With high school football’s class of 2010 set to formalize college plans next Wednesday, MaxPreps borrows an idea from the yearbook to analyze which freshmen are most likely to succeed, sit or even move on to another sport.
No predictions of multiple Heismans for Ron Powlus here, but we did borrow from recent themes (think 1,000-yard running backs) to try and decipher which names fans better place next to Dion Lewis, Greg Reid and Alshon Jeffery in the star true freshmen file.
Most Likely To …
Play a pivotal role for a national championship team as a true freshman (The Trent Richardson Award)
Roderick Smith, RB, Harding (Fort Wayne, Ind.) – Committed to Ohio State…Although the Buckeyes’ top three rushers return, one of them is quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Smith brings another dimension to the backfield at 6-foot-2 and pushing 220 pounds.
Rush for 1,000 yards as a true freshman (The Jacquizz Rodgers/Dion Lewis Award)
Michael Dyer, RB, Little Rock Christian (Little Rock, Ark.) – Committed to Auburn…Playing in the SEC might make 1,000 tough, but the fit is right with Dyer in Auburn’s offense.
Start at quarterback in a major college conference as a true freshman (The Matt Barkley Award)
Devin Gardner, QB, Inkster (Mich.) – Committed to Michigan…It’s not a great year for “Golden Boy” high school quarterbacks and depth charts don’t reveal a lot of opportunities for incoming signal callers, but Gardner is tailor-made for the Wolverine offense.
Future Oregon Duck Lache Seastrunk.
Photo by Kyle Dantzler
Lache Seastrunk, RB, Temple (Texas) – Committed to Oregon…Duck back LaMichael James ran for 1,546 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman. Fellow rookie Kenjon Barner was impressive in tacking on over 350 more at six yards per carry. Chip Kelly will still find ways for Seastrunk to shine.
Win the Heisman playing defense (The Charles Woodson Award)
LaMarcus Joyner, DB, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) – Committed to Florida State…It’s only happened once, so don’t hold our feet to the fire too much on this one. Joyner did a little bit of everything for the team that was ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the season. He is expected to play in the defensive backfield for the Seminoles, although he saw most of his time on offense and special teams as a senior, piling up 1,090 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns on just 79 touches.
Suffer an identity crisis (The Adrian Peterson of Georgia Southern and Chicago Bears Fame Award)
Mack Brown, RB, King (Lithonia, Ga.) – Committed to Florida…Just being recruited by the Gators suggests that Brown is a tremendous talent, but the head coach of the Texas Longhorns casts a large shadow.
Make fans wonder, “Who is this guy and how did he end up here?” (The Eric Page Award)
Terrance Broadway, QB, Capital (Baton Rouge, La.) – Committed to Houston…The No. 84 player overall in Tom Lemming’s Top 100 had a productive high school career and will thrive at some point in Houston’s pass-happy offense. Plus, his name makes for great Heisman campaign fodder. Eric Page caught 82 passes for 1,159 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman at Toledo last fall.
Earn the nickname “Mt. [insert last name here]” (The Terrence Cody Award)
Damien Robinson, OL, Olive Branch (Miss.) – Uncommitted…One of Tom Lemming’s Top 100 seniors in America, Robinson checks in at a mountainous 6-8 and 330 pounds.
End up playing another sport (The Nate Robinson Award)
Marquis Mason, WR, Madison East (Madison, Wis.) – Committed to Wisconsin…Mason, a 6-5, 215-pound wide receiver/small forward, will be on a football scholarship but don’t be surprised if his hoop talents take over. He is averaging 19.4 points per game for Wisconsin’s top-ranked team. Mason was also productive on the gridiron last fall, catching 56 passes for 866 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Be featured by ESPN in a segment that focuses on pronouncing his name (The Ndamukong Suh Award)
Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DL, David Douglas (Portland, Ore.) – Uncommitted…Incredibly, Odighizuwa hails from the same hometown as Suh. Let’s work on simpler names, Portland.
