Bulldogs Are Willing To Rise Up A Top Star Player Preparing For The 2024/2025 Season…

Vernell Brown III first gained interest from Georgia back in 2022.

That’s when the 4-star Jones (Fla.) wide receiver picked up an offer from Georgia wide receiver coach Bryan McClendon. But from that point forward, Brown’s interactions with Georgia were next-to-zero, he told Dawgs247. That changed quickly in the last couple months when James Coley returned to Kirby Smart’s staff.

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei tight end Mark Bowman is one of the top players at his position in the class of 2027. The 6-5, 220-pounder holds offers from Arizona State, Georgia, Miami, Ole Miss, Miami, Oregon, Tennessee and many others.

With each passing year, more high school football stars close their recruiting processes during the Early Signing Period and land at their destination schools weeks later as early enrollees. Getting a head start on college gives these potential instant-impact contributors the opportunity to partake in spring camp ahead of their freshman year, adding 15 important practices to their development processes.

Many of this year’s highest-rated recruits already made splashes at their new schools, turning heads through the first few weeks of spring ball. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith headlines those players after making serious impressions on his teammates just four months into his time with the Buckeyes.

Spring practices begin to wind down over the coming weeks, and with the end of camp comes programs’ annual spring games, where practices culminate in live scrimmages in front of fans and national audiences. Oftentimes, this is where first-year stars introduce themselves to the college football world with notable performances.

Here are 10 freshmen to watch in this month’s spring games:

The headliner of Arizona’s 2024 recruiting class, running back Jordan Washington, will turn heads with his elite speed this spring. Washington, the No. 17 ballcarrier in his cycle, is one of the fastest newcomers in college football. He boasts a personal record 10.31-second 100-meter time and finished second at the California state track championship last spring, displaying elite speed that should translate very well to college football. Washington could begin to carve out a role in the Wildcats’ backfield well ahead of his freshman season.

Clemson got one of the earliest starts to spring football, so Sammy Brown is further along than most early enrollees. The five-star newcomer was the No. 2 linebacker in the most recent recruiting cycle and is in a competition to fill Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s open spot in the Tigers’ starting lineup. Brown, a member of the 2024 class’ Freaks List, did not take long to make a strong impression in spring ball as he turned heads in the linebacker room over the first two weeks of camp.

Nebraska’s quarterback play last season was about as ineffective as it gets, but there is a good chance the Huskers’ signal-caller fortunes take a turn for the better this fall. When five-star prospect Dylan Raiola flipped his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska, he signaled the start of a new offensive era that could take the program back to the upper half of the Big Ten and beyond. Raiola still has work to do in acclimating to the college game and surpassing returner Heinrich Haarberg in the pecking order, but all signs point to the freshman leading the Husker offense in 2024.

LJ McCray sticking with his commitment to Florida was a major win for the Gators, who lost much of their top recruiting talent leading up to and on National Signing Day. The top-ranked defensive lineman and No. 4 overall player in the class enrolled in January as a massive 6-foot-5, 279-pound force in the trenches who has the frame and skill to play right away but also projects to make strides as he adds more weight. A big spring from McCray would go a long way in proving Florida has what it takes to compete against a daunting schedule.

South Carolina lacked defensive pressure last year, and No. 2 edge rusher prospect Dylan Stewart has the potential to alleviate that problem right out of the gate. If his Under Armour All-America game performance (sack, TFL, forced fumble, pass breakup, quarterback hurry) is any indication, he could make a big splash when South Carolina turns its defenders loose in its spring game. Stewart measures at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds and has a lethal combination of strength and speed off the edge.

The opportunity to play as a true freshman is there for the taking for Ellis Robinson IV, who joined Georgia this spring as the No. 2 recruit in the 2024 class. The Bulldogs have an opening at one of the two cornerback spots, and Robinson may instantly emerge this spring as one of the top candidates to fill the starting role. The lengthy pass defender starred in the back of Bradenton (Fla). IMG Academy’s defense and has everything it takes to be a standout in college football’s most prolific group.

READ MORE:

There are still two weeks until the NCAA Transfer Portal opens for the 15-day spring window but one former Seminole has already declared his intentions to explore his options elsewhere. Joshua Burrell spent the last three seasons at Florida State as a reserve wide receiver and running back while dealing with injuries.

Burrell announced his plans to enter the transfer portal back in January and he officially appeared in the database in late March. That means college programs are allowed to contact Burrell as he inches closer to earning his bachelor’s degree at the conclusion of the spring semester in Tallahassee. He’s already picked up at least one public offer as Georgia State joined his transfer recruitment last week

Burrell was limited by injuries throughout his time with the Seminoles. He lost the majority of his true freshman season due to a lower-body injury he suffered in practice. Burrell explored a move to running back prior to the beginning of the 2022 season following injuries to Ja’Khi Douglas and CJ Campbell during the preseason. He ended up appearing in nine games stats prior to undergoing season-ending surgery in December.

The South Carolina native saw action in ten contests during the 2023 campaign with most of those snaps coming on special teams. He concluded his time in garnet and gold with 21 appearances while consistently being a member of the ACC Honor Roll and a multi-year Seminole Scholar.

Burrell is expected to have two seasons of eligibility to utilize at the program that he ultimately transfers to. Though no longer on the team at Florida State, he’s stuck around as an intern through the Tour of Duty and into spring practice.

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the spring