Top 5 true freshmen seasons in college football history

It’s practically guaranteed an upperclassman will win the Heisman in 2019, but that doesn’t mean the more experienced players are the only ones making waves in college football.

Central Florida's true freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel is 12th in the nation in passing yards (2,000), while first-year dual-threat QB Jayden Daniels has collected 1,841 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns for No. 24 Arizona State. LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. and Washington’s Cameron Williams—both true freshmen—lead their respective teams in interceptions (three each) and are just three behind the current leader in the FBS.

With those budding stars in mind, let’s take a look at the top five true-freshman seasons of all time.   

Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

Luke Kuechly filled in at linebacker for Boston College in his freshman season, after Mark Herzlich got sidelined with bone cancer. Kuechly had big shoes to fill and filled them well. He recorded 87 solo tackles and finished second in the nation in total tackles (158). Kuechly added 13 tackles for loss and an interception return for a touchdown in the Eagles’ 8-5 campaign in 2009.

The exceptional linebacker only got better from there. Kuechly left before his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, where the Carolina Panthers selected him ninth overall.

George Shaw, DB, Oregon

Going back to 1951, George Shaw set a single-season freshman college football record that has yet to be broken. In his true-freshman season at Oregon, the defensive back snagged 13 interceptions back when football was a much more run-focused sport.

Shaw did more than just excel in the secondary. He made a name for himself as a quarterback and frequently played all 60 minutes of a game, on both offense and defense. In his senior season, he led the country with 1,536 yards of offense and became the No. 1 draft pick by the Baltimore Colts in 1955. He also garnered All-American honors in baseball and received an offer to play for the New York Yankees.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pittsburgh

Jeremy Maclin and Michael Crabtree stand out as two of the best redshirt freshmen receivers of all time, but Larry Fitzgerald owned arguably the greatest season as a true-freshman wideout.

In 2002 Fitzgerald entered Pittsburgh a year older than most freshmen, as he failed to meet NCAA requirements to play football after he graduated high school. He attended Valley Forge Military Academy before he suited up as a freshman for Pitt. There he led the Big East in receptions (69) and tallied 1,005 yards and 12 touchdowns. He became the first true freshman in the Big East to earn unanimous first-team all-conference honors and helped the Panthers accomplish an eight-win season, plus a victory in the Insight Bowl.

Ron Dayne, RB, Wisconsin

It’s tempting to list Hershel Walker as the top true freshman running back of all time, considering he burst onto the college football scene in 1980 and whisked Georgia straight to a 12-0 record and a national title. But from a statistical standpoint, it’s tough not to give Ron Dayne an edge here.

In 1996 Dayne carried Wisconsin on his back and transformed a 4-5 team in 1995 to an eight-win squad the following season. Dayne piled on 2,109 rushing yards, a freshman record, and 21 touchdowns. His 2,242 yards from scrimmage still stand as a freshman record, and he accounted for nearly half of Wisconsin’s offense in 1996. The Badgers only registered nine touchdown passes on the year, so Dayne’s dominance in the run game clearly made the difference in Wisconsin’s success.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

It’s one thing to pull off a statistically phenomenal season as a true freshman but post a poor team record, like Robert Griffin III did at Baylor in 2008 (the Bears ended up 4-8). To excel at your position and help carry your team to prominence—to the tune of a national title, no less—is another thing.

In 2018 Trevor Lawrence earned the official starting spot as a true freshman prior to Clemson’s fifth game of the season. Lawrence threw for 3,280 yards, 30 touchdowns and just four interceptions, and led the Tigers to an undefeated record—including a 44-16 victory over Alabama in the national championship game. The Clemson star was named Offensive MVP in the title match (347 yards, three TDs) and became the first true freshman quarterback to lead his team to a national championship since Jamelle Holieway of Oklahoma in 1985.