Part of what makes College Football recruiting so exciting is the top tier recruit who could potentially become an instant impact player at the College level. When your favorite team signs a highly rated recruit, you hope that they'll live up to the hype and play in their first season but, you never know until they arrive on campus.
Heading into Summer camp, around the Country you will find True Freshmen penciled into starting roles on their depth chart with a great chance to start as True Freshmen. While every position battle hasn't played out, these 10 Freshmen will make a massive impact for their teams in 2025.
The LSU Tigers were able to keep the Nation's top running back recruit in Louisiana and it'll pay massive dividends as soon as Harlem Berry touches the field. LSU's offense struggled mightily running the football in 2024 and will make it a priority this season to become more balanced. Landing the fastest player in the recruiting class in Berry will give LSU an instant home run threat out of the backfield who can also impact the game as a receiver.
Bryce Underwood isn't the only 5-star recruit the Michigan Wolverines were able to reel in duringthe 2025 recruiting cycle as they also signed one of the most sought after offensive tackles in Andrew Babalola. The Wolverines offensive line has been decimated over thepast two offseasons as the veteran group that won a National Championship is off to the NFL. Babalola will be competing with Evan Link, Andrew Sprague, and Brady Norton for one of the spots on the outside.
The Texas Longhorns are tasked with replacing a ton of production at the wide receiver position after losing Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond to the NFL. The good news for the Longhorns is that they signed a 5-star recruit in Wide Receiver Kaliq Lockett who has been impressive since arriving on campus. As the veterans in Texas' room recovered from injury this offseason, younger players like Lockett, Jaime Ffrench, and Daylan McCutcheon all have a chance to play as True Freshmen.
While Ohio State signs elite recruits on a yearly basis, few players have arrived in Columbus with as much hype as cornerback Devin Sanchez. While Ohio State returns an impressive room with several experienced defensive backs, Sanchez is the one with the most buzz after and impressive offseason. With the size, speed, and length that Devin Sanchez has, he'll have a chance to be the next in line in Ohio State's NFL pipeline at cornerback.
Heading into the 2025 season, the Clemson Tigers return a ton of talent which drives the excitement around this roster. At the starting running back position however, it'll be true Freshman Gideon Davidson who may be tasked with leading the Tigers rushing attack. Running Back Jay Haynes returns but, suffered a torn ACL in the ACC Championship Game which means Davidson will get a ton of carries this season. Davidson has impressed since Early Enrolling at Clemson and will have a chance to put together a special season in Year One.
The story of the LSU Football team for most of the Brian Kelly era has been underwhelming play on defense. After Brian Kelly fired Matt House and his staff, the Tigers brought in Missouri DC Blake Baker who brought Corey Raymond back to Baton Rouge. Raymond has a long legacy of building LSU into "DBU" and with his return to Baton Rouge the Tigers' secondary was going to take a clear turn for the better.
In his first recruiting cycle back in Baton Rouge, Raymond landed the Nation's top ranked cornerback DJ Pickett. The Florida Native enrolled early spending a ton of time with Corey Raymond prior to the Tigers Spring Practices and when he hit the field this Spring he looked the part of one of the great LSU Defensive Backs you always saw under Raymond. As LSU looks to make the College Football Playoff, DJ Pickett will follow a path like Derek Stingley Jr starting on the outside as a true Freshman.
The Tennessee Volunteers were able to win out in a massive recruitment for Top-10 recruit David Sanders Jr landing a 5-star recruit in the 2025 class. The 5-star Freshman isn't just expected to compete for a job, he's expected to anchor the right side of the Vols offensive line. David Sanders has all of the physical tools to be one of the best offensive linemen in the Country and once he's fully adjusted moving to the right side he'll be crucial for Tennessee's offense.
The Florida Gators are one of the wild card teams heading into the 2025 season as they showed a ton of improvement down the stretch. DJ Lagway is the reason for hope in Gainesville as the 5-star quarterback took the offense to another level when healthy. As DJ Lagway looks to prove he's one of the best quarterbacks in College Football, he'll have a flashy freshman receiver to throw to in Dallas Wilson.
Despite signing a Letter of Intent with Oregon, Dallas Wilson was quickly granted a release, signing with Florida. During the Spring, the Gators' coaching staff quickly realized how talented Dallas Wilson was, dominating the Spring including a record-setting showing at the Florida Spring Game. Wilson will instantly be one of the Gators' key playmakers as Billy Napier and his staff look to finally prove they're the group for the job.
Dan Lanning and his staff were able to lure the Nation's top wide receiver out of Texas, giving the Ducks a 5-star on the outside. Given that Oregon is tasked with replacing the production of Tez Johnson and Terrance Ferguson, the Ducks were already going to need to rely on Dakorien Moore. When Evan Stewart suffered an injury that could keep him out most of the season, Moore became Oregon's biggest threat on the outside.
Moore brings elite-level speed to the outside, which will allow him to make explosive plays the moment he gets on campus. During the Spring, Moore impressed at the Ducks' spring practice, further solidifying the fact that Moore can lead this offense in receiving.
Picking the Nation's top ranked recruit is the easy answer but, Bryce Underwood has the potential to flip the story of Michigan's offense this season. In 2024, the Wolverines struggled as their entire quarterback room struggled passing the football. Landing Bryce Underwood gives the Wolverines one of the most talented players in the Country at the position.
Bryce Underwood has a special arm with the ability to make every throw on the football field giving Michigan the polar opposite of what it experienced last season. Along with Underwood's rocket arm is his ability to make explosive plays with his legs as he constantly ripped off big plays at the High School level. If Bryce Underwood can live up to the hype, Michigan will be a contender each year of his career.