College football freshmen midseason All-America team: Caleb Downs, Zachariah Branch and more – The Athletic

This is The Athletic’s Midseason Freshman All-America team, a squad comprised of true freshmen and redshirt freshmen who will have a major impact on the 2023 season. The rise of the transfer portal has made it more difficult for newcomers to immediately get on the field and secure starting positions. It is all the more commendable when these young players make a breakthrough and shine early in their careers.

We ask all of our employees for nominations and place emphasis on production when assembling this team. There was a long list of deserving candidates at each position, and many more will be recognized on our season-ending All-America freshman teams in December. Check out the entire midseason All-America teams here.

offense

QB Byrum Brown, USF: New USF head coach Alex Golesh has acquired a talented playmaker to build his offense around, developing him into one of the most productive dual-threat quarterbacks in the FBS. The redshirt freshman, a 2022 three-star recruit from Raleigh, N.C., is ranked No. 5 in the country in total offense and has accumulated 1,662 passing yards with 19 total touchdowns and five interceptions in seven games. Brown also amassed 660 rushing yards at 7.6 yards per carry when excluding sacks, according to TruMedia, which ranks No. 1 among QBs nationally.

RB Darius Taylor, Minnesota: Taylor, a four-star true freshman from Detroit, burst onto the scene in September with 206 yards against Eastern Michigan, 163 at North Carolina and 216 at Northwestern. Despite missing the last two games due to injury, Taylor still ranks fourth-best in the Big Ten with 532 rushing yards. He averaged 6.3 yards per touch and scored four touchdowns in that massive three-game stretch.

RB Jalen Buckley, Western Michigan: Buckley, the second-leading rusher in the MAC, is a redshirt freshman who joined the program as a no-star recruit from Illinois and is thriving under new coach Lance Taylor. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound back has totaled 680 yards and six touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry and has surpassed 100 yards in three of his six games. He is currently No. 13 nationally in rushing with 103 yards per game.

WR Kevin Concepcion, NC State: The Wolfpack found a reliable playmaker in “KC,” their true freshman wideout who came into the state as a three-star recruit and immediately earned a starting role. The 5-foot-11, 187-pound slot receiver leads the team and is No. 4 in the ACC in receptions with 37 for 410 yards and four touchdowns, and he had 100-yard performances in wins over Virginia and Marshall.

WR Tyler Brown, Clemson: The 5-foot-10, 170-pound slot receiver was named ACC Rookie of the Week twice and established himself as the go-to guy for Cade Klubnik in the Tigers’ offense. Brown, a three-star in-state recruit, turned 24 catches into 338 receiving yards and two touchdowns while also contributing as a punt returner. His 153 receiving yards against Syracuse were the most by a Clemson freshman receiver since Justyn Ross in 2018.

WR Pofele Ashlock, Hawaii: Ashlock ranks third in the Mountain West in receptions with 46 catches for 533 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. The redshirt freshman was an unranked recruit out of Euless, Texas, and got off to a good start in 2023 with a 127-yard game at Vanderbilt and 114 yards against Stanford. Ashlock earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors for both performances “ and has had seven or more catches in five games this season.

TE Luke Hasz, Arkansas: Hasz was only able to play in five games before suffering a broken collarbone that will likely end his season, but the true freshman made a big impact for the Razorbacks with 16 catches for 253 yards and three touchdowns in those five games. The four-star recruit from Bixby, Oklahoma, caught six passes for 116 yards and two scores against LSU and appeared primed for a big debut season before the injury.

OT Earnest Greene III, Georgia: The 6-foot-1, 300-pound redshirt freshman didn’t play in a game last year due to a back injury, but stepped up and earned the starting left tackle spot as the replacement for first-round pick Broderick Jones. Greene, a top-50 recruit out of St. John Bosco, California, did a good job playing 456 snaps for the Bulldogs and didn’t surrender a single sack, according to Pro Football Focus.

OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami: Mauigoa began his career as a five-star recruit with high expectations and was No. 5 on Bruce Feldman’s 2023 Freaks list thanks to the “greatest muscle density in Miami history.” IMG Academy started all six games at right tackle and gave up three sacks this year while also guarding Tyler Van Dyke.

G Wendell Moe, Arizona: Arizona’s offense is loaded with young players who will make important contributions this season. Moe, a 6-foot, 340-pound redshirt freshman who was a three-star recruit out of Long Beach Poly in California, has taken over the starting left guard spot and is a high-level pass blocker for the Wildcats, with two sacks allowed over 487 snaps.

G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State: Penn State needed “Vega” to step into the starting lineup after the loss of Landon Tengwall and JB Nelson to injuries, and he did just that. The 6-foot, 348-pound redshirt freshman, a three-star recruit from Graham, Washington, has played both guard spots and allowed four pressures and one sack in 298 snaps.

C Parker Brailsford, Washington: Brailsford, a three-star recruit from Saguaro High School in Arizona, moved into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman and is preparing for a good year as the man responsible for taking on Heisman front-runner Michael Penix Jr. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound lineman started two games at right guard before settling in at center and has yet to allow a sack while playing with one of the best offensive lines in the country.

defense

DL Rueben Bain Jr., Miami: Bain, a top-100 recruit from local powerhouse Miami Central, has started the Hurricanes’ last four games since Akheem Mesidor’s injury and leads all rookies in the FBS with 19 quarterback pressures and 2.5 sacks. The 6-3, 275-pound true freshman played a season-best 72 snaps in last weekend’s loss to undefeated North Carolina and has played more snaps (235) than any other defensive lineman on Miami’s team.

DL TJ Parker, Clemson: The 6-foot-1, 255-pound top-50 recruit from Phenix City, Ala., ranks second among freshmen with 17 quarterback pressures behind Miami’s Bain. Parker leads Clemson with 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. His 199 snaps are second-most among Tigers defensive linemen, behind only Tyler Davis (202).

DL Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss: The 6-foot, 205-pound stand-up edge rusher, a five-star Class of 2023 recruit from Raleigh, Miss., leads all rookies in the SEC with 3.5 sacks and is tied for fourth second in the league among rookies is tackling the loss. He played 194 snaps and had two sacks against Alabama in his only start of the season.

DL Nuer Gatkuoth, Colorado State: A transcription problem kept the Edmonton, Alberta, native from seeing the field as a true freshman last year, but the 6-foot-1, 250-pound Gatkuoth was a force for the Rams with 31 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and… extremely productive 21 presses on 296 press buttons.

LB Taurean York, Texas A&M: The lowest-ranked recruit in Texas A&M’s 2023 signing class – aside from punter Tyler White – has started all seven games for a very good Aggies defense and ranks second on the team with 41 tackles. York also has five tackles for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble in 303 defensive snaps.

LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas: The 6-foot-1, 220-pound true freshman from Denton, Texas, was extremely productive off the bench in 179 snaps for the Longhorns. Hill has 25 tackles, including 3.5 for losses, with three sacks and eight pressures – and shined against Alabama as a pass rusher who played the spy role against Jalen Milroe.

LB Javante Mackey, Arkansas State: The 6-foot-1, 228-pound redshirt freshman from Chicago, ranked No. 1,502 overall in the 2022 class, now ranks second among all freshman linebackers with 47 tackles in six games. Mackey also produced nine pressures, three tackles for loss and two sacks.

DB Caden Jenkins, Baylor: Jenkins earned Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honors for snagging an interception and returning a fumble for a touchdown in the Bears’ 36-35 win over UCF two weeks ago. The 6-foot-1, 173-pound player from Lewisville, Texas, also recorded 15 tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions in 221 snaps for the Bears.

DB Caleb Downs, Alabama: The five-star freshman from Hoschton, Georgia, leads Alabama with 54 tackles and two interceptions. He started all seven games at strong safety and suffered a forced fumble in Alabama’s game against Texas.

DB Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma: The 6-foot-1, 198-pound five-star freshman made just one start but was extremely productive with 191 snaps in six games. Bowen had 23 tackles and four pass breakups, forced a fumble in the win over Texas and also excelled on special teams, blocking two punts.

DB Dillon Thieneman, Purdue: The three-star from Westfield, Indiana, leads all freshmen and is currently No. 2 in the Big Ten with 62 tackles. He has started all seven games for the Boilermakers, playing 480 snaps, and he also leads all rookies in interceptions with three.

DB Keon Sabb, Michigan: Sabb, a top-100 recruit from IMG Academy in the 2022 cycle, had a pick six in the win at Minnesota two weeks ago and another interception in the win over Indiana last weekend. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound product from Glassboro, NJ, has made four starts and produced 15 tackles and two pass breakups in 215 snaps.

Specialists

K Kyle Ferrie, Mississippi State: The true freshman from Arkansas is off to a strong start, converting eight of 10 field goal attempts and all 20 of his extra points this season. Ferrie proved reliable on his long attempts, hauling in two 47-yard kicks and two 49-yard kicks for the Bulldogs.

P Damon Greaves, Kansas: Greaves, a 23-year-old who previously played in the Australian Football League, is averaging 41.8 yards per punt for the Jayhawks, with eight of his 16 punts landing inside 20 yards. He has yet to have a touchback and Kansas has allowed zero punt return yards in seven games.

AP Zachariah Branch, USC: The five-star true freshman immediately emerged as one of the most electrifying playmakers in college football. Branch excelled in his Trojans debut against San Jose State with a 96-yard kickoff return touchdown and a receiving touchdown and converted 39 touchdowns as a receiver/rusher/returner into 704 yards and four total touchdowns. He is the only returner in FBS to score on both a kickoff and a punt. After missing two games due to injury, Branch is back and poised for a big second half as one of Lincoln Riley’s favorite chess pieces.

(Top illustration photos: Michael Reaves / Getty Images; Andy Lewis, Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today)