Freshman-15: All-American Offense 2024
A spotlight on the best freshmen at each offensive position in 2024.
LaNorris Sellers
QB - South Carolina
Snaps:
QB - 703
Wide Out - 2
Stats:
Passing - 171/267, 64.0%, 2,266 yards, 8.5 YPA, 17 TDs, 7 INTs, 101.1 Passer Rating
Rushing - 132 carries, 820 yards, 6.2 YPA, 7 TDs, 11 fumbles, forced 43 missed tackles
In his first year as the starter for head coach Shane Beamer in Columbia, South Carolina, Sellers put together a season that nearly earned the Gamecocks a playoff bid after going 9-3 in the regular season. Many people have clamored online that Sellers and the Gamecocks have done enough to be the last team in the 12-team College Football Playoff over Alabama and SMU after winning each of their last six games of the season.
All season long, Sellers has displayed elite arm talent paired with attributes that make him a tough runner. Sellers’ size, speed and power all lead people to draw comparisons between the South Carolina native and Auburn’s Cam Newton. Sellers can outrun defensive backs and has rushing ability that few quarterbacks possess. If you think your defensive line can corral him and tackle him, think again, because Sellers does not go down easily against arm tackles and maintains great balance when maneuvering with the football.
Sellers had many standout performances this year, including a five-touchdown outing against Missouri and a comeback victory over in-state rival Clemson in the final week of the season, thanks to Sellers rushing for over 160 yards and punching in a pair of rushing touchdowns. Keep in mind Sellers put together the season he had with new receivers and a new running back, with tight end Josh Simon being the only key returning starter at a skill position.
The expectations going into next year are sky-high for the redshirt freshman, who will be eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft and currently has three more seasons of eligibility.
Isaac Brown
RB - Louisville
Snaps:
RB - 327
Wide Out - 8
Slot - 21
QB - 1
Kick Return - 33
Punt Return - 6
Stats:
Rushing - 145 carries, 1,069 yards, 7.4 YPA, 11 TDs, 2 fumbles, 603 yards after contact
Receiving - 38 targets, 30 receptions, 152 yards, 5.1 YPC, 1 TD, 196 yards after catch
Kick Return - 12 returns, 223 yards, 18.6 YPA
Not much was expected of Brown going into his freshman campaign, as RB Maurice Turner was a contributor the two years prior for the Cardinals and Miami transfer RB Donald Chaney Jr. arrived through the transfer portal. Brown had other plans, however, and rushed for over 120 yards in his first collegiate game against Austin Peay, showing that he should be the heir to NFL running backs Jawhar Jordan and Isaac Guerendo at Louisville.
While it wasn’t until Week 5 against Notre Dame that Brown logged his first career start, Brown made it clear from the outset that he deserved playing time and touches, regardless of what that looked like. It started with punt returns and a handful of snaps in the backfield but developed into his role as the starting running back and primary kick returner for the Cardinals.
Brown’s big games were not all at the expense of inferior teams, as is often the case for many freshmen, but Brown played a massive role in a historic game for Louisville when they defeated the Clemson Tigers for the first time in program history. In the win, Brown rushed for 150 yards and a score, averaging 7.9 yards per carry. Across the entire season, Brown’s 7.4 yards per attempt ranked third nationally among qualifying running backs.
Replicating his spectacular freshman season will be difficult for Brown, as teams have a full season of tape to study, but more importantly, three of Brown’s starting offensive linemen are seniors and the other two are draft eligible. Losing at least three offensive lineman will make an encore for Brown difficult, but the shifty running back will look to maintain Louisville’s recent success out of the backfield.
Ahmad Hardy
RB - ULM
Snaps:
RB - 429
Slot - 2
QB - 1
Stats:
Rushing - 238 carries, 1,346 yards, 5.7 YPA, 13 TDs, 3 fumbles, 1,023 yards after contact, forced 96 missed tackles
Receiving - 10 targets, 8 receptions, 72 yards, 9.0 YPC, 0 TDs
Hardy was a member of the initial Freshman-15 list as an unknown running back recruit out of Monticello, Mississippi. In his first career game against Jackson State, Hardy not only started but reached the century mark and found the endzone once. Hardy failed to reach 100 yards on the ground in only four contests in 2024, two of which came on the road against SEC teams—Texas and Auburn. Hardy’s 1,346 rushing yards in his debut season were good for 11th in the nation, with Hardy being the only freshman in the top 25 nationally.
Going into the Warhawks’ Week 6 matchup with James Madison, the Dukes were 4-0 coming off of back-to-back weeks of scoring more than 60 points. Not only did the Warhawk defense limit James Madison to 19 total points, but it was Hardy’s 38-yard touchdown run that sparked the comeback victory. Hardy displayed great vision and nimble footwork to evade tacklers and navigate through the box before turning on the burners and splitting the deep safeties.
The 2025 season will look much different for Hardy, however, as he has entered his name in the transfer portal, being ranked as 247Sports’ No.3 running back in the portal and No. 40 overall prospect. Hardy has reportedly lined up visits with SEC schools Auburn and Ole Miss, with both schools expected to lose their top rushers from the 2024 season. Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter declared for the NFL Draft and will attend the Reese’s Senior Bowl, while Ole Miss’s Henry Parrish Jr. and Ulysses Bentley IV used their final year of eligibility in 2024.
Jeremiah Smith
WR - Ohio State
Snaps:
Wide Out - 474
Slot - 88
Inline - 4
Punt Return - 21
Kick Return - 1
Stats:
Receiving - 78 targets, 57 receptions, 930 yards, 16.3 YPC, 10 TDs, 1 drop
Rushing - 4 carries, 47 yards, 11.8 YPA, 1 TD, 1 fumble
Smith arrived in Columbus with lofty expectations after wrapping up his high school career which ended with his name atop national recruiting rankings. Despite being in the same position group as other former five-star recruits, Smith quickly earned a spot in the starting rotation at wide receiver. The talented receiver was the fastest player in Ohio State’s history to lose his black stripe designated for newcomers, proving he belonged in Columbus after only four spring practices. The former record was five practices set by current Buckeye wide receiver Carnell Tate.
Smith opened the season by scoring in seven straight games, and reached 100 yards in two of those games. Smith was not only consistently productive but was consistently reliable, dropping only one pass. No other receiver with at least 75 targets dropped fewer passes than Smith. Smith’s 10 touchdown receptions were good for a tie for ninth out of all wide receivers.
The success of Smith’s freshman campaign has resulted in him being viewed as one of the top freshmen but also as a top receiver regardless of class. With QB Will Howard moving on to the NFL and QB Devin Brown entering the transfer portal, it seems that Smith will be catching passes from Alabama transfer Julian Sayin, Air Noland or an upcoming addition from the transfer portal.
Ryan Williams
WR - Alabama
Snaps:
Wide Out - 509
Slot - 108
RB - 4
Inline - 1
Punt Return - 18
Kick Return - 8
Stats:
Receiving - 79 targets, 45 receptions, 857 yards, 19.0 YPC, 8 TDs
Rushing - 4 carries, 48 yards, 12.0 YPA, 2 TDs, 1 fumble
Kick Return - 2 returns, 14 yards, 7.0 YPA
Punt Return - 10 returns, 82 yards, 8.2 YPA, 3 fair catches, 1 muffed punt
Yes, Williams is the youngest member of the Freshman-15 and the youngest ECG Freshman All American at 17 years old. Despite his youth, Williams was Alabama’s leading receiver and accounted for half of Alabama’s receiving touchdowns. But Williams nearly didn’t enroll at Alabama this year, for several of reasons.
Williams was a longtime Alabama commit in the Tide’s 2025 class, and following a state-title win during his junior season of high school, Williams reclassified to the 2024 class. However, once legendary head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement, Williams backed off his pledge to the Tide, along with many other recruits. Williams took visits to College Station, Baton Rouge and Auburn before a final visit to Tuscaloosa sealed the deal for the Tide and newly appointed head coach Kalen DeBoer.
After a wild recruitment, Williams wound up in Tuscaloosa and in his first career game in front of 100,000 people dressed in crimson, he caught two passes. Both were touchdowns. His debut was a sign of things to come for the freshman, as Williams scored in the next four games including the jaw-dropping winner in Bryant-Denny Stadium against Georgia. After that catch, however, Williams struggled to get things going, eclipsing 60 yards only twice over the final eight games of the season.
With Jalen Milroe’s future up in the air, Williams may have a different passer in 2025. But with fellow receivers Kendrick Law, Kobe Prentice and Caleb Odom announcing their intentions to enter the transfer portal, the Alabama passing attack as a whole will look very different heading into next year.
Cam Coleman
WR - Auburn
Snaps:
Wide Out - 523
Slot - 23
RB - 3
Stats:
Receiving - 55 targets, 37 receptions, 598 yards, 16.2 YPC, 8 TDs
After Jimbo Fisher was fired by Texas A&M, Coleman, an Aggie commit at the time, reopened his recruitment and visited Auburn for the New Mexico State game and the Iron Bowl in Jordan-Hare Stadium. While both were losses for the Tigers, Coleman had seen enough and flipped his commitment to head coach Hugh Freeze and Auburn. Coleman was not the only new pass catcher in town, with fellow freshmen Perry Thompson and Malcolm Simmons joining Coleman in Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class, and Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith being arguably the most impactful addition for QB Payton Thorne.
While Coleman started off the season with a fantastic touchdown reception to open his account, the talented freshman had trouble putting up consistent production for the Tigers, as quarterbacks Payton Thorne and Hank Brown battled for the starting job midseason. It wasn’t until Week 12 against ULM when Coleman strung together consecutive games with at least three receptions. Against the Warhawks, Texas A&M and Alabama, Coleman totaled 22 receptions, 306 yards and six touchdowns to close the season.
While Coleman struggled throughout most of the season, he ended the season with a dominant stretch of games, showing why he was ranked as a five-star prospect coming out of high school. With Payton Thorne out of eligibility, Coleman will have a new quarterback in 2025, but Auburn has always been a run-heavy team to begin with. Regardless of the quarterback situation in Auburn, Coleman should shine in his sophomore campaign.
Decker DeGraaf
TE - Washington
Snaps:
Inline - 167
Slot - 32
FB - 14
Wide Out - 10
Special Teams - 3
Stats:
Receiving - 18 targets, 14 receptions, 199 yards, 14.2 YPC, 3 TDs, 1 drop
As shown by his snap count, DeGraaf is very versatile. DeGraaf is scheme-proof in a day and age when players and coaches find themselves with new teams seemingly too often. DeGraaf’s first career catch came on a wheel route against Weber State while lined up in the backfield next to QB Will Rogers. It was a touchdown. Wherever DeGraaf lines up, he is sure to be a threat.
After finding the endzone on his first career catch, DeGraaf followed that up by doing the same on his second career catch, running down the sideline, staying in bounds after bringing in the catch. Despite having the sixth most catches on the team, DeGraaf was tied for second in touchdown receptions, and averaged a team-high 14.2 yards per reception.
With fellow Husky tight end Keleki Latu using his final year of eligibility, DeGraaf should be in line for more playing time heading into his second year with Washington. With Rogers bound for the NFL Draft, there will be a new—and likely less experienced—quarterback at the helm for Washington in 2025. DeGraaf will likely be one of his favorite targets.
Jordan Seaton
OT - Colorado
Snaps:
LT - 816
Special Teams - 7
Stats:
Blocking - 2 sacks allowed, 5 hits allowed, 16 hurries allowed, 23 pressures allowed
After an elongated recruitment that saw the five-star tackle commit to head coach Deion Sanders’ Colorado team, Seaton arrived on campus with the expectation of starting on day one. Despite seven incoming transfers along the offensive line, Seaton earned the starting job protecting the blind side of QB Shedeur Sanders.
Seaton was one of three freshman offensive tackles to have appeared in all 12 games for their teams, and allowed the fewest sacks out of that group. Both sacks were allowed in the Buffs’ Week 2 loss on the road against Nebraska. Seaton also had three games this season without allowing a single pressure. The one part of Seaton’s game that needs cleaning up is the penalties, as his 14 penalties were the second most out of all offensive tackles, regardless of class.
With Sanders surely declaring for the NFL Draft after the Alamo Bowl, Seaton will be the blindside protector for a new quarterback in 2025. After signing QB Julian Lewis, the No. 37 prospect according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, it seems likely that Lewis will take the reins from the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner.
Lajuan Owens
OT - New Mexico
Snaps:
LT - 718
RT - 7
TE - 3
Stats:
Blocking - 0 sacks allowed, 0 hits allowed, 4 hurries allowed, 4 pressures allowed
Owens is a redshirt freshman who transferred to New Mexico from Tulane, where he did not log any snaps in 2023. It wasn’t until Week 3 that Owens got his first start and action of the season, as Week 0 starter Tevin Shaw went down for the year with an injury leading up to New Mexico’s matchup against Auburn.
Owens was one of two underclassmen to have logged at least 500 snaps and not allow any sacks. He also allowed the fewest pressures of that group. Owens protected the blindside of electric quarterback Devon Dampier, who recently announced his commitment to Utah.
Owens has a tough decision ahead of him, with former head coach Bronco Mendenhall heading to Logan, Utah to coach Utah State and former offensive coordinator Jason Beck heading to Salt Lake City to join Dampier as a Ute. Owens could enter the portal, looking to join familiar faces in the state of Utah, or he could stay with offensive line coach Famika Anae and the Lobos for 2025.
Amare Grayson
IOL - Jacksonville State
Snaps:
RG - 560
Special Teams - 80
Stats:
Blocking - 0 sacks allowed, 1 hit allowed, 5 hurries allowed, 6 pressures allowed
An early enrollee for former head coach Rich Rodriguez, Grayson was able to participate in spring ball and get an extra semester of workouts and practices under his belt before heading into fall camp. Grayson appeared in 11 games, including the Conference USA championship game, starting in seven.
Grayson did not allow a single sack in pass protection, and allowed a total of six total pressures, the fifth lowest total of all freshman guards with at least 500 snaps. Grayson was not flagged throughout the entire season, an excellent mark considering he logged 560 snaps. Grayson also excelled as a run blocker, paving the way for Gamecock RB Tre Stewart to accumulate over 1,600 yards while averaging 6.1 yards per carry. QB Tyler Huff also has Grayson to thank as Huff added over 1,300 yards rushing, helping the Conference USA champions rush for over 3,400 yards this season.
Grayson is slated to return to Jacksonville State, and will be in action in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl against MAC champion Ohio on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. With Rodriguez leaving for West Virginia, precedent says that an exodus is likely, but only time will tell if Grayson thinks the grass is greener in Morgantown.
Tyson Ruffins
IOL - Nevada
Snaps:
LG - 586
Stats:
Blocking - 0 sacks allowed, 1 hit allowed, 5 hurries allowed, 6 pressures allowed
Under first-year head coach Jeff Choate, Ruffins committed, signed, dominated on the field, and entered the transfer portal in a span of nine months. Choate was able to land the signature of Ruffins who held an offer from Georgia Tech, and the addition of Ruffins to the program paid off, as Ruffins was excellent in the interior of the offensive line.
Zero sacks allowed. Only six pressures allowed. Ruffins was nearly identical statistically to fellow ECG Freshman All American IOL Amare Grayson. The only difference? Ruffins was penalized once. Aside from the penalty, it is hard to point out many flaws in Ruffins’ game. Ruffins was a mauler on the left side for QB Brandon Lewis and RB Savion Red, both transfers from Power 4 programs. Both players rushed for more than 600 yards.
Ruffins entered the transfer portal on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, and has reportedly already been in contact with Power 4 programs across the country. The freshman guard will certainly be an impact player for whichever program secures his signature, building on an impressive debut season in Reno.
Tyler Mercer
IOL - North Texas
Snaps:
Center - 565
Special Teams - 3
Stats:
Blocking - 0 sacks allowed, 0 hits allowed, 3 hurries allowed, 3 pressures allowed
Mercer didn’t begin the season as the starter in Denton, Texas. Ranked outside of the top 1,500 prospects in the class of 2024, Mercer flew under the radar but picked up a handful of FBS offers. Mercer arrived on campus for North Texas as the backup center, but was thrust into action after just one game due to an injury to starting center Jett Duncan. Unfortunately for Mercer, the injury bug would acquaint itself with him only a couple weeks later, keeping the talented freshman out of the lineup until Week 7.
Mercer did not allow a single sack all season, and in his first two games he did not allow a single pressure. While Mercer was penalized four times this season, he made up for it with superb play in a pass-heavy offense. Mercer kept QB Chandler Morris clean and put in some impressive performances including a 101-snap outing against the eventual American Athletic Conference champions, Memphis.
Mercer was the first offensive lineman to feature in the Freshman-15 during 2024, and was part of the initial list. Since then, he has put together a freshman campaign strong enough to warrant a move in the transfer portal, and schools like Miami have taken notice. Do not be surprised if the talented center finds a new home at a Power 4 program.
