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True Freshman Standouts from Week 1 of College Football

charles power hsby:Charles Power•09/05/23•

CharlesPower

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College football’s Week One saw a number of true freshmen earn significant playing time and make big plays across the national landscape. Some blue-chip prospects from the 2023 cycle made key contributions in critical situations in their team’s opener. Several of those included On3’s Preseason True Freshman All-America Team saw action and impressed in their college debuts.

Let’s highlight some true freshmen who stood out on college football’s opening weekend. (This will be a weekly feature, released on Mondays; we pushed it back this week because of the games Sunday and Monday.)

True Freshman of the Week: RB Dylan Edwards – Colorado

Deion Sanders’ Colorado team and its 45-42 upset of TCU is among the top storylines in college football coming out of Week One. True freshman running back Dylan Edwards had a huge say in the Buffaloes’ win, catching five passes for 135 yards and 3 touchdowns and adding another rushing touchdown. In all, Edwards accounted for 159 yards and 4 touchdowns from scrimmage.

The 5-foot-8, 170-pounder was considered one of the fastest prospects in the 2023 cycle, earning Fastest Man honors at Under Armour’s Future 50 camp last summer after ripping off a sub 4.4 second 40-yard dash. He put that speed to use on Saturday. With Colorado unable to run between the tackles, offensive coordinator Sean Lewis schemed some beautiful plays to get the speedster in space.

Edwards got Colorado on the board in the first quarter, leaking out of the backfield for a wide open touchdown from 4 yards out. The second half saw a number of huge plays from the Derby (Kan.) High product. Edwards took a screen pass to the house from 75 yards out, flashing his change of direction to cut back against the defense and make TCU defenders miss in space before pulling away. He then scored on a 7-yard touchdown run, taking a pitch to the outside before walking in to the end zone untouched. Edwards’ final score was ultimately the game winner. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders found Edwards in the flats and the true freshman did the rest, beating a TCU linebacker down the corner and scampering down the sideline for a 46- yard score. The only real blemish on Edwards’ day was a lost fumble that could’ve gone either way. Edwards is the first FBS player to catch three touchdowns and run for another score in his college debut according to ESPN.

A one-time Notre Dame commit, Edwards was a late commitment to Colorado, jumping in the boat after Deion Sanders was named head coach. The On3 Industry four-star was the first high school prospect to commit to the Buffaloes in the Deion Sanders era.

QB Dante Moore – UCLA

Dante Moore didn’t get the start in game one, but looked like the best long-term (and perhaps short-term) option for the Bruins. The Detroit native came into the game in the second quarter and alternated with Ethan Garbers for a few drives before taking over in the second half and leading UCLA to a 27-13 win over Coastal Carolina.

Moore completed 7 of 12 passes for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns along with an interception. He exuded the poise and ability from the pocket that made him a Five-Star Plus+ prospect in the 2023 cycle. Moore’s best play on the night was a beautiful touchdown pass to J. Michael Sturdivant. The true freshman signal caller dropped in a superbly thrown ball over the shoulder of the talented Cal transfer.

Though Chip Kelly has been non-committal on the quarterback situation coming out of the game, Moore appears to be clear option coming out of game one. A one-time Oregon commit before flipping late to the Bruins, Moore ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in the On3 Industry rankings for the 2023 cycle.

QB Jaden Rashada – Arizona State

New Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham went with Jaden Rashada in the Sun Devils’ season opener against Southern Utah. The Pittsburg, California native completed 18 of 31 passes for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns in his college debut, helping Arizona State to a 24-21 win.

The true freshman got off to a quick start, completing 12 of 16 passes for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half, as a dust storm rolled into Tempe. Rashada’s most impressive play came on his first drive. He rolled out to the right and unleashed a beautiful deep ball back across the field for a long gain, flashing the big-time arm that made him a blue-chip prospect.

Prior to ending up at Arizona State, Rashada initially signed with Florida before requesting and being granted a release from his NLI. He finished as the No. 73 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Industry rankings.

RB Mark Fletcher – Miami

Mark Fletcher joins Dylan Edwards as two former blue-chip running backs who impressed in their college debuts. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder was a big get for Mario Cristobal and staff and is already making plays on the ground for the Hurricanes. Fletcher had a strong outing in Miami’s 38-3 win over Miami (Ohio), rushing for 76 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. His touchdown came on a 26-yard rush on Miami’s first drive of the second half.

The Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage product was a rankings riser after turning in a big senior season and strong showing in the All-American Bowl. A one-time Ohio State commit, Fletcher ranked as the No. 151 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Industry rankings.

S Jalon Kilgore – South Carolina

Jalon Kilgore was thrust into action in his college debut after former true freshman All-American Nick Emmanwori left the game with an injury. Facing a presumptive top pick like Drake Maye in your first college game is a tall task, but true freshman held up well. Kilgore tallied 10 tackles, 2 assists, 5 stops and a pressure on 63 snaps per Pro Football Focus. While there weren’t a ton of positives for the Gamecocks coming out of their 31-17 loss to the Tar Heels, Kilgore’s ability to fill in for one of the team’s best players against a potent offense was a bright spot.

Kilgore was a do-it-all player on Friday nights for Eatonton (Ga.) Putnam County. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder is a good athlete with high level instincts and physicality. He ranked as a four-star prospect and No. 278 overall in the On3 Industry rankings. On3 was higher than the industry on Kilgore, as he ranked as the No. 168 overall prospect in the 2023 On300.