By Hunt Palmer
The role of freshmen in college football has taken some wild swings in the last 15 years.
For decades, freshmen weren’t even allowed on the varsity squad. Over time, that was relaxed. Future stars like Alan Faneca redshirted in the 1990s. Michael Brockers did the same thing in 2009 as a four-star defensive lineman.
When Brockers bolted for the NFL after his redshirt sophomore season, LSU’s coaching staff was triggered by the realization that many of its players were gone after three years. Why waste one of them?
So, they didn’t.
Freshmen played significant time from the early 2010s through the COVID pandemic.
Once players started getting sixth years and, more importantly, using the transfer portal, it was easy for staffs to fill roster gaps with upperclassmen. That made the path to the field for freshmen more difficult to navigate.
LSU signed 23 high schoolers in the 2025 class. Here’s how I break down their current roles as classes begin 10 days from now and the season opener rapidly approaches.
Early and Often
DJ Pickett and Harlem Berry will play at Clemson. Both enrolled at LSU in December and have made the necessary strides to get to the field quickly. That should come as little surprise because of their status as five-star prospects.
Both arrived in Baton Rouge noticeably undersized. They’ve combined to put on north of 35 lbs., but you can tell both frames could use some more weight. The talent is immense.
Berry needs space to operate. Right now, the crowded rushing lanes at practice are easier to navigate for Caden Durham and Kaleb Jackson. Berry’s super power is his shiftiness and vision in the open field. Expect some screens to go his direction to get his feet wet. I’d also expect to see a sizeable role in the home opener against Louisiana Tech. He’s not ready for 25 carries in an SEC game, but he can certainly help with three or four touches early in the year.
Pickett has been tossed into the deep end by Corey Raymond. He’s worked a ton opposite Chris Hilton and lost his fair share of reps. He’s got ridiculously long arms, and he’s not afraid to use them. Don’t confuse Pickett’s lack of bulk for softness. He’ll get as physical as he can—sometimes to the point of pass interference. As he gets stronger, that physicality will only work to his advantage. Ashton Stamps and Mansoor Delane are the starers at corner, but Pickett is next up.
Knocking on the Door
I know many are clamoring for Carius Curne’s insertion at one of the guard spots. That position group has struggled, no doubt. DJ Chester and Paul Mubenga are fighting for the starting job opposite Josh Thompson. Curne has all the tools you can’t teach. He’s freakishly athletic and “the strongest freshman I have ever seen” according to Tyree Adams. He still makes a number of mental mistakes. He’s been caught jumping offsides multiple times. Once that resulted in his being removed from a drill to run laps. Plus, he’s spent the vast majority of the media availability working at tackle instead of guard. Curne may be the sixth or seventh offensive lineman, and that player almost always gets on the field due to injury at some point over the course of 12 games. I do not believe he’s a sincere starting candidate at any position for Clemson or Florida, but he will play some. Hypothetically, if the line struggles mightily at Clemson like in the Superdome against Florida State, Curne could get a closer look against Louisiana Tech.
Charles Ross is a player the staff is exceptionally high on. He has led the way amongst the talented five freshman linebackers and logged significant snaps with the second unit. Ross is north of 220 lbs., and he’s got high school track speed. That’s a phenomenal combination to begin with. The older Weeks brothers, Davhon Keys and Tylen Singelton are the top four at this point, but Ross is behind them. Expect to see Ross against Louisiana Tech and Southeastern Louisiana in September. He may be on the starting special teams coverage units right out of the gate.
And my off the radar freshman pick to play some this year is CJ Jimcoily. He’s already got elite SEC size at 6-foot-3 and 220 lbs. He can really run. The question is, where does he play? He’s been listed as a safety and a linebacker by the recruiting services and LSU’s website. He may be an option at the STAR. Harlod Perkins has that position sewn up, and senior Jardin Gilbert has moved down there to get some reps as well. Jimcoily feels like a sure-fire special teamer, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get some September action on defense as well.
Behind the Scenes
The other 18 freshmen feel like longer shots to get to the field. That’s the way it should be. A team striving for a conference championship and a playoff run shouldn’t be asking eight to 10 freshmen to compete. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Keylan Moses or Zach Weeks on a special teams unit. Both guys have good size and can run. The same gores for Jacob Bradford. But these days a redshirt year is very, very valuable. Ask Garrett Nussmeier. So, four games could be a cutoff for some of these guys.
There will certainly be contributions, and injuries are assured to happen. That can reshuffle the deck. But at of the conclusion of “camp” where Clemson prep becomes the true priority, only a handful of freshmen feel like instant impacts.
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