Michigan's Bryce Underwood, Ohio State's Devin Sanchez lead five-star freshmen who could make impact in Week 1

Few players generate more excitement entering a new college football season than highly recruited freshmen. There's something enticing about a team's shiny new toys, and the potential that a first-year player emerges as a star often gives fans plenty of reason for optimism. 

Though college football teams would like to rely on younger players as little as possible, the modern era often sees plenty of freshmen play a big role. Name, image and likeness deals and the transfer portal have catalyzed development, as programs -- and those that feed money into said programs -- often want to see a return on investment as early as possible. 

It certainly isn't strange to see a former five-star prospect earn plenty of playing time. In fact, Michigan has already named true freshman Bryce Underwood -- the top freshman in college football -- its starting quarterback. 

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He's one of several five-star true freshmen that are set to have a big impact in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season. 

Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan 

247Sports Ranking: No. 1 Natl., No. 1 QB 

This one is an obvious inclusion. The 6-foot-4 and 228-pound Underwood will draw more eyes than most players around the nation as he makes his first start in No. 14 Michigan's regular-season opener Saturday against New Mexico. The Wolverines are a 35.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, so there shouldn't be a ton of pressure on Underwood to carry the game. That's an ideal situation for his first real action, and it should be a nice tune-up before things get real with a Week 2 road trip to No. 18 Oklahoma. 

Elijah Griffin, DL, Georgia 

247Sports Ranking: No. 3 Natl., No. 1 DL 

Griffin is the highest-rated defensive lineman to sign with Georgia. That's quite a distinction at a program that consistently produces NFL-caliber stars in the trenches. It should come as no surprise, then, that Griffin is pushing for meaningful snaps, even with veterans like Christen Miller and Jordan Hall manning the interior. Griffin got some reps with Georgia's expected first-team defensive unit during fall camp and, though he likely won't start immediately, he should be a big part of the Bulldogs' rotation against Marshall and beyond. 

Devin Sanchez, CB, Ohio State 

247Sports Ranking: No. 5 Natl., No. 1 CB 

Ohio State is set at cornerback. Incumbent starter Davison Igbinosun decided to return for another year and key rotational piece Jermaine Mathews Jr. is set to step into a bigger role to offset the loss of Denzel Burke. There's snaps up for grabs beyond the top two, though, which is where Sanchez could carve out his role as the first cornerback off the bench. It won't be handed to him, but Ohio State should have a good chance to see what he's made of Saturday against a national title contender in No. 1 Texas. 

Amare Adams, DL, Clemson 

247Sports Ranking: No. 7 Natl., No. 2 DL 

No. 4 Clemson has one of college football's top defensive lines entering the 2025 season thanks to a litany of top NFL prospects like Peter Woods and edge rusher T.J. Parker. Veteran DeMonte Capehart will likely start alongside Woods on the interior, but his spot isn't as solidified. Adams will most definitely have a high spot in the rotation, and there's a chance -- based othe impression he made on Clemson's coaching staff in fall camp -- he pushes for bigger things down the line. For now, though, he'll see work off the bench in Saturday's opener against No. 9 LSU. 

Dakorien Moore, WR, Oregon 

247Sports Ranking: No. 9 Natl., No. 1 WR 

No. 7 Oregon needs Moore to be ready. The Ducks may be without top returning wideout Evan Stewart for the season after he suffered a preseason knee injury as well as former blue-chip prospect Jurrion Dickey, who is suspended indefinitely. Even before those setbacks, Moore was in line to play meaningful minutes. Now he may just start against Montana State. 

David Sanders Jr., OL, Tennessee

247Sports Ranking: No. 11 Natl., No. 3 OT 

Landing Sanders was a big recruiting win for No. 24 Tennessee when he committed to the Vols and signed to play in Knoxville despite a late push from Ohio State. His decision should pay off immediately, as he's expected to start at right tackle right away. He'll be blocking for new quarterback Joey Aguilar after putting on over 15 pounds through spring and fall camp. He'll have some growing pains, as most freshman offensive linemen do, and Tennessee's opener against Syracuse should serve as a decent measuring stick for where he's at to begin his career. 

Dijon Lee Jr., CB, Alabama 

247Sports Ranking: No. 15 Natl., No. 2 CB

Lee will not supplant the starting pair of Zabien Brown and Domani Jackson, as they make up one of the top cornerback duos in college football. But he's likely already established himself as one of the top defensive backs off the bench for the No. 8 Crimson Tide and is laying the foundation for a very promising career in Tuscaloosa. 

DJ Pickett, CB, LSU 

247Sports Ranking: No. 24 Natl., No. 5 CB

LSU put a lot of effort into overhauling its secondary in the offseason by adding four defensive backs that received at least a four-star grade in 247Sports' Transfer Rankings. Mix in returning corners like Ashton Stamps and PJ Woodland and there's a bit of a logjam at defensive back. That's not going to keep Pickett off the field, especially since LSU invested significant resources into landing him over a long list of suitors. He won't start, but he should play plenty across from a stout Clemson receiving corps.