Freshman-15: Week 11 (2024)
A weekly spotlight on 15 freshmen across the country who had standout performances. All stats are courtesy of PFF Premium Stats. (2024 season)
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) rolls out looking for a pass downfield. (Photo from AZCentral)
Sam Leavitt
QB - Arizona State
Snaps:
QB - 59
Stats:
Passing - 16/25, 64.0%, 161 yards, 6.4 YPA, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
Rushing - 9 carries, 40 yards, 4.4 YPA, 0 TDs
Leavitt has thrived in Phoenix after transferring in from Michigan State and, along with star RB Cam Skattebo, has the Sun Devils rolling into the final stretch of the season with a 7-2 record. In Week 11, Leavitt had to take on the UCF Knights without Skattebo at his disposal, as the running back was dealing with an injury. Even without the Sun Devils’ 1,000 yard rusher, Leavitt got the job done against a dangerous UCF team.
Leavitt was efficient and protected the football, with 0 turnover worthy plays against the Knights. While his yardage total may not jump off the screen, Leavitt excellently orchestrated a 4th quarter game-winning drive with a touchdown pass with less than five minutes left in the game. It’s safe to say second-year head coach Kenny Dillingham has found his quarterback of the future.
Jeremiah Smith
WR - Ohio State
Snaps:
Slot - 1
Wide Out - 33
Stats:
Receiving - 7 targets, 6 catches, 87 yards, 14.5 YPC, 1 TD
Smith went down in the Ohio State history books after a 17-yard TD catch put him ahead of Cris Carter for the most receiving touchdowns by a freshman. In a 45-point victory over the Purdue Boilermakers, Smith had yet another great performance, and has consistently been the Buckeyes’ most dangerous receiver.
Smith also owns the Ohio State records for receptions and yards for a freshman. He has now been a member of the Freshman-15 five times, and it is only fitting that he make it again after breaking numerous records at a school that has churned out top-tier wide receiver talent in recent years. Smith may have reached 100 yards in a game twice this season, but he has failed to gain at least 70 yards only once and has failed to score a touchdown only once this season as well.
Original photo by Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Wayshawn Parker
RB - Washington State
Snaps:
RB - 23
Slot - 2
Stats:
Rushing - 11 carries, 149 yards, 13.5 YPA, 2 TDs
Receiving - 1 target, 1 catch, 10 yards, 0 TDs
Parker makes his debut as a member of the Freshman-15 after a massive performance against Utah State. A brace of touchdowns make his efficient day even better, and both were done in different fashion. The first came in the second quarter from a couple yards out, and Parker lowered his shoulder to get tough yards and pushed himself into the endzone. Parker’s second touchdown came on the opening play of the second half, taking it 75 yards to the house.
On the play, Parker flashed breakaway speed, but after showing excellent vision on an inside zone run. The Cougars’ offensive line created a gap that opened up between the left guard and the center, and Parker saw it, cutting up field and proceeded to weave his way through a sea of defenders untouched into the endzone. He outran the Aggies' secondary, and demonstrated a big-play ability that compliments the playmaking ability of QB John Mateer.
Telly Johnson Jr.
RB - Northern Illinois
Snaps:
RB - 35
Stats:
Rushing - 23 carries, 141 yards, 6.1 YPA, TDs
In just his second appearance this season, Johnson Jr. had an incredible outing, topping 100 yards and finding the endzone twice for the Huskies in a dominant win over Western Michigan. Johnson Jr. logged the first touchdowns of his career and earned himself the starting job in the Huskies Week 12 matchup, that wrapped up on Wednesday night.
Johnson Jr. is a mean runner, and rather than avoiding contact, he invites it. On run after run, including a 26-yard TD in the third quarter, Johnson Jr. was running through people and stiff arming his way down the field. But even with his downhill style of running, Johnson Jr. showed on a 6-yard TD that he could get skinny running between the tackles and navigated through traffic to score his first collegiate touchdown. Johnson Jr. possesses great skill that make him an intriguing prospect to watch as he gets closer to becoming draft eligible.
Ahmad hardy
RB - ULM
Snaps:
RB - 43
Stats:
Rushing - 20 carries, 105 yards, 5.3 YPA, 2 TDs, 2 fumbles
Receiving - 1 target, 0 catches, 0 yards
To address the elephant in the room, Hardy put the ball on the ground for the first and second time in his career in the same game. But despite having 2 fumbles, Hardy surpassed 100 yards and had a brace of touchdowns as well. That marks four weeks in a row that Hardy has reached the century mark and the second game in his career with multiple rushing touchdowns.
Hardy once again continues his bid for being hailed as a freshman All-American. Now less than 100 yards away from reaching 1,000 yards on the ground, Hardy has a chance to establish himself as one of the most talented running backs in the Group of 5 conferences. His contact balance was once again on full display as Hardy had 106 yards after contact. Yes, you read that correctly. He had 106 yards after contact but 105 on the day. That is how much Hardy had to fight for each yard he gained. In my opinion, he is the best back in this class.
Jerrick Gibson
RB - Texas
Snaps:
RB - 21
Stats:
Rushing - 16 carries, 100 yards, 6.2 YPA, 1 TD, 1 fumble
After a host of injuries in the Longhorn backfield, it seemed like this moment would come sooner for Gibson. However, Gibson himself found himself dealing with the injury bug. Gibson saw a handful of carries against Florida though, and made the most of those carries. The Florida native got his first 100-yard game of his young career against the Florida Gators, who were an active suitor in Gibson’s recruitment.
Gibson is a tough runner between the tackles, and showed good vision and made the right cuts inside. I was very impressed at his decision making on outside zone runs, often from an RPO, as Gibson seemed to always make the right call between cutting up the field or bouncing it outside. Texas has churned out NFL-quality running backs under head coach Steve Sarkisian. Gibson has the potential to be in that category.
Dylan Stewart
EDGE - South Carolina
Snaps:
EDGE - 50
Stats:
Defense - 6 pressures, 1 hit, 5 hurries, 2 tackles
While Stewart didn’t log a sack, he had yet another dominant week in which he pooped off the screen when watching South Carolina play. Stewart made many plays himself but also went unblocked by the Commodores on a couple of run plays. Why is beyond me, but regardless, Stewart did an excellent job at reading the option and closing down on both the quarterback and running back at the mesh point, making a play no matter who ended up with the ball.
Stewart logged at least 6 pressures for the third time this season and made Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia’s life very difficult in another big win for the Gamecocks, who are now ranked in the CFP Top 25. Stewart’s bend off the edge continues to impress me along with his explosiveness. He is a monster with a large frame and will continue to grow stronger as he spends more time in a Power 4 offseason strength program.
Kyran Duhon
EDGE - UTEP
Snaps:
EDGE - 42
DT - 12
Special Teams - 15
Stats:
Defense - 2 pressures, 2 sacks, 4 tackles
In Duhon’s second appearance in the Freshman-15, the young pass rusher doubled his sack total on the year with two against conference foe Kennesaw State. The Owls didn’t have a response for the versatile lineman who not only rushed the passer off the edge but also flexed inside in different packages.
Duhon’s production rushing the passer was crucial in the double-overtime win for the the Miners. Duhon has also settled in as a key contributor, ramping up his production as the season has gone on with all 4 sacks coming since Week 7. Duhon has a Week 13 matchup against Tennessee which will serve as a test of the highest caliber for the young pass rusher.
Original photo courtesy of East Carolina Athletics
Ja’Marley Riddle
S - East Carolina
Snaps:
SS - 49
FS - 14
Special Teams - 6
Stats:
Defense: 6 tackles, 3 targets, 0 catches allowed, 1 INT, 1 PBU
Riddle was a late bloomer compared to some of the other members of the Freshman-15 with multiple appearances, but he has been one of the most impactful out of any freshman in the country since he assumed a starting role in the Pirates’ secondary. Riddle is also the first two-time ECG Defensive Freshman of the Week, garnering the honor both in Week 9 and Week 11.
Riddle has developed into a personal favorite of mine, as he pops on tape especially with his ball production. In Week 11, Riddle allowed an NFL passer rating of 0.0, not allowing a single completion when targeted, and added 1 PBU and an interception to go with it. The interception came on a tipped pass over the middle that Riddle caught off the fingertips of one of his teammates.
Chris Jones
LB - Southern Mississippi
Snaps:
LB - 29
Special Teams - 5
Stats:
Defense - 10 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 targets, 1 catch allowed, 8 yards allowed, 1 PBU
Jones is one of the first off-ball linebackers to earn a Freshman-15 nomination in 2024, and he did it by stuffing the stat sheet, making plays all over the field against Marshall. While Marshall won the game by over 30 points, Jones was a bright spot in a game where moral victories were the only positive takeaway.
Jones was everywhere in run defense, plugging gaps and also forced a fumble. When asked to drop back into coverage, Jones only allowed 1 catch for 8 yards, and broke up a pass as well. What was also impressive was Jones accumulated his highest tackle output of the season in Week 11 but he did so without missing any tackles, making his performance even more impressive.
Cameron Calhoun
CB - Utah
Snaps:
Corner - 47
Slot - 3
Special Teams - 4
Stats:
Defense - 4 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 6 targets, 3 catches allowed, 39 yards allowed, 1 PBU
Calhoun finds himself as a member of the Freshman-15 for the second time this season, and it once again comes against an in-state school. Calhoun’s first appearance came against Utah State and Calhoun’s second appearance comes after a narrow loss to in-state rival BYU.
Calhoun was picked on quite often, being targeted by BYU QB Jake Retzlaff six times, tied for the most among Utah defenders. Calhoun also had the highest target-to-snap ratio, so he was picked on the most based on the number of snaps he played. Calhoun held his own, however, and also forced a fumble during the Utes’ upset bid of undefeated BYU. While the Cougars wound up victorious, Calhoun proved he can hold his own against one of the top teams in the country.
Boo Carter
CB - Tennessee
Snaps:
Slot - 34
FS - 1
Punt Return - 7
Stats:
Defense - 3 tackles, 5 targets, 2 catches allowed, 22 yards allowed, 1 INT
Punt Returns - 6 returns, 56 yards, 9.3 YPA
Carter makes his return to the Freshman-15 with a big performance against Mississippi State. Carter also flashed some shiftiness as a punt returner, which could turn the tide in favor of the Vols when they face Georgia in Week 12. Carter also nabbed his first interception of his career.
Carter last made the Freshman-15 for his production rushing the passer, hitting home for multiple sacks in Week 7, but his Week 11 appearance comes primarily due to his defensive performance with his punt returning abilities also giving him a boost. Carter allowed only 2 catches on 5 targets, with one of the those catches resulting in a loss of yardage. Carter has also been listed as a starter for the last two weeks, and much will be asked of him when Tennessee takes on Georgia in one of the biggest games of the week.
UConn defensive back Cam Chadwick (13) celebrates after making a play. (Photo courtesy of UConn Athletics)
Cam Chadwick
CB - UConn
Snaps:
Corner - 61
Slot - 16
Special Teams - 5
Stats:
Defense - 5 tackles, 3 targets, 0 catches allowed, 1 INT
Chadwick makes his Freshman-15 debut after UConn’s 8-point win in which Chadwick logged the second interception of his career. While he primarily lines up out wide, Chadwick was lined up in the slot when he got picked off UAB QB Jalen Kitna.
Chadwick reeled in one of Kitna’s passes by undercutting a slant route that had a little bit too much hang time, and immediately went down, securing the turnover for the Huskies in what ended up being a one-score game. The redshirt freshman has been a starter for the Huskies all season long and is beginning to improve week after week in terms of his production.
Ty’Anthony Smith
LB - Texas
Snaps:
LB - 25
Special Teams - 15
Stats:
Defense - 5 tackles, 1 target, 1 catch allowed, 16 yards allowed, 1 INT
Smith grabbed the first interception of his career in a blowout win over Florida, but also shows flashes of being the next elite linebacker to back off of his commitment to Texas A&M during his recruitment and develop into a star. Smith flipped on signing day in favor of the Longhorns, joining the likes of fellow Longhorn LB Anthony Hill and superstar LSU LB Harold Perkins as former Aggie commits to sign with other schools.
Smith generally tends to special teams duties but has earned playing time during blowout wins this season. He has flashed moments of brilliance, but has also had his fair share of missed tackles. Those kinds of freshman mistakes will be worked out as Smith gains experience and muscle mass in a Power 4 strength and conditioning pgrogram.
Cam Vaughn
WR - Jacksonville State
Snaps:
Slot - 7
Wide Out - 74
Stats:
Receiving - 10 targets, 7 catches, 130 yards, 18.6 YPC, 2 TDs
Jacksonville State defeated Louisiana Tech thanks to a Hail Mary at the end of regulation, capping off a 37-second drive that wound up forcing overtime, as the PAT was not converted. You probably saw the video on social media of the Hail Mary, as receivers and defensive backs alike tried to high point the ball, all failing to get a hand on the pass - except for one player. Vaughn kept moving back and as the ball went over the conglomerate of players in front of him, the ball went straight into his hands, and Vaugh finished a wild play, keeping the Gamecocks’ hopes of victory alive.
Vaughn added the legendary moment to his resume, but he also had the best game of his career. Vaughn surpassed the 100-yard mark for the first time of his career and had his first multi-touchdown game of his career as well. Vaughn’s Week 11 performance will go down in Jacksonville State lore and be remembered for years to come.
