True freshmen standouts from Week Eight of college football
Week eight of college football represented a bit of an inflection point relative to true freshmen making impacts across the nation. We saw several true freshmen play pivotal roles in leading their teams to conference wins. A few true freshmen quarterbacks like Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman also saw some extensive action.
It’s getting increasingly tougher to pick five standouts each week as more true freshmen are seeing the field as the season wears on. With that said, we went with five players whose showings spurred their teams to victories in week eight.
QB Devin Kargman – Kent State
Devin Kargman made his first start at quarterback for Kent State on Saturday and played well in leading the Golden Flashes to a 33-27 win over Akron. The freshman from Camden (N.J.) Woodrow Wilson completed 14 of 25 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Both touchdowns were in the first half. The first came on a nice vertical pass for a 35-yard score. Kargman’s second touchdown toss came when he hit an in-breaking route from within the red zone.
The 6-foot-3, 217-pounder was a prolific pocket passer at the high school level and excelled in 7-on-7 settings. A three-star prospect in the 2022 cycle according to the On3 Consensus, Kargman has the upside to open up Kent State’s vertical passing game as he continues to gain experience.
RB Richard Reese – Baylor
Richard Reese has already had a handful of big games in his Baylor career, but his performance on Saturday in a 35-23 win over Kansas instantly vaults to the top of the list. The 5-foot-9, 175-pounder carried the load for the Bears offense, rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 31 rushes. He also caught two passes for 26 yards, finishing with 212 yards from scrimmage. Reese found the end zone in the first quarter on a weaving 14-yard touchdown run. His second score was a two-yard game-clincher with 2:37 remaining in the game.
The Bellville (Texas) High product already looks like a huge steal for Dave Aranda and staff. Reese has the fifth-most rushing yards (643) and third-most rushing touchdowns (9) in the Big 12 as a true freshman. His short area quickness and vision look to be a strong fit in offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’ zone running scheme. Reese ranked as a three-star prospect in the On3 Consensus.
WR Luther Burden III – Missouri
Few true freshmen entered the season with more lofty expectations than Luther Burden III. The former five-star prospect started off with a multi-touchdown performance to open the season, but has since missed time with an injury. Burden was back in action for Missouri on Saturday and wasted little time in making his presence felt against Vanderbilt.
Burden showed off his patented run-after-catch ability, taking a quick screen to the house from 35 yards out on Missouri’s first drive of the game.
The 5-foot-11, 208-pounder found paydirt again in the second quarter, taking an end-around into the end zone from 10 yards out. Burden accounted for both of Missouri’s touchdowns in the 17-14 win. Now that he appears to be healthy, it’s possible we see Burden continue to emerge as one of the more dangerous young playmakers in the SEC. The St. Louis native was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect in the 2022 cycle, finishing as the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 wide receiver in the 2022 On3 Consensus.
DL Damonic Williams – TCU
Damonic Williams has been on the cusp of earning On3 true freshmen standout status a few weeks this season. The 6-foot-2, 320-pounder was week one starter at nose tackle for a TCU team that is undefeated and currently ranked No. 7. Williams has been a key newcomer on a restructured defensive unit, holding down the interior of defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie’s 3-3-5 scheme.
The true freshman had another strong outing on Saturday, finishing with three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in TCU’s 38-28 win over Kansas State. Williams helped the Horned Frog defense hold Kansas State to 86 yards below their average rushing output. The Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany product is one of the youngest players in college football, having turned 18-years old in September. He ranked as a three-star prospect according to the On3 Consensus.
LB Harold Perkins – LSU
Harold Perkins continued to show why he’s one of the best true freshmen in college football in LSU’s 45-20 win over No. 7 Ole Miss. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder wreaked havoc on the Ole Miss defense in the second half, finishing with five tackles, one sack, one pass break up and two quarterback hurries. LSU defensive coordinator Matt House took advantage of Perkins’ elite athleticism by employing the true freshman as a spy and rusher. After the game, Lane Kiffin went as far to credit LSU’s defensive success to Perkins’ presence on the field.
The New Orleans native ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect and No. 1 linebacker in the 2022 On3 Consensus. He was one of several true freshmen to make an impact in Death Valley on Saturday. LSU tight end Mason Taylor caught a touchdown pass and left tackle Will Campbell allowed just one pressure from his left tackle spot. For Ole Miss, standout true freshman running back Quinshon Judkins rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.