Why these 5 true freshman are already making a name for themselves in college football

NCAA Football: Western Kentucky at Alabama
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Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola leads this week’s college football true freshman to watch.

Week 1 of college football was a strong start to the 2024 season, with a couple of top-25 matchups highlighting the slate of games.

One other major takeaway has been the emergence of several true freshmen, with a number of players quickly getting up to speed and shining at the college level.

After a strong Week 1, who are five true freshmen to watch in Week 2 of college football? We break it down for you.

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola

We have to start with the top quarterback in the 2024 class: Nebraska five-star Dylan Raiola.

Seen as the likely starter since he came onto campus, the true freshman led the way for Nebraska in a 40-7 victory over UTEP, throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns on 19 of 27 passing.

Among his highlights was a beautiful ball in the bucket down the sideline to transfer receiver Isaiah Neyor, which went for a 59-yard touchdown.

Later, with the clock winding down in the first half, Raiola had another perfect pass, hitting transfer wideout Jahmal Banks for a 21-yard backshoulder touchdown.

Heading into Week 2, Raiola will be at the center of one of the more high-profile matchups of the half, as Nebraska will face off against Colorado at Memorial Stadium, entering the game as a seven-point favorite.

Can Raiola outduel Heisman candidate Shedeur Sanders? He’ll get the opportunity to do so, leading a revamped Nebraska offense that already looks better than than inconsistent performance they put together in 2023.

Alabama WR Ryan Williams

Seventeen-year-old five-star phenom Ryan Williams started his Alabama career in electric fashion. His statline from Game 1?

Two catches, 139 yards, two touchdowns.

Williams led the way for the Crimson Tide pass-catchers, accumulating 139 of the 266 passing yards by Alabama quarterbacks, with both of his touchdowns coming from Jalen Milroe.

The wideout’s first touchdown was a major one, as Jalen Milroe found him on an 84-yard bomb down the sidelines in the first quarter, taking Alabama up 21-0.

Williams then caught a 55-yard touchdown to end the half to cap off his electric debut against Western Kentucky.

Now in Week 2, Williams will look to continue his strong start when Alabama hosts rising program South Florida at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.

Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith

The most highly-touted recruit in the entire 2024 class, Jeremiah Smith came out even stronger than many expected in Week 1 for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The five-star true freshman went for 92 yards and two touchdowns on six catches, leading all Ohio State receivers in a room that includes projected first-round pick Emeka Egbuka and former five-star recruit Carnell Tate.

Smith got the most volume and yardage from quarterback Will Howard, while making a number of highlight plays along the way, including this incredible one-handed catch that set up a touchdown for Ohio State.

Now in Week 2, Smith gets another favorable matchup, as Ohio State will host Western Michigan on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

The question becomes: Will he continue to cement his status as the top receiver for the Buckeyes?

Notre Dame OT Anthonie Knapp

One of the bigger storylines that developed over the offseason was 2024 four-star Anthonie Knapp earning the starting left tackle job for Notre Dame as a true freshman.

That decision was going to be watched, as true freshman offensive linemen usually have their fair share of growing pains when given the starting job, especially at a tackle spot.

Well, Knapp definitely impressed in his first game, as he allowed just one pressure on 36 dropbacks against a tough opponent in the Irish’s Week 1 win over Texas A&M.

There were some tough moments, such as a (controversial) holding penalty that he was called for against star defender Nic Scourton, but it was still a good performance for the true freshman.

He’ll get an easier assignment in Week 2 when Notre Dame hosts Northern Illinois on Saturday, as he’ll look to improve on his first ever game working alongside one of the more inexperienced offensive lines in the country.

South Carolina DE Dylan Stewart

In one of the most dominant debuts ever, South Carolina defensive end Dylan Stewart had a monster week one performance, going for six pressures, four tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles in the Gamecocks’ 23-19 win over Old Dominion.

A five-star edge rusher in the 2024 class, Stewart made an immediate impact for his new team and was an extremely crucial presence in the close Week 1 game, single-handedly killing several drives for Old Dominion’s offense and setting up touchdown drives for South Carolina.

Stewart was PFF’s highest-graded defender in Week 1, regardless of age and position, showing how big of a performance his debut was.

South Carolina’s SEC schedule starts with a major game in Week 2, as they’ll travel to face the Kentucky Wildcats, who easily won their season opener 31-0 against Southern Mississippi.

Can Stewart continue the momentum and make a big impact once again for the Gamecocks? We’ll see when the two teams face off on Saturday afternoon.



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