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PFF's top 10 true freshman classes of 2019
DJDuck
Member Posts: 5,970
“Recruiting is the biggest piece of the puzzle in building a college football dynasty. If you win the recruiting battle, you can get a clear head start over other dominant programs.
Some programs are forced to rely on their true freshmen more than others. Sometimes that pays off, and sometimes it doesn't. Obviously, it takes time for top recruits — or any recruits, for that matter — to develop, but every year, there are a handful of rare athletes who make an immediate impact from day one as true freshmen.
PFF has unveiled its wins above average metric (PFF WAA) in recent weeks, and we used it to rank the top 10 true freshman classes from the 2019 college football season.“
5. OREGON DUCKS
Why they're ranked here: Oregon had a loaded 2019 recruiting class, with 10 of its incoming true freshmen landing in the ESPN 300. Three of those players, in particular, were significant contributors in 2019. Edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux and cornerback Mykael Wright were two of the 10 most valuable non-quarterback true freshmen in terms of WAA from the 2019 season. Although slot receiver Mycah Pittman had bad injury luck that limited him to seven games, he produced a 70.0 receiving grade when healthy, 15th among 47 qualifying true freshman receivers.
How their top recruit fared: Thibodeaux was the No. 1 overall recruit from the 2019 class, and he certainly played like it in 2019. In the six years that PFF has been collecting college data, Thibodeaux's 2019 season was the best we have seen from a true freshman edge defender. His pass-rush grade trailed only that of Utah's Bradlee Anae as the best in the Pac-12, and he won on more than 16% of his pass-rush reps to crack the 80th percentile among all FBS edge defenders.
Best true freshman: As good as Thibodeaux was, Wright meant a little bit more to the Oregon defense. On his 187 coverage snaps in 2019, Wright allowed just eight catches on 23 targets for 85 yards while adding three pass breakups and one interception. That paved the way to a passer rating allowed of 28.4. Oregon has a loaded secondary returning, but the Ducks have to find a way to get Wright on the field more in 2020.
https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-pffs-top-10-true-freshman-classes-of-2019
Some programs are forced to rely on their true freshmen more than others. Sometimes that pays off, and sometimes it doesn't. Obviously, it takes time for top recruits — or any recruits, for that matter — to develop, but every year, there are a handful of rare athletes who make an immediate impact from day one as true freshmen.
PFF has unveiled its wins above average metric (PFF WAA) in recent weeks, and we used it to rank the top 10 true freshman classes from the 2019 college football season.“
5. OREGON DUCKS
Why they're ranked here: Oregon had a loaded 2019 recruiting class, with 10 of its incoming true freshmen landing in the ESPN 300. Three of those players, in particular, were significant contributors in 2019. Edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux and cornerback Mykael Wright were two of the 10 most valuable non-quarterback true freshmen in terms of WAA from the 2019 season. Although slot receiver Mycah Pittman had bad injury luck that limited him to seven games, he produced a 70.0 receiving grade when healthy, 15th among 47 qualifying true freshman receivers.
How their top recruit fared: Thibodeaux was the No. 1 overall recruit from the 2019 class, and he certainly played like it in 2019. In the six years that PFF has been collecting college data, Thibodeaux's 2019 season was the best we have seen from a true freshman edge defender. His pass-rush grade trailed only that of Utah's Bradlee Anae as the best in the Pac-12, and he won on more than 16% of his pass-rush reps to crack the 80th percentile among all FBS edge defenders.
Best true freshman: As good as Thibodeaux was, Wright meant a little bit more to the Oregon defense. On his 187 coverage snaps in 2019, Wright allowed just eight catches on 23 targets for 85 yards while adding three pass breakups and one interception. That paved the way to a passer rating allowed of 28.4. Oregon has a loaded secondary returning, but the Ducks have to find a way to get Wright on the field more in 2020.
https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-pffs-top-10-true-freshman-classes-of-2019
Comments
Why they're ranked here: Only a handful of true freshmen from a loaded Washington recruiting class played significant time in 2019, but the impact by those who saw the field was positive. Cornerback Trent McDuffie and safety Cameron Williams played the most among the class and generated the most WAA, both ranking among the seven best at their positions. Wide receiver Puka Nacua had just 11 targets on the season but managed to generate five explosive plays of 15-plus yards while catching three of his five contested targets.
How their top recruit fared: Interior defensive linemen Jacob Bandes and Faatui Tuitele headlined Washington's recruiting class but played very few snaps. After those two came quarterback Dylan Morris, but he didn't play either, leaving McDuffie as the highest-ranked recruit.
Best true freshman: McDuffie played the most of any Washington true freshman and was one of the best in the country. His 85.4 overall grade was 11th among 456 qualifying cornerbacks in the FBS, and his tackling was as good as anybody's, with just one missed tackle on 45 attempts. McDuffie rarely allowed big plays in his coverage and allowed only six explosive plays of 15-plus yards on his 421 coverage snaps.