True freshmen no longer serve just as practice bodies and tackling dummies in a redshirt rookie season. They're enrolling at schools prepared to play them early more than ever before, and with the 85-scholarship limit, coaches need freshmen to contribute.
Deshaun Watson started as a freshman. So did Lamar Jackson. Dalvin Cook rushed for 1,000 yards in his first season.
Which incoming ACC freshmen will make major contributions in 2017? The ACC blog picks the recruit most likely to make the biggest impact for each team.
Team: Duke
Recruit: Drew Jordan, No. 283 ESPN300
Stars: Four
Why he will make an impact: Jordan was the second-highest rated player Duke signed, one of two ESPN 300 prospects to decide on Duke. With an emphasis on getting more physical across the board, his addition could pay immediate dividends. Second-year defensive line coach Ben Albert made progress with a group that had struggled in recent years to get after the quarterback. The Blue Devils got 29 sacks in 2016, a vast improvement over the previous season. But that was only the beginning. Over the last two years, Duke has signed 17 offensive and defensive linemen to ratchet up its physicality in the trenches. Jordan certainly fits what Duke is looking for up front. An outside linebacker in high school, Jordan projects to play end with the Blue Devils. And bear this in mind: Duke has only had four players reach double-digit sacks in its history. It's easy to see why such an emphasis has been placed on bringing in and developing pass-rushers.
Coach's quote: Coach David Cutcliffe was asked which defensive linemen could make an immediate impact. He pointed to Jordan, Victor Dimukeje, Chris Rumph and Ben Frye as being "relentlessly quick, explosive guys" with "great strength, great strength in their hands. A year ago when we hired Ben Albert, that's one of the things he and I talked about the most, is, 'What makes a great pass-rusher? How do you identify them? What are we looking for?' We had lengthy discussions about that. We know what we're doing with the current players we have that we think are going to make them better pass-rushers. I'm excited about what I think we have in that regard."