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College Football Group of 5 Conferences preview 2017

By Nicholas Ian Allen

SYRACUSE, NY - SEPTEMBER 17: Quinton Flowers (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - SEPTEMBER 17: Quinton Flowers (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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FAYETTEVILLE, AR – OCTOBER 25: Head Coach Bill Clark of the UAB Blazers (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – OCTOBER 25: Head Coach Bill Clark of the UAB Blazers (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

G5 Freshman of the Year

LB Thomas Johnston, UAB

There’s no Ed Oliver-level recruit in the G5 this year, but there are sure to be several freshmen that make a splash. Among the newcomers and redshirt freshmen capable of earning significant playing time this season are Houston defensive end Bryan Jones, UCF linebacker Dedrion Bacote and running back Cordarrian Richardson, Boise State linebacker Desmond Williams as well as linebacker and Alabama non-qualifier Jaquan Yulee at Marshall, plus several of Yulee’s wide receiver teammates with the Thundering Herd.

Tulsa quarterback Luke Skipper is in the running to win the starting quarterback job at Tulsa, and if he wins, Skipper is sure to put up big numbers in head coach Philip Montgomery’s explosive offense. But a good place to look for freshmen with an opportunity to make the biggest early impact are new the FBS programs at Coastal Carolina and (reborn) UAB.

Having not fielded a team over the last two years, the opportunities are sure to be biggest at UAB, and the Blazers landed a highly recruited linebacker in the 2017 recruiting class capable of making an impact in 2017. Thomas Johnston was the runner-up for the Mr. Football award in Alabama last season, and left Spanish Fort as the all-time leading tackler in the state. He was credited with 195 stops as a senior in 2016.

Ranked No. 20 among all outside linebackers and No. 19 overall among Alabama high schoolers, Johnson was a three-star recruit according to the 247Sports Composite. He has offers from several SEC schools, and took official visits to Auburn, Arizona State and Auburn before signing with the Blazers in February, joining his older brother Tyler – the 2015 Mr. Football in Alabama as a quarterback, on the squad.

  • AAC Freshman of the Year: LB Dedrion Bacote, UCF
  • C-USA Freshman of the Year: LB Thomas Johnston, UAB
  • G5 FBS Independents Freshman of the Year: DB Chaz Ah You, BYU
  • MAC Freshman of the Year: LB Brandon Martin, Ball State
  • Mountain West Freshman of the Year: LB Desmond Williams, Boise State
  • Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year: LB Kendric Haynes, South Alabama