Some Young Players Will Contribute This Year
The coaching staff and players have consistently mentioned several freshmen or redshirt freshmen who could be contributors this season.
It’s not unusual for a freshman to contribute early at certain positions. The secondary and running back positions usually allow freshmen to transition fairly quickly. However, the quarterback, linebacker, tight end, wide receiver, and anything in the trenches usually takes at least one year, if not two, before guys are ready.
Usually, it’s a combination of maturing physically while learning the position that slows that transition. However, players like Kevin Wynn and the Desir twins have heard their names consistently. Those three guys are more advanced physically than most freshmen. The same for freshman running back Ousmane Kromah.
Jayvan Boggs has been a name we’ve been hearing since the spring, and Gus Malzahn confirmed he’s likely in the starting rotation with the injury to Lawayne McCoy.
That’s impressive, because the transition from high school to college is difficult for receivers. They have so many nuances and adjustments to learn, aside from just going out and making plays.
Another freshman we’re hearing consistently is defensive back Shamar Arnoux. That’s a sizable amount of freshmen for a recruiting class that was thrown together at the last minute after all of the coaching changes.