247Sports’ Chris Hummer tackled a monumental task on Monday, ranking the Top 100 impact freshman ahead of the 2024 season.
In his list, Hummer included 17 representatives from the Big 12 Conference and broke down the impact he expects out of the new league members.
RODNEY BIMAGE, DB, ARIZONA STATE
“There’s a totally blank slate at cornerback for Arizona State as its trio of starters from last year have all either graduated or transferred from the program. Nobody in the room has much experience, including transfers Laterrance Welch and Javan Robinson. That created an opportunity for Bimage this spring, and he took advantage of it. Bimage spent time working with both the first and second team and seems well positioned to play a key role. Don’t be shocked to see his fellow true freshman cornerback, Chris Johnson, also factor into ASU’s cornerback depth chart.”
JAYDON PORTER, WR, BAYLOR
“Baylor’s offense should see a bit of a jolt this year with Jake Spavital’s version of the Air Raid coming to Waco. That, of course, requires a lot of quality receivers. Baylor went heavy on them in the transfer portal and returned several key pieces. But we’ve heard to watch out for Porter as a contributor.”
FALETAU SATUALA, S, BYU
“The Cougars’ top-ranked signee will soon join a room with little experience, which gives him a legit chance to make an immediate impact. Satuala is the type of athlete rarely found on BYU’s roster and is super versatile with a long build that allows him to play in the box while also making plays in space while in the secondary.“
JOE BROWN, OL, BYU
“Brown will be a true freshman next year, but he’s a bit older than everyone else on this list after serving a two-year mission. But Brown, who initially signed with Virginia before joining the BYU program, acquitted himself well this spring. O-line is a huge question mark for the Cougars and Brown is squarely in the mix to start at right guard.”
SIMEON COLEMAN, LB, CINCINNATI
“Coleman had a strong spring for the Bearcats. He spent a lot of time working with the 1s and 2s and impressed the staff with his consistency and nose for the football. Coleman isn’t the biggest linebacker at 6-foot, 230 pounds, but he’s physical and seems to always be around the ball.”
JORDAN SEATON, OT, COLORADO
“Given Colorado’s offensive line struggled a year ago and the complete reset the room has undergone since, there are plenty of opportunities for young players to emerge on the o-line. Seaton was one of 13 traditional high school or JUCO signees for the Buffs in 2024. The five-star recruit worked as Colorado’s starting left tackle during the spring game, and it’s very likely he begins the year protecting Shedeur Sanders’ blind side.”
JAYSHON RIDGLE, WR, HOUSTON
“You can do a lot with the 10.56-second speed in the 100-meter dash, and that’s exactly what Houston has come to campus this summer with Ridgle. One of the top sprinters in Alabama the last few years, Ringle is a do-it-all offensive threat who’s played wide receiver, running back and even a bit of QB. With two of Houston’s three top receivers moving on from last year, there’s a path for Ridgle to be an immediate playmaker.”
COOPER ALEXANDER, TE, IOWA STATE
“The Cyclones have a star at tight end in sophomore Ben Brahmer, but there’s room on the depth chart for someone like Alexander to make an impact for a team that often works out of multiple tight end sets. Alexander had a very impressive spring and drew plenty of praise from Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell.”
DESHAWN WARNER, DE, KANSAS
“Warner is the highest ranked recruit ever to sign with Kansas. For that reason alone he’s in the mix to play in 2024. He’s just a different sort of talent, at least in terms of ceiling, than what Kansas has on the roster. But Warner’s true freshman emergence could just be necessary due to how thin the Jayhawks are at weakside defensive end. Almost nobody in that room has experience.”
DAKYUS BRINKLEY, DE, KANSAS
“You can take what I wrote about Warner and basically copy and paste it for Brinkley. He’s a top-10 all-time high school signee for Kansas, so he enters with big expectations. Beyond that, however, Kansas needs him to help at defensive end. There’s very little proven experience in that room. Thus, the door is wide open for Warner or Brinkley to emerge as an immediate contributor.”
JOSH FORD, TE, OKLAHOMA STATE
“Even on an experienced Oklahoma State roster, Ford can help. He arrived in Stillwater with college-ready size at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds and quickly thrived in the Cowboys’ offseason conditioning program. Mike Gundy was very complimentary of Ford earlier this spring.”
NATE PALMER, RB, TCU
“TCU has an experienced roster with transfers plugging in all over the place, so it’ll be hard for a freshman to make a major impact. But the non-specialist with the best path to the field is Palmer, who impressed this spring. While Palmer mostly worked with the third team, he did earn some second and even a few first-team reps. It wouldn’t be a shock if TCU turned toward Palmer a few times early in the year to see if he can create some explosive runs.”
MICAH HUDSON, WR, TEXAS TECH
“Hudson is the top recruit in program history and very much looked the part this spring. The Red Raiders struggled to consistently make plays downfield last season, and Hudson certainly provides an ability to stretch the field vertically. “He’s an absolute freak,” said one source. I’d go ahead and pencil in Hudson as a starter.”
CAMERON DICKEY, RB, TEXAS TECH
“The top of Texas Tech’s running back depth chart is set with superstar Tahj Brooks returning along with backup Cam’Ron Valdez. But Dickey, a 5-foot-10, 220-pound bowling ball, showed plenty of pop this spring to the point the Red Raider staff already expects him to be a contributor. Dickey is one of the more versatile players on Texas Tech’s roster. He played quarterback and safety in high school and actually came to Lubbock with eyes on playing in the secondary, but thrived quickly when given a chance in the RB room.”
CHASEN JOHNSON, DB, UCF
“UCF has since bolstered the cornerbacks’ room in the transfer portal, but Johnson spent a ton of time working with the first team this spring. ‘He’s been very impressive,’ UCF head coach Gus Malzahn said during spring practice. ‘He doesn’t seem like a true freshman. He’s a great competitor, he can run, he doesn’t shy away from contact. He’s been a very bright spot.’”
ZAE JENNINGS, S, WEST VIRGINIA
“West Virginia heavily added cornerbacks in the portal, but there’s room on the depth chart for a young safety to emerge. Jennings made quite a case to grab that sort of role in the spring, impressing throughout. Head coach Neal Brown speaks highly of Jennings.”
RIC’DARIOUS FARMER, WR, WEST VIRGINIA
“It’ll be tough for Farmer to emerge as a starter-level player for West Virginia with some depth in front of him, especially as a summer enrollee, but there’s a belief in Morgantown the four-star freshman can contribute right away. Farmer is a dynamic slot receiver who is at his best with the ball in his hands, where he can employ a wide variety of head fakes and jukes (not to mention above-average speed). He’s the type of player who will end up making a few ‘wow’ players in his debut season.”
