True freshmen who stood out in Week 11 in college football
We’re on the backstretch of college football’s regular season, with just two regular-season weekends remaining. True freshmen from the 2021 recruiting class are making big plays and leading their teams to wins on a weekly basis.
This week, we saw three Big Ten true freshmen lead their teams to key wins. Additionally, the day’s wildest game — Kansas’ overtime win at Texas — featured two true freshmen as stars for each team.
RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
Braelon Allen and Wisconsin continued their white-hot streak Saturday. He rumbled for 173 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries in a 35-7 win over Northwestern. Allen, a 6-foot-2, 238-pounder, has run for 100 yards in six consecutive games — all Wisconsin wins. That feat is even more impressive when you consider Allen doesn’t turn 18 until January. He is the big, fast running back we’ve become used to seeing for the Badgers over the past two decades.
Allen ranked as the No. 140 prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle in the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Ohio State’s offense looks scary when it’s hitting on all cylinders. This was the case Saturday, when the Buckeyes dropped 45 points on Purdue in the first half. TreVeyon Henderson made his presence felt in the first quarter, roasting the Boilermakers’ defense on a 57-yard touchdown run.
He shows the game-breaking ability that had him ranked as the On3 Consensus’ No. 1 running back in the 2021 cycle on a weekly basis. Henderson finished with 13 rushes for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
RB Devin Neal, Kansas
Devin Neal played a huge role in helping Kansas pull off Saturday’s biggest upset, a 57-56 overtime win at Texas. He ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries, and caught two passesfor 26 yards and another score. It was a performance so good, he had to call his mom from the depths of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Neal was ranked as Kansas’ top prospect in its 2021 class for good reason. The Lawrence native has given a jolt to the Jayhawks’ run game this fall under new coach Lance Leipold. He’s had three 100-yard games this season.
WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
If there’s a bright spot to be found in Texas’ disappointing season, it’s clearly Xavier Worthy. He is is putting together a historic true freshman season on the 40 Acres and turned in a gutsy performance in the heartbreaking loss. Worthy hauled in 14 catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns, all while banged up. He showed his explosive downfield qualities on his first score, a 33-yarder.
The second touchdown was equally impressive, as Worthy tracked the ball over his shoulder on a fade pass to the corner of the end zone. Worthy’s package of speed, agility and ball skills make him one of the better receivers nationally, regardless of class. He ranked as the No. 56 prospect in the On3 Consensus for the 2021 cycle and the No. 18 prospect in the On300.
WR Jimmy Horn Jr., USF
Those keeping up with the Cincinnati-USF game on Friday night might’ve been surprised by how close the game was in the second half. Some of that was because of Jimmy Horn Jr. He took a quick slant 80-yards to the house, outrunning the Bearcats’ secondary. Horn’s touchdown shrunk Cincinnati’s lead to 10.
Horn, from reigning state champ Sanford (Fla.) Seminole, finished the game with five catches for 180 yards and one touchdown. Horn was among the faster and more dynamic pass catchers from the Sunshine State in the 2021 cycle, ranking No. 192 overall in the On300.
LB Junior Colson, Michigan
Junior Colson flashed considerably in Michigan’s 21-17 win at Penn State. He was credited with five tackles and two assists along with a first-quarter sack. He was on the field for 67 snaps in what turned out to be a quintessential Big Ten defensive slugfest.
If early returns are any indicator, Colson looks like he could be a potential future star on the Wolverines’ defense. Colson, from the Nashville area, seems to get better each week. He was the No. 92 overall prospect in the 2021 On3 Consensus.