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National Signing Day 2018: 5 players who will make an immediate impact

By Nicholas Ian Allen

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: A view of the logo on display before the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: A view of the logo on display before the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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National Signing Day is here, so it’s time to discuss which new signees will have the biggest impact on the 2018 college football season.

True freshmen have increasingly had a bigger impact on college football in recent seasons, but the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game was kind of ridiculous. Not only did Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa come on to replace Jalen Hurts at halftime, Tagovailoa also had his blindside protected by Alex Leatherwood in the second half after star left tackle Jonah Williams was sidelined with an injury. Tagovailoa also connected with another freshman, DeVonta Smith, for an incredible 41-yard game-winning bomb. And handed off six times to Najee Harris, who picked up 64 rushing yards to lead all Alabama players.

Harris, like Tagovailoa and Leatherwood a five-star signee in the 2017 recruiting class, broke off a 35-yard run in the fourth quarter that helped set up an important field goal. It was also the longest run of the game for either team. The trio combined to lead the Bama offense in passing, rushing yards and receiving yards in the national title game.

On the other side, the Georgia Bulldogs relied on true freshman Jake Fromm at quarterback for almost the entire season. Fromm led Georgia to the SEC Championship and a win in the Rose Bowl, and nearly the won it all. He also handed off to four times to D’Andre Swift, who gained just 15 yards in the game, but had become such a valuable piece of the offense he lined up in the backfield for the final drive of regulation instead of record-setting running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

Had we attempted to list the immediate impact freshmen on National Signing Day 2017, we might not have come up with Tagovailoa, Harris, Smith, Fromm or Swift. But we might have settled on Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor, Stanford tackle Walker Little, or Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith, each of whom earned Freshman All-American honors.

Signing Day is here, and an unknown total of true freshmen and junior college signees will make big plays on big stages in 2018. Some might even lead their team to a national championship. Here we discuss five new players with the potential to make an immediate impact next season.

MANHATTAN, KS – OCTOBER 10: A general view of football on the field prior to a game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Kansas State Wildcats on October 10, 2015 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
MANHATTAN, KS – OCTOBER 10: A general view of football on the field prior to a game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Kansas State Wildcats on October 10, 2015 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

High School: Parkway; Bossier City, LA

247 Sports Composite Rankings: 43 overall, No. 3 QB (Dual-Threat)

So, who will be the next Jake Fromm or Tua Tagovailoa — a true freshman quarterback capable of playing a major role in a championship season? A first glance, it’s difficult to project. Top prospects Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, who signed with Clemson and Georgia, respectively, might compete for early playing time, but both also face a tough tasks unseating incumbent starters.

USC’s J.T. Daniels will be in the mix to step into Sam Darnold’s shoes, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Emory Jones at Florida give Chip Kelly and Dan Mullen, respectively, a quarterback built in the ideal mold for their offensive systems, giving the pair a better than average shot at winning the starting job as a freshman. The same could be said for Adrian Martinez at Nebraska. But the best bet is Justin Rogers, who signed with TCU and should compete for the right to start from Day 1 of spring practice.

Rogers, listed at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, has prototypical size for a quarterback and the arm strength to match. He’s a dual-threat signal caller, capable of moving an offense down the field with his legs as well as his arm, and his raw skills caught the eyes of talent evaluators from the Under Armour All-American Game as well as the Elite 11 program. Rogers ranked No. 3 among dual-threat QB prospects in the 247Sports Composite, fifth among all quarterbacks, and No. 43 overall.

Though his mechanics are far from perfect, Rogers has good awareness and reads defenses well. He’s also book smart. Harvard was one of the dozens of schools that recruited the Louisiana native, and the Horned Frogs won his signature over offers from LSU, Georgia, Oregon, Texas, Arkansas and others. Put it together, and Rogers should be considered the favorite to replace Kenny Hill.

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