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Alabama added another college football championship to the trophy case thanks in part to the contributions from a true freshman, wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
Several teams in the SEC West are restocking the cupboard with instant playmakers on both sides of the ball. Here are a few who could be impact talents as true freshmen in 2016:
Ole Miss OT Gregory Little
With the departure of Laremy Tunsil there’s an opening on the line for the nation’s highest-rated prospect at the position. As another recruiting writer told me about Little, “you don’t recruit that guy to give him a redshirt.”
Arkansas RB Devwah Whaley
The Razorback fans said goodbye to Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins after the 2015 season and now they can say hello to Whaley, who should come in and get plenty carries right away to continue the program’s recent tradition of 1,000-yard backs.
LSU DT Rashard Lawrence
The Tigers’ most recent addition to their No. 1 class is 6-foot-3, 300 pounds and has the footwork of a wide receiver. He might not start right away but expect Lawrence to get into the defensive line rotation early in his career.
Auburn WR Kyle Davis
If the Tigers are going to get the most out of quarterback Jeremy Johnson he needs some big targets that can get downfield. Davis looks the part already and maybe he can make a similar impact in the Plains that Calvin Ridley did at Alabama.
Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.
