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College football 2018 preview: 15 freshmen poised to make instant impact

By Cody Williams

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - MAY 26: Trevor Lawrence of Clemson University poses for portraits at Steve Clarkson's 14th Annual Quarterback Retreat on May 26, 2018 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - MAY 26: Trevor Lawrence of Clemson University poses for portraits at Steve Clarkson's 14th Annual Quarterback Retreat on May 26, 2018 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) /
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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – OCTOBER 28: A Nebraska Cornhuskers helmet sits on the field before the start of the Big Ten conference game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Nebraska Cornhuskers on October 28, 2017, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – OCTOBER 28: A Nebraska Cornhuskers helmet sits on the field before the start of the Big Ten conference game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Nebraska Cornhuskers on October 28, 2017, at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Adrian Martinez, QB, Nebraska

Upon hiring Scott Frost to be their next head coach, the Nebraska Cornhuskers quite clearly wanted to inject some new life into their program.

Not only was Frost coming off of unprecedented success at UCF but he was coming in as a coach that was always unafraid to take risks and shake things up in the name of being successful. That’s clearly what Frost is going to try and do at quarterback with Adrian Martinez.

Despite the fact that Nebraska has never started a true freshman at quarterback in the season-opener, Frost is planning to do that with Martinez, he and the team announced on Sunday night. Martinez enters the Huskers program as their top recruit from the 23rd-ranked class in the country for the 2018 season.

Meanwhile, the Fresno native is also the 139th overall rated prospect in this class and the seventh-ranked dual-threat quarterback among his peers. The dual-threat capabilities may be the most intriguing part considering what Frost has shown as a coach to this point.

At UCF, Frost was unfazed by giving the ball to McKenzie Milton early in his career, and it ultimately paid dividends. Last season as the Knights went unbeaten, Milton was one of the most productive and dynamic offensive players in the country.

Subsequently, if Frost both believes in Martinez and is able to coach him in the same way that he did Milton, the sky could be the limit for this freshman as he takes the starting job immediately.