a feature target sooner than later in this Auburn offense.

Now, he’ll be tasked with helping quarterback Payton Thorne, who struggled significantly last year without much receiver help, leading the Tigers to have a battle at the position this offseason.

Coleman has been with the Tigers since the spring and it’s not out of the question that he ends his true freshman season as the team’s top receiving threat.

Texas Tech WR Micah Hudson

Texas Tech five-star true freshman Micah Hudson may be one of the lone players not projected to start on this list, but that doesn’t mean the wideout isn’t poised for a big role.

A top-10 recruit in the Class of 2024 and the highest-rated recruit in Texas Tech program history, Hudson was listed as the backup at the Y spot to Caleb Douglas on the squad’s initial depth chart, but many think that the Red Raiders will move the true freshman around to get him touches early.

The expectations have been set for the wideout since National Signing Day, where head coach Jerry McGuire instantly revealed that Hudson would be an instant contributor, rather than a redshirt candidate.

He did start a little behind the eight ball with an injury that required surgery, prompting him to miss spring ball. However, Hudson is in a position to compete and get reps quickly in the Texas Tech offense, setting himself up for a big opportunity in 2024.

Notre Dame OT Anthonie Knapp

Considered a three-star recruit by most recruiting services, Anthonie Knapp is taking on a major responsibility in his true freshman season, as he was named the starting left tackle for Notre Dame.

Initially projected as an interior offensive lineman, Knapp, standing at 6’4”, 291 pounds, is now going to man the most important position on the line for the Fighting Irish on Day 1.

He’ll work alongside sophomore left guard Sam Pendleton, who has just 15 total snaps of experience, to form one of the most intriguing, but inexperienced offensive line duos on the left side of the offensive line.

There will very likely be some growing pains, but Knapp has a big opportunity to contribute as a true freshman, and could become the next major building block along the offensive line for the talented Fighting Irish.

Colorado OT Jordan Seaton

One of the more high-profile recruitments of the 2024 class, the Colorado Buffaloes managed to pry away five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton from the Maryland Terrapins, going all-in over the final months to secure his commitment.

That came with the expectation of being an early contributor, and that will be exactly the case, as Seaton is projected to start at left tackle for the Buffaloes come Week 1.

That revelation came fairly early in the offseason, as Seaton was an early enrollee and managed to take the reins before the end of spring ball. Now, he’ll protect star quarterback Shedeur Sanders’s blind side in his final season of college football.

Seaton will be tasked to do a lot to improve an offensive line that really struggled in 2024, but he has the physical traits to cover a number of roles in both the pass and the run game.

Once again, trusting a true freshman along the offensive line is tough, but Seaton has the opportunity to start his career off strong in a starting role for the Buffaloes.

South Carolina OT Josiah Thompson

A consensus four-star recruit and the No. 2 offensive tackle in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports, Josiah Thompson is expected to start at left tackle for the South Carolina Gamecocks in Week 1.

Thompson, who stands a whopping 6’7,” 300 pounds, had been competing with Tree Balabade for the starting left tackle spot, and ultimately won the job, although both may end up earning snaps throughout the year.

Thompson will protect redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who will take over for Spencer Rattler, and will look to be a force in the run game with his set of measurables.

South Carolina isn’t afraid to start their younger players along the offensive line, with Balabade and Trevor Baugh seeing time as freshmen last year, while the latter earned SEC All-Freshman honors.

However, by being a Week 1 starter, Thompson will have both big expectations and a big opportunity during his true freshman season.

Oklahoma DL Jayden Jackson

One of the biggest risers during the offseason, true freshman Jayden Jackson was named a starter at defensive line for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Jackson, a 6’2”, 312-pound lineman, had really impressed in the spring, providing some buzz that he could be not only an instant contributor for the Sooners, but even a potential Day 1 starter. And that’s exactly what happened.

Head coach Brent Venables called Jackson “abnormal”, but acknowledged that the team does want to rotate a significant amount of defensive linemen this season, perhaps even in the double-digit range to keep bodies fresh.

The most intriguing part is that Jackson entered the offseason as the second-best defensive line recruit for the Sooners, as heralded five-star David Stone was the prized commit on National Signing Day.

Jackson emerged quickly, leading to him earning a starting spot, while Stone should figure into the rotation as well as a true freshman.

Alabama CB Zabien Brown

The Alabama Crimson Tide had a monster 2024 recruiting class at defensive back, landing five-stars Jaylen Mkabwe, Zavier Mincey, and Zabien Brown to offset the departures from the offseason.

Heading into the season, it seems that one of them is primed for a starting role: Zabien Brown.

A cornerback with great size at 6’0”, 200 pounds, Brown could be the other outside corner opposite to USC transfer Domani Jackson, while Mkawbe should factor into the rotation and get some playing time as well.

Brown has been competing with Wake Forest transfer DaShawn Jones, and has a good chance to be an instant contributor in Year 1.

Alabama has long been a strong program when it comes to cornerback talent, and their three true freshmen all have an opportunity to see the field early, leading with Brown.

Vanderbilt S Dontae Carter

A four-star recruit in the Class of 2024, Vanderbilt safety Dontae Carter has put himself in a position to play early and often for the Commodores as a true freshman.

Working more so at the field safety position, Carter has good size at 6’1”, 185 pounds, and possesses the ballhawk skills to essentially be a center fielder in the secondary. Those skills translated over to his first spring ball where he was an interception machine, and was reportedly one of the best defensive backs on the field for the Commodores.

While it’s unclear whether he’ll start over redshirt senior Da’Rickey Wright, the true freshman has definitely put himself in a position to compete early, and will be tested early playing in the SEC.

Now, he may need some time to learn more of the nuances of the position, such as the blitzing and being consistent in run support, but the playmaking capabilities are there for him to be an impact player come Day 1.