Each week we will present the best freshmen in the nation and at the end of the year your votes will help determine the CBSSports.com Fresman of the Year. Last season, Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers earned the award with Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree winning in 2007.
This week the players are ranked in order of votes -- four CBSSports.com experts and the users votes. Each vote is 1/5 of the total.
The votes were very close this week, but two players moved up after huge games the past two weeks. Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams valuted to No. 1 after being placed first on the ballots of three of the five experts. LaMichael James is second, while Boston College's Luke Kuechly jumped to No. 3.
Three running backs that were on the list earlier were: Texas A&M's Christine Michael; Auburn's Onterio McCalebb and Alabama's Trent Richardson. All three are great freshman running backs, but none of them can compare to the other running backs on this list. And this is for the best of the best.
Don't agree with our list? Let us know who we are missing by posting in the message board, but remember this is for the best of the best, not every freshman can be on this list.
And don't forget ... vote now on who is the best freshman in the nation!
The Nation's Top Freshmen
1. Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech: After rushing for eight touchdowns in the past two games, Williams jumps to No. 1 on the list. Williams was placed first on three of the five experts' ballots and has a great chance to win Freshman of the Year. Williams has 1,538 yards rushing, the most of any freshman. Stock:
Last five games
Date
Opponent
Result
Car
Yds
Avg
TD
Rec
Yds
TD
11/28
at Virginia
W, 42-13
24
183
7.6
4
0
0
0
11/21
vs. N.C. State
W, 38-10
32
120
3.8
4
0
0
0
11/14
at Maryland
W, 36-9
23
126
5.5
1
1
4
0
11/5
at East Carolina
W, 16-3
26
179
6.9
0
3
9
0
10/29
vs. North Carolina
L, 20-17
23
96
4.2
0
1
2
0
Totals
12 games
9-3
268
1,538
5.7
19
14
180
1
2. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon: Despite being off this week, James holds steady at the No. 2 spot with two first-place votes. James' biggest game comes Thursday night against Oregon State as the Ducks take on the Beavers with the winner going to play in the Rose Bowl. Stock: STEADY
Last five games
Date
Opponent
Result
Car
Yds
Avg
TD
Rec
Yds
TD
11/21
at Arizona
W, 44-41
19
117
6.2
0
0
0
0
11/14
vs. Arizona State
W, 44-21
22
150
6.8
3
0
0
0
11/7
at Stanford
L, 51-42
18
125
6.9
1
4
89
0
10/31
vs. Southern California
W, 47-20
24
183
7.6
1
1
8
0
10/24
at Washington
W, 43-19
15
154
10.3
2
0
0
0
Totals
11 games
9-2
190
1,310
6.9
11
11
128
0
3. Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College: The linebacker continues to impress, racking up a game-high 16 tackles against Maryland. In the past three weeks now, Kuechly has 48 tackles, including 23 solo tackles. Many of the experts were impressed after this week as he placed second on three of the experts' ballot, including the users. Stock:
Last five games
Date
Opponent
Result
Solo
Ast
Tackles
TFL-Yds
Sacks-Yds
INTs
11/28
at Maryland
W, 19-17
7
9
16
0-0
0-0
0
11/21
vs. North Carolina
L, 31-13
8
11
19
2.5-3
0-0
0
11/14
vs. Virginia
W, 14-10
8
5
13
3-24
1-11
0
10/31
vs. Central Michigan
W, 31-10
7
4
11
0-0
0-0
1
10/24
at Notre Dame
L, 20-16
7
7
14
1-3
0-0
0
Totals
12 games
8-4
81
61
142
12.5-42
1-11
1
4. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: Lewis had another strong week, rushing for 155 yards on 26 carries, but was on the losing end in the West Virginia game. Lewis' stock definitely isn't dropping, but he just got passed by some other huge performances on this list. Lewis can get right back into the Top 2 with a strong performance against Cincinnati in the season finale. Stock: STEADY
Last five games
Date
Opponent
Result
Car
Yds
Avg
TD
Rec
Yds
TD
11/27
at West Virginia
L, 19-16
26
155
6.0
0
2
14
0
11/14
vs. Notre Dame
W, 27-22
21
152
7.2
1
1
8
0
11/7
vs. Syracuse
W, 37-10
18
110
6.1
1
2
42
0
10/24
vs. South Florida
W, 41-14
23
111
4.8
2
2
10
0
10/16
at Rutgers
W, 24-17
31
180
5.8
2
0
0
0
Totals
11 games
9-2
250
1,446
5.8
13
19
156
1
5. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: Luck didn't have the best of games, but it wasn't the worst either. Over the past two weeks, he has thrown only 355 yards with zero touchdowns. Having Toby Gerhart to hand to ball off too is a big reason for that. Either way, Luck has had a nice season, but is easily fifth on this list. Stock:
(POLL)
This is it, the final week of the season. We are down to the final five -- remember your votes will help determine 1/5th of the results for the Freshman of the Year. Vote now!
(POLL)
Who is the best freshman in the nation? Just two weeks left! Good thing we added Andrew Luck, he hardly got any votes and ended up having a horrible game.
Unbelievable that he isn't! Here is a freshman who is LEADING the Pac-10 in QB efficiency and passer rating (152!), with 13 passing TDs and 3 INTs, who repeatedly gets critical 1st downs with his legs as well as his arms, and who is mature beyond his years with a rocket arm, against the 2nd best conference in college football this year. He just led us to impressive victories over then
...(more)
The last two weeks I've watch Notre Dame and the freshman LB from Hawaii, who was one of the top recruits last year, seems to be where the ball is. He may not be the best right now (everyone is singing the praises of the SC QB and Pitt RB), but in the 2012 NFL draft, he'll be a Top 3 pick.
I think we are good with our six players for the next couple of weeks. Andrew Luck deserves to be on the list and he is. So who you got as the best freshman in the nation? The BC faithful had Kuechly No. 1 last week, but the experts still can't get him in their top 3.
Only a few weeks to go, we are down to five players -- including four running backs. The voting was very close this week with the four experts and the users. Remember your vote counts as 1/5th toward crowing our Freshman of the Year. Who you got?
I think Tom Savage, Rutgers Tru Freshman QB should b on the list of top Freshman. He's a gutsy performer who stays pretty cool under pressure, led the Scarlet Knights to a come from behind victory last Saturday, throwing a strike on a deep slant w/ 30 ticks left that went for 81yds and a touchdown. What do you guys think?
(POLL)
We are coming to the end of the season ... who is the best freshman? LaMichael James proved how good he is against USC and moved to No. 1 in the overall standings, but there is a newcomer to keep an eye on ... Temple's Bernard Pierce. So who you got?
Dion Lewis has had nothing short of a magical season so far, though people should soon be taking notice of Temple freshman Bernard Pierce.
The Owls currently sit atop the MAC East at 5-2 due largely to Pierce.
Pierce has amassed almost 800yds on the ground already and he has done this without playing at all in week 2 and only getting a handful of touches in week 1 (give o
...(more)
Does anyone have a better freshmen tandom than Brandon Meghr and Adam Robinson - pair of RBs for Iowa? Iowa graduated Shonn Greene, and everyone was OK with Jewel Hampton replacing him. Then Hampton ends his season injured before it even starts and Iowa plugs in 2 freshmen RBs, one a true freshemn - and low and behold, we get a 1-2 punch better than what Greene pproduced. These 2 guys ne
...(more)
My god how do you people even get paid for what you do? McCalebb's stock went down this week because of 51 rush yards on 13 carries? I guess you guys didn't see he got SEC Freshman of the Week with his 204 all purpose yards in the win @ Tenn. You forgot to mention his 59 receiving yards and his 91 kick return yards. WHAT A CROCK. He had a great game, converting clutch
...(more)
He sacked Tebow 2 times last week, and is already calling for double teams on the inside of the line alongside Malcom Sheppard who also calls for double teams. This is why the AR D line is becoming one of the best in the SEC in a hurry. Not something people saw coming. This Freshman is one of the main reasons for that. When he is not dou
...(more)
