Devy Fantasy Football: Top Week 1 Freshmen Performances
Any big-time performance by a true freshman in college football is always exciting. Aside from the fact that you're watching a teenager not far removed from prom excel in a sport where 5th and 6th-year college seniors are the norm, there's the tantalizing promise of what said freshman can develop into and bring to his program years down the line.
It's always worth keeping an eye on big freshman performances for college and devy fantasy football leagues alike. Check out our fantasy football devy rankings page for more on players to target in these league formats. With that, let's get into some of the top performances of Week 1 by freshmen across the country.
Week 1 Freshman Quarterback Standout Performances
QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California vs. Oregon State
This was quite the debut for California's true freshman gunslinger. On the road in his first-ever college start, he tossed for 234 yards and three touchdowns while completing 66 percent of his passes. He also added 30 yards rushing, totaling 26.7 fantasy points when all was said and done. The former Oregon commit looked extremely comfortable, making tight-window and off-platform throws look routine. California lost starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza to Indiana, but the Golden Bears appear just fine at gunslinger.
QB Bear Bachmeier, BYU vs. Portland State
Bachmeier only threw 11 passes, but he completed seven of them for 97 yards. Way more importantly: three of the seven completions went for touchdowns, and he added 32 yards and two rushing scores to tally five total touchdowns in his college debut, racking up 32.1 fantasy points. In a 69-0 win over Portland State, BYU hardly needed its true freshman signal-caller, but he was a touchdown machine when he did touch the ball. Yes, it was against an FCS opponent, but the lethal efficiency Bachmeier displayed Saturday is exactly what you want to see out of your true freshman quarterback.
QB Malik Washington, Maryland vs. FAU
Washington threw the ball 43 times in his collegiate debut, perhaps more pass attempts than the Terps would've liked for their true freshman in Week 1. Still, he showed plenty of the promise that made him a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school. His arm talent was on full display as he tossed for two touchdowns of 29 yards against Florida Atlantic. By the final whistle, he had completed 62.8 percent of his passes, thrown for 258 yards and three touchdowns, and amassed 24.9 fantasy points.
Week 1 Freshman Running Back Standout Performances
RB Tory Blaylock, Oklahoma vs. Illinois State
With just one carry for heralded California transfer Jayden Ott, the Sooners' backfield primarily featured Jovantae Barnes and Blaylock, a true freshman. The Ott situation remains very murky, but for the time being, it appears Blaylock is in a prime position to capitalize on it. He logged eight carries for 44 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for 18 yards. If he can get 10 touches each game, he's talented enough to do something with them. Blaylock won't be handed the keys to the backfield any time soon, barring injury, but he's proving that he's a more-than-viable option should the Sooners need to rely on him more than they initially planned to.
RB Jalen Dupree, Colorado State vs. Washington
Dupree is a redshirt freshman, but he only saw 25 touches in 2024. He's poised to shatter that number this fall, especially after putting up 15 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown (15.2 fantasy points) in the Rams' opener versus Washington. Dupree was easily the Rams' lead tailback, with no other ball-carrier getting more than four carries on the night. Justin Marshall's status is still something to monitor, but Dupree was listed as the starter and seemingly has a path toward regular snaps this fall. If he can average over 6 yards per carry against a Big Ten defense, he should be licking his chops for Colorado State's Mountain West slate. Dupree could explode this year.
Week 1 Freshman Wide Receiver Standout Performances
WR Malachi Toney, Miami (FL) vs. Notre Dame
There's a reason — several, in fact — that Toney was one of the more hotly recruited receivers in the nation coming out of high school, and he put those reasons on display in a huge win over the Fighting Irish. Toney excels in his slot receiver role, where his shiftiness and twitch make him look like a pass-catcher well beyond his years. He reeled in six catches for 82 yards and one touchdown when all was said and done, totaling 14.2 fantasy points. The fact that Toney managed to lock up a starting role as a true freshman on a loaded Hurricanes roster should've already gotten your attention, but if it didn't, this performance against Notre Dame certainly will. He was Miami's leading receiver in the win, a refrain that should become familiar this season.
WR Teddy Hoffmann, North Carolina State vs. East Carolina
Hoffman reportedly only played 26 percent of the Wolfpack's offensive snaps in the Week 1 win, but still managed to produce five catches for 93 yards (9.3 fantasy points). The true freshman from Florida has immediately earned a critical role in NC State's wide receiver room and should exceed his Week 1 totals when given a higher snap share. With true sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey also looking like he has the makings of a star, this passing attack should be on the rise over the next year or two, and Hoffman could be one of the main beneficiaries.
Week 1 Freshman Tight End Standout Performances
TE Ryder Kusch, Temple vs. UMass
In his first-ever collegiate game, Kusch caught two touchdown passes in Temple's blowout win over UMass. He only totalled three catches for 14 yards, but when two of those go for scores, that's a solid (if potentially flukey) fantasy output of 13.4 points. Still, the fact that he was looked at twice in the red zone is a good sign for how the Owls see his skill set fitting into their offense down the line. What's more, even in a blowout, those two touchdown passes came from starting quarterback Evan Simon. Though he remains technically a backup tight end for Temple, the trust of the starting quarterback could go a long way in helping Kusch produce the rest of the way in his true freshman season.
