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Several true freshman around the SEC made their college debuts over the weekend. Here is look at some who made significant contributions to their teams.
Alabama: Calvin Ridley got plenty of playing time at wide receiver and was solid with three catches for 23 yards in the win against Wisconsin. Running back Damien Harris got nine carries for 23 yards playing behind Derrick Henry and Kenyon Drake. Defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick was probably the Crimson Tide’s most active freshman, making four tackles, including a sack for a nine-yard loss, and breaking up a pass. He also drew Nick Saban’s ire at least once.
Arkansas: Running back Rawleigh Williams III had a nice first outing, carrying the ball 16 times for 45 yards as Arkansas rolled 48-13 against UTEP. Blake Johnson was expected to be the Razorbacks No. 1 punter coming out of camp, but didn’t play after an arrest last week.
Auburn: Defensive end Byron Cowart, rated by many as the top recruit in his class, assisted on two tackles in his college debut to help the Tigers hold off Louisville for a 31-24 victory. But it was defensive back Montavious Atkinson who came up biggest on defense, racking up seven tackles with a sack and a forced fumble. Cornerback Jeremiah Dinson also added four tackles while Jeff Holland and Carlton Davis had a tackle each.
Florida: The Gators won easily, 61-13 with a pair of freshman running backs getting in on the action. Jordan Scarlett carried eight times for 34 yards and a touchdown while Jordan Conkrite carried five times for 24 yards and score. Wide receiver Antonio Calloway had three catches for 26 yards.
Georgia: The Bulldogs crushed Louisiana Monroe, 51-14, with touted linebacker D’Andre Walker blocking a punt that resulted in a safety. Wide receiver Terry Godwin had three catches for 31 yards and defensive back Rico McGraw saw a lot of playing time and had three tackles. A handful of other true freshman got into the game during garbage time.
Kentucky: Right tackle Georgia Asafo-Adjei, tight end C.J. Conrad and cornerback Chris Westry all started in their first college game for the Wildcats in a 40-33 victory over Louisiana Lafayette. Conrad didn’t have a catch, but he and Asafo-Adjei blocked for an offense that put up 435 yards of total offense. Westry finished with 3.5 tackles.
LSU: With the game against McNeese State cancelled due to weather, no Tiger freshman got an opportunity to play.
Mississippi State: Wide receiver Justin Johnson was part of history Saturday night during the Bulldogs 34-16 victory at Southern Miss. Johnson caught a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Dak Prescott, which helped him break the school’s career record. Johnson finished with two catches for 17 yards.
Ole Miss: The Rebels plan to redshirt most of their freshman, but offensive lineman Javon Patterson figures heavily into the plans for this season. Patterson got the start in his first game and helped the Rebels to 76-3 victory against Tennessee Martin. DaMarkus Lodge, a true freshman wideout, got into the game and caught a 12-yard touchdown pass on his first play.
Missouri: Backup quarterback Drew Lock made the most of an opportunity to play in the 34-3 victory, completing 6 of 10 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Emanuel Hall had one catch for nine yards and punter Corey Fatony booted six times for an average of 45.8 yards. Defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. had four tackles, including one for a loss. Defensive end Nate Howard had two tackles, one for a loss.
South Carolina: Walk-on tight end Hayden Hurst, a 22-year-old pro baseball player, made his debut, but didn’t have a catch in the Thursday night win against North Carolina.
Tennessee: The Vols played plenty of freshman in their 59-30 win against Bowling Green. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings led the team with three catches for 56 yards. Linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. had three tackles, including a sack for a nine-yard loss. Linebacker Kenny Bynum also had a tackle.
Texas A&M: Wide receiver Christian Kirk had the biggest opener among true freshman in the SEC and perhaps the entire country. Kirk proved to be a threat both going deep and as a catch-and-run receiver, racking up 106 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown in A&M’s 38-17 win over Arizona State. Teammate Daylon Mack got plenty of playing time at defensive tackle with senior Julien Obioha out and had three tackles, including one for a loss.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores suffered a 14-12 loss to Western Kentucky, but got to see a freshman linebacker Josh Smith make two tackles, including one for a loss, in his debut.
Shane Mettlen is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Texas A&M, Missouri and Alabama.
