Freshman-15: Week 10 (2024)
A weekly spotlight on 15 freshmen across the country who had standout performances. All stats are courtesy of PFF Premium Stats. (2024 season)
North Carolina State QB CJ Bailey (16) throws the ball against Louisiana Tech. (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CJ Bailey
QB - NC State
Snaps:
QB - 51
RB - 2
Wide Out - 1
Stats:
Passing - 18/20, 90.0%, 234 yards, 11.7 YPA, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
Rushing - 4 carries, 28 yards, 7.0 YPA, 0 TDs, 1 fumble
It has been an up-and-down season for the 6-foot-6 true freshman signal caller, with turnovers and losses stacking up Bailey. However, he has been turning in much better performances as of late. Bailey has now had two games in a row without throwing an interception. In those two games, the Wolfpack claimed victory, while the two games prior they found themselves behind on the scoreboard when the clock hit double zeros.
With former starter QB Grayson McCall retiring due to a concussion, Bailey has stepped up time and time again but his performance against Stanford was the best of his young career. An unworldly 90.0% completion percentage and 3 TDs with no interceptions certainly give your team a great chance to win. And that they did. The Wolfpack took down the Cardinal by 31 points and are now two games away from bowl eligibility.
Joseph Williams
WR - Tulsa
Snaps:
Slot - 5
Wide Out - 79
Kick Return - 2
Stats:
Receiving - 10 targets, 6 catches, 112 yards, 18.7 YPC, 1 TD
Williams logged the second start of his career in Week 9 against UTSA and had a solid outing, but the encore was even better in Week 10 on the road against UAB when Williams topped the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career.
Williams had a highlight catch against the Blazers where he mossed a defender near the sideline for a 40-yard gain. Williams is coming on late in the season and his emergence should aid Tulsa in their dwindling chances for a bowl bid, as the Golden Hurricanes are currently 3-6 this season.
Original photo by Baylor Athletics
Bryson Washington
RB - Baylor
Snaps:
RB - 57
Wide Out - 1
Stats:
Rushing - 26 carries, 196 yards, 7.5 YPA, 4 TDs
Receiving - 2 targets, 2 catches, 22 yards, 11.0 YPC, 0 TDs
Yet again, Washington is a Freshman-15 member. And better yet, Washington is our ECG Offensive Freshman of the Year. Nearly 200 yards and 4 TDs in a narrow win over rival TCU have not only established Washington as the lead back in Waco, but potentially in the conversation for being one of the best freshman running backs in the country.
While Washington has a lot of ground to make up compared to Isaac Brown, Ahmad Hardy and Caden Durham, his Week 10 outing was as good as anyone's performance in a single week. His 150 yards after contact were also a career-high, doubling his total from the week prior against Oklahoma State.
Nick Marsh
WR - Michigan State
Snaps:
Slot - 5
Wide Out - 57
Stats:
Receiving - 7 targets, 5 catches, 78 yards, 15.6 YPC, 1 TD
This year, leading against Indiana has been a long-sought-after occurrence. It wasn't until Michigan State kicked a field goal on their first drive in Week 10 that Indiana was trailing for the first time this season. Marsh proceeded to follow that up with a touchdown catch of his own against the Hoosiers, though Curt Cignetti's side scored 47 unanswered points after Marsh found the endzone.
Marsh has been one of the more productive freshman wideouts this season, but it has been a rebuilding year for head coach Jonathan Smith's program. QB Aidan Chiles transferred in from Oregon State where he was recruited by Smith, and has gone through the highs and lows of being a young starting quarterback in the Big 10. With that, Marsh has had some inconsistencies around him this year, but has made the most out of an unpredictable situation.
Jordan Napier
WR - San Diego State
Snaps:
Slot - 41
Wide Out - 4
Tight End - 1
RB - 1
Special Teams - 12
Stats:
Receiving - 11 targets, 8 catches, 78 yards, 9.8 YPC, 1 TD
It has never been easy for teams going head-to-head with Boise State this season. San Diego State tried their best to shut down star RB Ashton Jeanty, but then the Broncos' passing game took off. The Aztecs tried to keep up and match their pace, but it was a struggle to do so at times. Napier was a bright spot in the offense for the Aztecs against the now-12th-ranked Broncos in the initial 2024 CFP Rankings.
Napier saw by far the most volume in any game against Boise State, in fact, he had more catches in Week 10 than he had targets in any game this season. Napier's versatility was on full display against the Broncos, lining up in four different positions and also logging 12 snaps on special teams. It is clear that the coaching staff are looking to get him involved in the game plan, and Napier is viewed as an all-around weapon moving forward for San Diego State.
Ahmad Hardy
RB - ULM
Snaps:
RB - 39
Stats:
Rushing - 25 carries, 207 yards, 8.3 YPA, 1 TD
Hardy has often found himself as one of the best freshman backs in the country, and I will once again harp on him being the more deserving Freshman All-American running back over LSU's Caden Durham. Hardy is 188 yards shy of reaching the 1,000-yard mark in his first collegiate season, and another performance like his output in Week 10 will get him there in no time.
Hardy not only had his most productive performance of the season with over 200 yards, but he also had his most efficient game by averaging 8.3 YPA. Hardy also topped 100 yards after contact against Marshall, the first time Hardy has done so this season. Hardy found the endzone on a very long run, going 80 yards to the house for his lone score of the game.
Isaac Brown
RB - Louisville
Snaps:
RB - 40
Slot - 2
Stats:
Rushing - 19 carries, 150 yards, 7.9 YPA, 1 TD
Brown has been incredible for the Cardinals this season, replacing the dynamic Isaac Guerendo at the running back position in a very new offense under head coach Jeff Brohm. With new weapons everywhere, and most of them thriving, Brown has been the anchor in the running game, holding the position down ever since the Cardinals faced Notre Dame.
Week 10 was the first time this season Brown did not log any snaps on special teams as a return man. That leads me to believe that Brown is being viewed purely as the workhorse back rather than a do-it-all gadget player. While Brown is certainly talented and dynamic enough, those abilities will be used more on offense than on special teams. Brown's 150 rushing yards against Clemson were the most of his career in a game, and also had a career-high 86 yards after contact.
Nate Frazier
RB - Georgia
Snaps:
RB - 35
Stats:
Rushing - 19 carries, 82 yards, 4.3 YPA, 1 TD
Receiving - 2 catches, 7 yards, 3.5 YPC, 0 TDs
IN a hard-fought battle against bitter their bitter rivals, Georgia managed to escape Florida's upset bid and they relied on the legs of true freshman Nate Frazier to do so. Frazier had over double the carries of any other Georgia player, including former Gator Trevor Etienne. It also marked only the third time this season Frazier logged at least 10 carries in a game.
Frazier may not have had the most efficient day, averaging 4.3 YPA, but he led the team in rushing and hit paydirt once as well. Frazier was relied on throughout the game when Florida had the lead and the Bulldogs were fighting to take charge, and Frazier delivered. Frazier's workload moving forward will be something to monitor - especially if Georgia find themselves playing any postseason games.
Original photo by Sam Wolfe/Special To The State
Dylan Stewart
EDGE - South Carolina
Snaps:
EDGE - 51
Stats:
Defense: 9 pressures, 1 sack, 1 hit, 7 hurries, 2 tackles, 27.6% pass rush win rate
Stewart has proven that he is already an elite pass rusher time and time again this season. It was a dominant showing from the Gamecocks defense against a top 10 opponent at home, as South Carolina took down the 10th ranked Aggies by 24 points. Stewart had himself a day, logging nearly half of South Carolina's total pressures.
Stewart stuffed the stat sheet, with a season-high 9 pressures and 7 hurries. Stewart outperformed star teammate Kyle Kennard against the Aggies, hitting home with a sack while Kennard did not. While Stewart was flagged once, he was very productive on the day and if he continues to produce like this he will continue to find himself as a member of the Freshman-15.ackles and finding open space. He had 66 yards after contact in Week 8 and will be a building block moving forward in this Bears offense.
KJ Bolden
S - Georgia
Snaps:
SS - 11
FS - 33
Corner - 1
Special Teams - 15
Stats:
Defense - 5 tackles, 2 targets, 0 catches allowed, 1 PBU
In Bolden's first career start for the Bulldogs, he turned in a solid performance, not allowing a single catch and allowing an NFL passer rating of 39.6. Bolden was active all over the field, making plays and lining up in a variety of spots on the defense pre-snap.
Bolden was asked to both drop into coverage and come short in the box to defend the run and did both with ease. The young safety was not phased in a big rivalry game and while it was rough at first, he helped the defense reign in the Gator offense and seal a comeback victory over their bitter rivals.
OJ Frederique Jr.
CB - Miami
Snaps:
Corner - 63
Slot - 3
Special Teams - 8
Stats:
Defense - 1 tackle, 5 targets, 0 catches allowed, 1 INT, 1 PBU
Frederique has had a solid but relatively quiet freshman campaign with the Miami Hurricanes. He has played a total of 393 snaps on defense this season, but had not logged a PBU or INT up until Miami's Week 10 victory over Duke. It was in that win over the Blue Devils that Frederique Jr. nabbed his first interception and made a name for himself, garnering national attention.
Some may credit Duke QB Maalik Murphy for Frederique's interception than Frederique himself, but if you go back and watch the game, Frederique played very tight coverage all day long, including multiple reps against star WR Jordan Moore. Frederique Jr. now has a signature performance to build on and could easily develop into one of the top corners in the country.
Jay Crawford
CB - Auburn
Snaps:
Slot - 13
Corner - 50
FS - 1
Special Teams - 3
Stats:
Defense - 7 targets, 1 catch allowed, 22 yards allowed, 2 PBU
Yet another solid performance from Crawford, who has emerged as one of the top freshman corners in the country. He has been a starter for many weeks now and still has not allowed a touchdown. Crawford has also allowed no more than 25 yards each week.
While Crawford has been penalized a handful of times this year, he has still held opposing quarterbacks to an NFL passer rating of 25.0 when targeting him. Crawford has room to grow in run defense, but has already shown his prowess as a cover corner in his freshman campaign.
UCF quarterback Dylan Rizk (10) throws the ball in his first career start against Arizona. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)
Dylan Rizk
QB - UCF
Snaps:
QB - 65
Wide Out - 1
Stats:
Passing - 20/26, 76.9%, 294 yards, 11.3 YPA, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
Rushing - 8 carries, 61 yards, 7.6 YPA, 0 TDs
UCF has had a turnstile at quarterback after moving on from Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson. First, it was EJ Colson, a true freshman, splitting time with Miami transfer Jacurri Brown, but then Rizk took over against Arizona, and he has vastly outperformed his teammates.
Rizk lit up the scoreboard against Arizona and is going to be the starter going forward against Arizona State, and he helps the offense fire on all cylinders in both the running game and the passing game. His efficiency as a passer and ability as a runner paired with talented players around him like RB RJ Harvey and WR Kobe Hudson opens up the UCF offense in new ways. With Rizk at the helm, UCF is the spoiler team who can beat anyone in any week that I suspected they would be before the season started.
Sam Leavitt
QB - Arizona State
Snaps:
QB - 79
Stats:
Passing - 20/29, 69.0%, 304 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT
Rushing - 6 carries, 21 yards, 3.5 YPA, 0 TDs
The Michigan State transfer has played a crucial role in Arizona State's surprise success this season. While Leavitt may have the help of RB Cam Skattebo in the backfield, Leavitt has been spectacular in his own right.
Leavitt handed Oklahoma State their sixth conference loss of the season in a big win for the Sun Devils, with Leavitt tossing 3 TDs and had his first 300-yard passing game in his career. Leavitt kept the Cowboys winless in Big12 play and had an NFL passer rating of 137.7 in the win. After QB Jaden Rashada transferred despite appearing to be the future for Arizona State, Leavitt replaced him and has not only gotten more positive results, but has invigorated Phoenix with hope alongside head coach Kenny Dillingham.
Kam Shanks
WR - UAB
Snaps:
Slot - 19
Wide Out - 7
Kick Return - 8
Stats:
Receiving - 7 targets, 5 catches, 153 yards, 30.6 YPC, 3 TDs
Rushing - 2 carries, 19 yards, 0 TDs, 1 fumble
Kick Return - 4 returns, 139 yards, 1 TD
Shanks had perhaps on of the best performances by a freshman receiver all year, despite competing with the likes of Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Alabama's Ryan Williams. Shanks tripled his touchdown production on the season in one game against Tulsa and topped the 100-yard mark for the second time this season.
Shanks has had trouble with fumbles this season, however, and has 5 drops on the season as well. Shanks works primarily out of the slot and has done his best work the more he lines up inside. Shanks also returned a punt for a touchdown, his second of the season. The big play ability of Shanks was on full display against the Golden Hurricanes, and Shanks could soon garner attention from scouts across the country.
