ShareThisAs teams open their 2010 seasons this week, many will rely on true freshmen like never before.
At USC, Robert Woods will become the first true freshman ever to start an opener at wideout for the Trojans.
At BYU, Jake Heaps fell short of becoming the first true freshman in school history to open the season as the starting quarterback. Still, he'll share time and figures to win the full-time job before long.
At Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, the trend is no different.
The Sooners have seven true freshmen are on their two-deep heading into Saturday's opener, including fullback Trey Millard and wideout Kenny Stills in the starting lineup.
The Cowboys have nine true freshmen in their two-deep, including cornerback Justin Gilbert, who will handle punt returns.
At both schools, at least a dozen true freshmen, and perhaps several more, will play. Highs in the Stoops and Gundy eras.
What has happened to the practice of redshirting true freshmen in college football?
"Three years ago, I was talking about how it was important to redshirt as many players as possible. That's how things change," said Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. "We feel like if there's a player who can contribute to our team, get 25 to 30 plays per game whether on special teams or offense or defense, then he's going to help us."
In Norman, the belief is the same.
"With 85 scholarships, you get thin when you're not playing guys. Special teams get thin. Depth gets thin," said Sooners coach Bob Stoops. "So if he is ready to play and can add depth, you play him."
Across the country, schools have become more inclined to play their true freshmen instead of redshirting them.
One major reason is the desire to win now.
"Coaches today in the current college football landscape are starting to understand, they have to win now, in order to keep their jobs," said ESPN college football analyst Jesse Palmer. "Gone are the days when a coach has a long tenure and juniors and seniors are entitled to playing time, where freshmen come in, redshirt and wait their turn. Coaches are realizing they need to win, or they will get fired, or they will get bought out."
Another major reason is to win recruiting battles. Especially among the blue-chip prospects.
"Being on the scout team all year is never any fun," said Oklahoma center Ben Habern, who saw time as a true freshman in 2008 even though the Sooners had all-conference center Jon Cooper. "I don't think any player wants to come in and redshirt."
Would Adrian Peterson have gone to Oklahoma if he thought he was going to redshirt? Or Dez Bryant at Oklahoma State?
"There's no doubt about it, coaches are getting away from redshirting players," said ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard, the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner at Michigan. "I remember talking to (former USC coach) Pete Carroll, and one of the things he tells freshmen is, you will have a chance to compete for a starting position. You're not telling him you're going to play or you're going to start, but you will have an equal opportunity to practice and compete for a starting job."
Four years ago, Florida coach Urban Meyer played quarterback Tim Tebow as a true freshman, even though the Gators had Chris Leak returning. The result? A national championship.
"We don't redshirt here at Florida," Meyer told reporters recently, when asked about his freshman class. "That's why we recruited them and that's why they're here -- to play."
That recruiting pitch resonates with high-profile recruits, who don't want sit out a year on the sidelines.
"It's night and day from when I was in high school," said Howard, who redshirted in 1988 despite being a high school All-American. "That's just the philosophy of a lot of players these days, because players don't want to redshirt their freshman year. They want to get to the fire, they want to compete. That's just a trend going around college football."
But there are other benefits to playing freshmen right away, other than just luring them to campus during recruiting.
Gundy noted overall the freshmen that play right away do better academically in their college careers than the ones who redshirt.
Stoops believes freshmen that have played are "more mature and ready to play the next year when you're really gonna count on them."
"You don't want to waste a year," said OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. "But a lot of guys who play are better in the offseason and better the next year.
"When you don't play, as hard as you work and the commitment you have to make, it can feel like you're running into a wall. It's no fun."
Plus, as coaches point out, why redshirt players who are going to leave college after three or four years anyway?
Said Gundy: "You might as well play them."
Playing freshmen also has become easier because of the evolution of high school football.
"They're better coached in high school, they're working out in high school more year round," said Oklahoma defense coordinator Brent Venables. "They understand football better, going to camps and combines, where they continue to get exposure to technique and schemes. And then they're here all summer. Players have a much better understanding of what you're doing mentally, and they're able to pass that along to the young guys as well during the summer when the coaches aren't around."
Which is why Saturday in Norman or Stillwater, you might need to bring a roster along with you.
Like other schools around the country, they're relying on true freshmen more now than ever before.
(Contact Jake Trotter at jtrotter(at)opubco.com )
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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