In 1972, the NCAA tied up a loose end. Having already ruled that college freshmen in other sports (and at other levels) would be eligible for varsity ball, it declared that the same rules would apply in major college football and basketball. In an effort to cut costs, it added an extra layer of lore to already lore-rich sports.
"It is not certain that all of the well known football and basketball powers will use players coaches may consider too inexperienced," The New York Times reported in January 1972. "A recent poll of major college football coaches indicated they were 2 to 1 against using freshmen on varsity teams. ... However, the N.C.A.A. members who passed this ruling were faculty athletic advisers, those members of college administrations concerned with saving money. Their feeling is that by eliminating freshman teams they will save money."
Did this change cause a massive ripple? Not necessarily. College football wasn't suddenly dominated by 18-year-olds. But without this change, the legend of college basketball Hall of Famer Quinn Buckner -- who started for both the basketball and football teams as a true freshman at Indiana in 1972-73 -- would have become less rich. Tony Dorsett wouldn't have become the best running back in the country the moment he set foot on Pitt's campus. Georgia wouldn't have ridden Herschel Walker to the 1980 national title. Jeremiah Smith wouldn't have been the best player in the first two rounds of the 2024 College Football Playoff. And we would not have been exposed to quite as much greatness from some of the most incredible stars the sport has seen in the past half-century.
In 2022, I commemorated the 50-year anniversary of the rule change by listing the 50 best seasons by a true freshman in major college football. With Smith, Harold Perkins Jr. and others having put together dynamite debut campaigns since, it's time to expand the list to 60. Some of the players below went on to illustrious careers at both the college and pro levels; others maxed out early. Let's celebrate them all.
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Top 10
60. Marqise Lee, USC Trojans (2011)
A three-sport star in high school, Lee showed up on campus and immediately formed one of the nation's best receiver tandems with Robert Woods. He had a solid September (four games, 13 catches, 179 yards, two TDs) and a good October (four games, 21 catches, 355 yards, three TDs), but he was the best receiver in the country in November, reeling in 39 passes for 609 yards and six scores. His 224-yard performance against UCLA was his official coming-out party and set the table for a Biletnikoff Award win the next season.
59. OL Andre Smith, Alabama Crimson Tide (2006)
He was one of the most highly touted offensive line prospects of the 2000s, and he immediately lived up to hype. He earned the starting job right out of fall camp -- he was only the fourth true freshman to start up front for Bama -- and he was an obvious pick for the SEC's All-Freshman team. He then became one of Nick Saban's first major Tide stars, eventually winning the Outland Trophy (and going sixth in the NFL draft) after his junior season.
58. WR KD Cannon, Baylor Bears (2014)
A top-30 recruit who chose the Bear Raid offense over Oklahoma and other proven powers and immediately thrived. He caught 14 passes for 471 yards and five TDs in his first three games, had 124 yards and a score in an epic 61-58 win over TCU and finished the year with 197 yards and two scores in Baylor's first Cotton Bowl in 34 years.
57. DT Roosevelt Nix, Kent State Golden Flashes (2010)
He was a 250-pound defensive tackle at Kent State. He became a Pro Bowl fullback in the NFL. He was just a damn good football player, and he became an immediate star, recording 20 tackles for loss and 10 sacks and earning MAC defensive player of the year honors. He would make at least 13 TFLs for each of the next three seasons, too, and was the best player on what might have been Kent State's best ever team, the 2012 edition that came achingly close to an Orange Bowl bid.
56. LB/RB Myles Jack, UCLA Bruins (2013)
A three-star recruit from Washington, Jack not only found enough playing time to finish fifth on the Bruins in tackles (76) and third in tackles for loss (seven) as a first-year star, he also ranked second in rushing touchdowns (seven). He had five tackles, 59 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 41-31 win over Washington. That game alone might have gotten him on the list.
55. OL Reggie Green, Florida Gators (1992)
Former NFL head coach Dick Vermeil, working for ABC as a TV analyst, called Green the "best freshman tackle I have ever seen in college football" during a 1992 broadcast. He was a rock, capable of shutting down Alabama's all-world end Eric Curry in the SEC championship game. By 1993, he was All-SEC, but unfortunately injuries slowed him down from there.