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On Wednesday, The Athletic unveiled its All-America teams. Now it’s time to shine a spotlight on some of the best young talent in college football. Here are our Freshman All-America teams, recognizing the true freshmen and redshirt freshmen who made the biggest impact for their teams in 2023.

We prioritize production and consistency in putting these two teams together. The process of narrowing the long list of standout freshmen down to two teams is never easy, and many more players deserve recognition. Here are our first- and second-team Freshman All-Americans, a blend of blue-chip recruits and underrated steals who proved themselves this season.

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First team

Offense

QB Noah Fifita, Arizona: The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year turned Arizona into one of the hottest teams in the country this fall. Fifita came in from Servite High in California as a three-star signee due to his size (5 foot 11, 194 pounds) and got his opportunity when starter Jayden de Laura suffered an ankle injury. Fifita played well in close losses to Washington and USC after becoming QB1 and then took his game and his team to another level, throwing for 2,515 yards on 74 percent passing and closing with six consecutive wins to lead the Wildcats to a 9-3 record and a No. 14 finish in the CFP rankings. Since Fifita became the starter, his 23 passing touchdowns rank third-most among Power 5 QBs behind Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels.

RB Makhi Hughes, Tulane: Tulane lost a third-round NFL Draft pick in Tyjae Spears and found a successor who has emerged as one of the best young backs in the country. Hughes, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound redshirt freshman from Birmingham, Ala., missed last season due to injury and was the No. 4 back on the depth chart to begin the season. When he got his chance, he produced a run of six consecutive 100-yards games and rushed for a career-high 166 yards against UTSA to clinch a return trip to the AAC title game. After finishing with 1,290 rushing yards (11th-most in the FBS), Hughes earned AAC Rookie of the Year and first-team all-conference honors.

RB Jalen Buckley, Western Michigan: Buckley, a no-star recruit from Batavia, Ill., only logged nine carries during his redshirt season at Western Michigan but broke out under new coach Lance Taylor and his staff with 1,003 rushing yards, 161 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns to earn MAC Freshman of the Year. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound back had six 100-yard performances and ranked third in the conference in rushing.

WR Kevin Concepcion, NC State: “KC” easily won ACC Rookie of the Year this season after catching 64 passes for 767 yards, rushing for 297 yards on 7.8 yards per carry and scoring 11 total touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 187-pound slot receiver from Charlotte was a three-star signee who proved he should start right away as a true freshman. Over his last seven games, Concepcion has averaged 117 total yards per game.

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WR Elic Ayomanor, Stanford: If you hadn’t heard of Ayomanor, you found out about him on Oct. 13 when he torched Colorado for 13 catches, 294 yards and three touchdowns to help the Cardinal pull off a shocking 46-43 comeback win in Boulder. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound redshirt freshman wideout from Canada finished No. 4 in the Pac-12 in receiving yards with 1,013 and nine scores on 62 receptions.

WR Nic Anderson, Oklahoma: The 6-foot-4, 207-pound receiver from Katy, Texas, proved to be one of the Big 12’s best big-play threats as a redshirt freshman. Anderson turned 31 catches into 725 yards and nine touchdowns and currently ranks No. 1 nationally in yards per catch at 23.4. He turned 26 of his 31 catches into first downs or touchdowns.

TE Benjamin Brahmer, Iowa State: The 6-foot-7, 240-pound true freshman from Pierce, Neb., is a freak athlete who is developing into a key playmaker for the Cyclones’ offense. Brahmer caught 26 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition.

OT Earnest Greene III, Georgia: Georgia’s coaches trusted Greene to succeed first-round pick Broderick Jones as their starting left tackle, and the 6-foot-4, 320-pound redshirt freshman played up to expectations with a strong debut season. The former top-50 recruit from St. John Bosco in California started all 13 games for the Bulldogs, logged 800 snaps and allowed just 13 pressures and one sack on the year, per Pro Football Focus.

OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami: The five-star signee from IMG Academy with the “greatest muscle density in Miami history” according to Mario Cristobal moved into the top five of Bruce Feldman’s 2023 Freaks List before he ever played a game. That’s a lot to live up to, but the 6-foot-6, 341-pound tackle put together a solid true freshman campaign in making all 12 starts at right tackle and playing 800 snaps for the Hurricanes. According to PFF, Mauigoa graded out as the top run blocker among all true freshman starting tackles in the FBS.

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G Wendell Moe, Arizona: Moe started all 12 games at left guard during his redshirt freshman season and helped keep his quarterback clean, allowing just one sack after Fifita became the starter. The 6-foot-2, 340-pound big man from Long Beach Poly in California graded out as the No. 2 guard in the Pac-12 this season in pass protection according to PFF’s scoring.

G Shadre Hurst, Tulane: The Green Wave get another first-team selection in Hurst, a redshirt freshman from Cartersville, Ga., with a strong wrestling background who moved into the starting lineup and showed some versatility with five starts at left guard and four at right guard. The 6-foot-2, 305-pound lineman logged 661 snaps on the year, per PFF, with just six pressures and no sacks surrendered.

C Parker Brailsford, Washington: Brailsford, a redshirt freshman from Saguaro High School in Arizona, stepped up to the challenge this season as the anchor for the No. 1 passing attack in the country. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound lineman started all 13 games, was the fifth-best starting center in PFF grading and earned second-team All-Pac 12 honors.

DL Rueben Bain Jr., Miami: The ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year produced 7.5 sacks, including two each in overtime victories against Clemson and Virginia, to help the Hurricanes improve by two wins to 7-5 in Cristobal’s second season. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Miami native and top-100 recruit finished with 37 tackles, 9.5 for loss, two forced fumbles and 42 pressures over 571 snaps and 10 starts. He also received All-ACC third team honors.

DL Nate Johnson, Appalachian State: The 6-foot-5, 230-pound edge rusher and former three-star recruit from Gaffney, S.C., helped the Mountaineers reach the Sun Belt championship game by leading them in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (9.5). He earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors, racking up 39 tackles and 36 pressures over 537 snaps.

DL T.J. Parker, Clemson: The top-100 recruit from Phenix City, Ala. finished second on the Tigers’ vaunted defense in sacks (five) and tackles for loss (11) and notched 30 tackles, 33 pressures and two pass breakups over 440 snaps. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound freshman enters the Gator Bowl one tackle for loss shy of matching Myles Murphy for Clemson’s freshman record.

DL Nuer Gatkuoth, Colorado State: The 6-foot-4, 230-pound redshirt freshman from Canada started 10 games for the Rams opposite Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Mohamed Kamara and notched 53 tackles, half a sack, a forced fumble and an interception while also generating 29 pressures over 454 snaps. Gatkuouth was an unranked recruit in the 247Sports Composite.

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LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas: Hill, a five-star true freshman from Denton, Texas, made a serious splash early in the season with two sacks, including one on Alabama’s final offensive drive in the Longhorns’ upset win in Tuscaloosa. The 6-foot-3, 234-pound defender shared Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors after recording 63 tackles, 18 pressures, 7.5 TFLs and 5 sacks.

LB Cade Uluave, Cal: The Pac-12’s Defensive Freshman of the Year made an impressive impact in the second half of the season. The three-star freshman from Herriman, Utah, did all this in his last seven games: 58 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a 51-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

LB Taurean York, Texas A&M: York could be an exciting young building block for new coach Mike Elko and his defense in College Station. He came in as a three-star recruit from Temple, Texas, and ended up starting all 12 games and finishing second on the team with 66 tackles. The 6-foot, 230-pound linebacker also had 13 pressures, three sacks and a forced fumble.

CB D’Angelo Ponds, James Madison: The 5-foot-9, 162-pound corner from perennial power Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna started nine games for the Dukes and earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors. Ponds, a former three-star signee, tied for fourth nationally in pass breakups (13) and also contributed 50 tackles, two interceptions and a touchdown on a blocked punt. He allowed catches on just 33 of 71 targets.

CB Raion Strader, Miami (Ohio): Miami had one of the top defenses in the FBS this season, a credit to its sharp evaluation of players like Strader. The 6-foot, 180-pound corner came in as an unranked recruit from Pittsburgh and started 12 games as a true freshman for the MAC champs. Strader also had 13 pass breakups and an interception to go along with 57 tackles.

S Caleb Downs, Alabama: The 6-foot, 203-pound five-star recruit from Hoschton, Ga., led the Crimson Tide with 99 tackles, broke up three passes, intercepted two and returned a punt for a touchdown. His stellar play made it easy for SEC coaches to select him as the conference’s Freshman of the Year and put him on the All-SEC first team.

S Dillon Thieneman, Purdue: The Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year was a three-star recruit from Westfield, Ind., who started right away and put up big numbers. Thieneman, a 6-foot, 205-pound defensive back, finished fifth in the conference in tackles with 106 and tied for second nationally in interceptions with six. His 74 solo tackles broke a Purdue freshman record previously held by Rod Woodson.

Specialists

K Alex McPherson, Auburn: Every time the Tigers sent in McPherson, he delivered. The redshirt freshman from Fort Payne, Ala., went a perfect 13 for 13 on his field goal tries and made all 39 of his extra points while also handling kickoff duties. He converted four kicks of 40-plus yards on the year, with a career-long 53-yarder at Texas A&M.

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P Ryan Eckley, Michigan State: The redshirt freshman from Lithia, Fla., ranks among the top 10 nationally in yards per punt (46.8), net punting (42.5) and punts dropped inside the 20-yard line (26), according to PFF. That strong showing earned him consensus second-team All-Big Ten honors.

AP Zachariah Branch, USC: Branch lived up to the hype as an electrifying all-purpose playmaker for the Trojans from his very first game. The five-star freshman from Las Vegas had a 96-yard kick return touchdown in his debut and a 75-yard punt return touchdown in his first Pac-12 game, finishing the year with 1,132 all-purpose yards on 15.1 yards per touch. Branch scored five touchdowns on the season and did it four different ways: on a punt, kickoff, reception and run.

Second team

Offense

Defense

Specialists

(Top illustration photos: Ryan Hunt, Katelyn Mulcahy, Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

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