Alabama QB Jalen Hurts leads true freshman All-America team
— -- Jalen Hurts burst on the scene to lead Alabama to a wire-to-wire No. 1 ranking. Ed Oliver wrecked offenses from Oklahoma to Louisville for Houston. It was a good year for true freshmen in college football. Here are the best of the group:
OFFENSE
QB: Jalen Hurts, Alabama
Hurts amassed more than 3,400 yards of total offense to go along with 34 touchdowns in leading the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff. And the fact he threw only nine interceptions given his unfamiliarity with a pro-style offense was impressive.
RB: Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M
Williams was an electrifying spark plug for Texas A&M and gave its offense a different dimension. He posted eight touchdowns and 1,024 yards on 7.0 yards per carry.
RB: Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky
Snell posted a whopping 13 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,057 yards while sharing backfield duties with Boom Williams.?
WR: Ahmmon Richards, Miami
Richards quickly became a go-to deep threat with the speed to take the top off the defense. One of the bigger freshman surprises of the year, he will head into bowl season with 46 receptions and two touchdowns.
WR: Demetris Robertson, Cal
Robertson didn't sign with Cal until March, but he wasted no time making an impact, hauling in 50 catches and recording seven touchdowns. He also made an impact as a kick returner.
TE: Isaac Nauta, Georgia
Nauta was as good as advertised from the moment he stepped on campus, and while he split some time with Jeb Blazovich and his numbers were modest (27 catches), Nauta displayed go-to ability for this offense going forward.
OL: Jonah Williams, Alabama
Williams started every game at right tackle, a clear top true freshman lineman regardless of position. He even graded out better than Cam Robinson most weeks.
OL: Jawaan Taylor, Florida
A starting right tackle, Taylor made a quicker and bigger impact for Florida than more highly touted Greg Little did for Ole Miss. Taylor fit in immediately at a need position for the Gators.
OL: Parker Braun, Georgia Tech
A starting left guard for the Yellow Jackets, Braun earned ACC Offensive Lineman of Week after a November win over Virginia Tech, a first for a Georgia Tech freshman.
OL: Nate Herbig, Stanford
A tough, physical player in a scheme that freshman often struggle to be tough enough to succeed, Herbig found a way to make it work at left guard.
OL: Ben Bredeson, Michigan
After making a push to start at left tackle during the preseason, Bredeson eventually moved to guard, where he started six games and was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention.
DEFENSE
DL: Nick Bosa, Ohio State
Like his older brother, Joey, Nick exploded onto the scene in Columbus, finishing with five sacks and being selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
DL: Brian Burns, Florida State
Burns registered 9.5 sacks, more than any other freshman in college football, and tied for 15th overall in the country.
DL: Dexter Lawrence, Clemson
The ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year made an outstanding Tigers defensive line even better, finishing with 71 tackles, 7.5 for loss and five sacks.
DL: Ed Oliver, Houston
He was named the AAC Rookie of the Year and first-team All-AAC after recording 61 tackles, five sacks and a whopping 19.5 tackles for loss.
LB: Michael Pinckney, Miami
Pinckney finished with 57 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on the year. We'd say Miami is set at linebacker for at least the next two years.
LB: Shaq Quarterman, Miami
One of three freshman starting linebackers for Miami since Day 1, Quarterman recorded 79 tackles, nine tackles for loss and two sacks.
LB: Troy Dye, Oregon
Dye made the transition from safety to linebacker and quickly blossomed, tallying 6.5 sacks and 91 tackles for the Ducks. He was one of the bright spots for a poor defensive team.
CB: Taylor Rapp, Washington
Rapp announced himself nationally with two interceptions, including one pick-six, in the Pac-12 championship game. He totaled 45 tackles and two pass breakups on the year as an integral part of the Huskies' defensive performance this year.
S: Jessie Bates III, Wake Forest
The second team All-ACC pick had two interceptions returned for touchdowns while helping guide a terrific but underrated Demon Deacons defense.
S: Jalen Thompson, Washington State
Thompson led the Cougars with seven pass breakups and helped turn around a defense and a team that started 0-2.
CB: Jordan Parker, Oklahoma
Parker appeared in nine games and eventually became Oklahoma's best cover corner on what was a poor defense. He posted 34 tackles and three pass breakups, but did not record an interception.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Ricky Aguayo, Florida State
The younger brother of former Florida State star -- and second-round NFL draft pick Roberto -- Ricky lived up to his brother's lofty standards, nailing 17 field goals and all 48 of his extra points.
P: Blake Gillikin, Penn State
An overlooked part of Penn State's Big Ten-winning season was Gilliken and his 42.1 punting average.