ESPN: College football's best 2023 true freshman at 39 different skills

Submitted by Derek on July 28th, 2023 at 5:43 PM

It's a list, and it includes a Wolverine:

Best pass catching RB: Cole Cabana, Michigan
ESPN 300 rank: 116

Cabana has excellent ball skills and is very polished as a pass receiver. He can line up in the slot and be just as effective given his hands and route running savvy. He's a difficult matchup in space and will most likely be moved around the backfield in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have one of the top backfields this season, and it will take time before we see major production from Cabana.

For the masochists: Raylen Wilson ("too fast and instinctive to remain on the sideline, even for Georgia") and Dante Moore ("too talented, mentally and physically, not to see the field this fall for UCLA") also appear. OSU, MSU, and Penn State have one player each, while USC has four.

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Cole Cabana

Derek

July 28th, 2023 at 5:48 PM ^

I guess I should have named the other B1G freshmen:

  • Quickest release: Malachi Nelson, USC (QB)
  • Best ball skills: Makai Lemon, USC (WR)
  • Most dynamic: Zachariah Branch, USC (WR)
  • Best route runner: Carnell Tate, Ohio State (WR)
  • Best pass-catcher: Duce Robinson, USC (TE)
  • Best run-blocker: J'ven Williams, Penn State (OL)
  • Best run-stopping instincts: Jordan Hall, Michigan State (LB)

For being so well-represented on the list, USC's lack of defensive players is pretty on-brand.

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Grampy

July 28th, 2023 at 5:53 PM ^

I should point out that neither USC nor UCLA are in B1G this year, thus their four freshmen won't be freshmen when they actually play a conference schedule.

And nope, none of their listed players play on the defensive side of the ball.

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NittanyFan

July 28th, 2023 at 6:15 PM ^

As you said, "it's a list." 

ESPN needs content to drive revenue, so they'll rank hundreds of guys who have yet to play a collegiate game (!!!), across 39 (!!!) different attributes.

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Dennis

July 28th, 2023 at 6:59 PM ^

Dante Moore isn't induce wincing for me - he struck me as having maturity issues. Maybe I'm wrong but I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up like Tathan Martell. 

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WeimyWoodson

July 28th, 2023 at 10:37 PM ^

I wouldn’t be surprised to see him being a really good/great qb. Getting Davis and Underwood would really reduce the sting of losing Moore.

Reality is Moore wanted to play/start as a freshman and we have JJ. 2024 will probably be a year filled with growing pains but a chance of still making the playoff since it will be 12 team. 

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Perkis-Size Me

July 28th, 2023 at 11:33 PM ^

UCLA and Oregon offered him either one of, or a combination of, early playing time or a big sack of money. That’s not a knock on either UCLA or Oregon, but they both offered Moore something that Michigan couldn’t.

The playing time isn’t Michigan’s fault. They have an entrenched starter in McCarthy who could be one of the best QBs in America this year. Moore was never going to surpass him. The money aspect….Michigan isn’t going to be the school that offers a big upfront payment.

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