No one likes to lose seniors and juniors on their team. Mainly those who help lead your team to success. Because of these losses, these teams must find ways to recruit new players to help replace those they lost. Many teams do it well, others miss out on these talented, young recruits. The 2019 recruiting class has 5 Big Ten teams in the the top 25. There’s certainly a good amount of freshman talent, coming into the 2019 season. Furthermore, we take a look at some of those freshman who might can come in and make a good impact on their team in their first year. These players are not ranked, or in order, these are just a few names that come to mind.
Garrett Wilson- Ohio State
Ohio State just finished the 2018 season, with 3 wide receivers being drafted. Even after losing that many wide receivers, OSU is returning 3 more wide receivers, in K.J Hill, Benjamin Victor, and Austin Mack, who all received valuable playing time last year. Wilson, the 5 star recruit from Texas, is looking to fill one of those spots. Wilson is an exceptional route runner, with great hands, and good get off speed. Rather than leaving for another program, after Urban Meyer’s departure, Wilson decided to stick it out, which definitely made Buckeye fans happy. It’s not going to be a matter of when, or if, Garrett will receive play time, but rather, how much? If Garrett performs like how he did in the spring game, the buckeyes will have a play maker for many years.
Wan’dale Robinson- Wisconsin
Nebraska already has a QB that they have tremendous trust in. This next year, Wan’dale Robinson, a 4 star athlete, is quickly becoming known as one of the shiftiest players in college this upcoming year. Robinson has tremendous speed, good hands, and is capable of making many people miss in the open field. Robinson was cited with marijuana, not too long ago. We don’t know if this is something for Nebraska fans to be concerned with, but we all will definitely be keeping an eye on the situation. Robinson is in a position to possibly win freshman of the year in the Big Ten. Nebraska will certain use this athlete in many ways to help expand their offense even further.
Brandon Smith- Penn State
Penn State has seen their defense become more dominate, year after year. Adding Brandon Smith, a 5 star inside linebacker, could be the piece they need to lead the defense and take them into the elite defenses. Smith is big, with a height of 6’5″ and weighing 230 pounds. Closing speed, physical strength, and his intangibles make Smith one of the most intriguing prospects at linebacker in a long time. Many thought he would move to DE or TE, due to his height. If Brandon is anything like what those around him tell, he’s going to be one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten this year, as a freshman as well.
Nick Cross- Maryland
Maryland certainly got a gem in Nick Cross. Cross is a 4 star recruit, who is the highest-rated player of their class. Cross is a top 5 safety in the nation. His instincts and physicality make Cross the level of player he is. Cross’ speed is not among the highest for secondary players, but it’s certainly not slow by any means. Maryland was able to keep Cross from committing to Florida State and Penn State. Cross will certainly see a lot of playing time this year and try to help improve this Terrapin defense.
Zach Harrison- Ohio State
Ohio State has been known for recruiting and grooming great defensive linemen. Just look at some of the Ohio State Defensive linemen in the NFL. Nick/Joey Bosa and Cameron Heyward are just a few. Ohio State received a commitment from Zach Harrison, who is one of the best D-linemen in the country last year. Harrison is tall, good speed off the edge, and is a good athlete. Still needs some work on his mechanics, but that should be easy with coach Johnson. Even though Ohio State has four defensive linemen that could start at almost any school in the country, Ohio State prides themselves on using their depth, especially at the D-line. Harrison, being like a chase young 2.0, could see some good playing time this year.
Chris Hinton- Michigan
Chris Hinton, the 5 star defensive end, has pledged his loyalty and commitment to Michigan. Hinton is an extremely athletic defensive end, who’s coaches have stated he’s one of the strongest, most athletic guys they have ever seen. Gathering tackles in the backfield is Hinton’s specialty. A year after Michigan lost many great defensive players, Hinton will most likely start, and become an anchor on the defensive line.
Conclusion
Note to everyone, these are not all the Big Ten freshmen who we believe will make an impact right away. These are just a few examples of big names coming into this year. Many teams this year, even those who aren’t in the top 25 nationally for recruiting, have loads of great potential. Many of these names will make their impacts felt early in the season, while others may have to wait a year or two to get their opportunity to shine.
