True freshmen who could start Week 1 of 2025 college football season

College football programs across the country open training camp this week. It provides the chance for the depth chart to sort itself out and for some of the top recruits from the 2025 cycle to earn playing time as true freshmen.

Ahead of fall camp opening, On3 is evaluating which former top-ranked recruits could contribute in Week 1 as true freshmen. Multiple freshmen quarterbacks are in line to compete for starting jobs, too. The list is alphabetized by school:

Colorado QB Julian Lewis

When the Buffaloes rolled into Big 12 Media Days in July, Deion Sanders brought two quarterbacks: Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and true freshman Julian Lewis. The four-star recruit flipped from USC to Colorado late in the 2025 cycle. A top-60 recruit in 2025, Lewis is pushing for the starting job as fall camp opens. In his three-year high school career, the quarterback went 39-4 as a starter and threw for more than 11,000 yards and 144 passing touchdowns. Salter has the edge in experience — he’s played in 35 games — but Lewis has pushed the transfer quarterback enough to warrant Sanders bringing his freshman to Big 12 Media Days.

Florida WR Dallas Wilson

Redshirt sophomore Eugene Wilson III and UCLA transfer J. Michael Sturdivant will be top targets for DJ Lagway this fall, but true freshman wideout Dallas Wilson figures to be a key factor in the Florida passing game. A top-10 wideout in the 2025 cycle, he’s coming off a breakout spring game performance where he caught 10 catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson, who flipped from Oregon to Florida in December, will push for immediate playing time. The  6-foot-4 wide receiver caught 130 passes for 2,423 yards and 28 touchdowns during his high school career at Tampa Bay Tech (Florida).

Georgia DL Elijah Griffin

Georgia returns Christen Miller, Jordan Hall and Xzavier McLeod at defensive tackle, but Elijah Griffin is viewed as an immediate contributor who could be in a starting role by the end of the season. The Five-Star Plus+ recruit and No. 3 overall player in the 2025 cycle, Griffin tallied over 300 total tackles and more than 40 sacks during his prep career and was repeatedly honored as one of the top recruits in the nation. The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder is expected to make an immediate impact on the defensive line for Georgia.

LSU CB DJ Pickett

A top-15 recruit and the No. 2 cornerback in the 2025 cycle, DJ Pickett picked LSU over Oregon and Miami. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound cornerback recorded 94 total tackles and 10 interceptions during his prep career. The Tigers added Virginia Tech’s Mansoor Delane this winter, but Pickett impressed in spring ball, working closely with Corey Raymond. He’s expected to be an immediate contributor for the Tigers against Clemson with his 6-foot-4, 179-pound frame.

Michigan QB Bryce Underwood

The top-ranked recruit in the 2025 cycle, Bryce Underwood, emerged from Michigan spring practice trending to start in Week 1 for the Wolverines. Underwood had a leg up on Jadyn Davis, while Davis Warren and Mikey Keene were sidelined with injuries. Michigan added former Miami, Missouri and ECU quarterback Jake Garcia as an insurance option recently. Underwood flipped from LSU to Michigan last fall, and now he is trending to be the Week 1 starter as the Wolverines open fall camp. The 6-foot-4, 214-pound quarterback finished his high school career with a 50-4 record, winning state championships as a freshman and sophomore. He broke the Michigan high school football records for career passing and total touchdowns.

Ohio State CB Devin Sanchez

The top-ranked cornerback in the 2025 cycle, Devin Sanchez, will have to compete in fall camp for snaps with Davison Igbinosun, Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Aaron Scott Jr. But Sanchez is on track to play the most of any freshman on this year’s Ohio State roster. A Five-Star Plus+ recruit and top-10 prospect in the nation, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback looked the part of an early contributor in spring ball. He’ll have to continue to show off his ball and coverage skills in fall camp ahead of the season opener against Texas.

Oregon WR Dakorien Moore

With Evan Stewart sidelined for the foreseeable future, Dakorien Moore enters Oregon’s fall camp as one of the top wide receiver options for Dan Lanning’s program this fall. The No. 1 wideout in the 2025 cycle picked Oregon over Texas, LSU and Ohio State. Moore amassed over 3,400 receiving yards and 40 touchdowns during his high school career and has turned heads since arriving in Eugene. Gary Bryant Jr., Malik Benson, Kyler Kasper and Justius Lowe will all contribute, but expectations are high for Moore as a true freshman.

Tennessee OL David Sanders

David Sanders is expected to play a key role immediately for Tennessee this fall. The 6-foot-5, 276-pounder was ranked as a Five-Star Plus+ recruit and the No. 9 recruit in the nation. The offensive tackle is in line to compete and see major playing time at right tackle for the Volunteers this fall. A 2024 finalist for Mr. Football in the state of North Carolina, he did not allow a sack as a senior at Charlotte’s Providence Day School.