The Season Of The Reshirt Freshman

Over the last few seasons we have seen red shirt freshmen breaking into the starting line up. Such as Jake Locker for the Washington Huskies.

Today it is more common than in years past. Why is this?

One might think and rightly so, kids are bigger and stronger. Better diets, training equipment, coaching and just better talented athletes coming out of high school.

I have seen three red shirt freshman debut this season and it certainly has been the season of the red shirt.

Starting off would be Kellen Moore of Boise State. He is the red shirt freshman for the Broncos. He has stood up to every test offered this season.

His biggest test came at the end of Sept, taking the unranked Boise State Broncos into Eugene, Oregon to face the then ranked 17th, Oregon Ducks in Autzen Stadium. For those who don't know, Autzen is one of the more difficult stadiums to play in college football.
Eugene is filled with rabid Duck fans and they do bring the noise.

Duck coach Bellotti's game plan was simple, stop the run and make Boise win with a freshman QB playing just his 3rd game of college ball and doing his first road trip.

Moore gutted the ducks, lighting them up for 386 yards and 3 TDs.

The next young red shirt I saw was Darron Thomas in the same BSU - Oregon game. He entered the game end of the 3rd quarter start of the fourth.

Bellotti had been hoping to save Thomas's red shirt, but being down 37 to 13 the Ducks needed something. In spite of being sacked once and picked twice, Thomas showed why the Ducks wanted him. He lit up Boise State for over 200 yards passing and three touchdowns, bringing the game to a 37 to 32 final.

The third red shirt freshman to shine last week was Oregon State's running back Jacquizz Rodgers.

This kid led the unranked Oregon State Beavers against the #1 ranked Trojans of USC at Resser Stadium in Corvalis, Oregon.

Rodgers is by all standards small for a running back standing 5'6 and weighing in at 198 lbs. However neither size or the men from Troys defense could stop the OSU running back from carving them up. Running for 186 yards and two touchdowns, Rodgers led this Beavers to a 27 to 21 upset victory over the mighty USC Trojans.

Is this the season of the red shirt freshman, the above three and others across the college football world say it is so.