A Six-Pack Of True Freshmen To Watch This Upcoming College Football Season

We've reached that time in the sports calendar where the thirst for college football becomes nearly unquenchable.

SEC Media Days are in full swing, the newest college football video game is out, and recruiting season is starting to heat up (though some would argue it never cooled off).

With it being roughly six weeks until the start of the college football season, I thought I'd go through a six-pack of true freshmen to watch out for this coming year.

These are names you will want to familiarize yourself with before the season starts so you can flex on all the "normie" college football casuals you call your friends with your superior ball-knowing skills.

If you follow recruiting at all, most of these players should ring a bell, and if not, you will have learned something new today.

Let's get started!

1. Bryce Underwood (Michigan)

We will start this list off with a bang, as Bryce Underwood, the number one overall recruit in the class of 2025, is a name even college football casuals should be at least tangentially aware of.

The $10 Million Man was an infamously late addition to Michigan's top-ten recruiting class, and one look at his tape as well as his physical frame (listed at 6'5" and 230lbs) will tell you why Wolverine fans are licking their chops to get this season underway.

Starting a true freshman quarterback in a power conference can be a daunting proposition, but when you consider just last year the two highest rated QB's from the 2024 class, Dylan Raiola and DJ Lagway, started most of the season and led their teams to bowl victories in year one, it isn't a stretch to think Underwood can work similar magic.

I like this year's Michigan roster around Underwood better than either Nebraska's or Florida's from last season, so the Wolverines signal caller has the supporting cast to excel right out of the gate.

Dakorien Moore (Orgeon)

Being the gem of Oregon's top-five recruiting class last cycle, Dakorien Moore already had a ton of eyeballs trained on him as he made his way to Eugene.

Then, the Ducks' number one receiving option, Evan Stewart, went down with a knee injury this summer that could sideline him for the whole season, meaning Moore will be forced into the spotlight early and often.

Luckily for Dan Lanning and company, the former five-star pass catcher looks the part of a WR1.

Hailing from Duncanville, a high school known for producing some of the best football players in the country, and boasting a 10.4-second 100-meter dash, look for Moore to be featured heavily in offensive coordinator Will Stein's potent scheme.

Dallas Wilson (Florida)

From a wide receiver that ended up in the Pacific Northwest to one that almost made his way there, Dallas Wilson's recruiting journey was one with many twists and turns during its final leg.

The Tampa native was committed to Oregon for nearly the entirety of the 2025 recruiting cycle before an almost literal last-second flip to the Gators.

Standing at 6'3" and weighing north of 200lbs, Wilson has been described by some close to the program as "an 18-year-old with the body of an eight-year NFL vet."

His record-setting performance in Florida's spring game turned a ton of heads, and that was without quarterback DJ Lagway tossing him the rock.

Can you imagine the damage Wilson will inflict when the nation's best deep ball thrower is slinging it his way?

Justus Terry (Texas)

If there is one thing you can count on these days, it's Texas recruiting absolute monsters on the defensive line.

Just look at the size of this kid!

Justus Terry was a stone-cold lock to commit to Georgia until the Longhorns pulled some magic out of their hat in the eleventh hour to steal him away from the Bulldogs.

Most defensive linemen don't usually make waves their first year on campus - especially in the SEC - but the few that do are special.

Terry is unquestionably a freak show of a freshman, so I expect him to be a household name by October of this season.

Amare Adams (Clemson)

Texas isn't the only program known for recruiting behemoths on the D-line, as the Clemson Tigers have a bit of a reputation for pulling in big bodies up front on defense.

Add Amare Adams to the growing list of stud defensive linemen to put on a Clemson jersey, as the 315-lb freshman is guaranteed to wreak havoc in the ACC this season.

The Tigers are deep along the defensive line this season, but I think Adams is good enough to crack that lineup and become a regular in opposing teams' backfields by the end of the year.

Adams is an overpowering force with a rare blend of speed and power, so he should be fun to track in 2025… unless your team happens to play Clemson this year.

DJ Pickett (LSU)

When discussing the traits that make up a complete cornerback (size, length, speed, ball skills), LSU freshman DJ Pickett has all of them oozing from every pore of his body.

Now combine those physical traits with the Bayou Bengals' propensity for producing top-flight defensive backs, and you have a recipe for a future All-American.

Legendary DB coach Corey Raymond is back in Baton Rouge, and he has to be salivating at the prospect of coaching a kid like Pickett.

The Zephyrhills, FL native is ready to play day one, so keep your eyes peeled for the lanky freshman when the Tigers take the field week one against Clemson.

I don't know how LSU continues to pull these guys in year after year, but Pickett will likely be the next great name to add to the list of players that have helped the Tigers earn at least a share of the "DBU" title.

Got a freshman you think could turn some heads this fall? Email me at austin.perry@outkick.com and let me know who I missed.