Georgia's top five freshmen after six games

Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Isaac Nauta (18) runs for a touchdown after catching a pass against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Halfway through the regular season, freshman have been appearing all over the field for the Georgia Bulldogs. By some, the 2016 season has been dubbed the youth movement.

From quarterback Jacob Eason and running back Brian Herrien to defensive ends Tyler Clark and Julian Rochester, freshman have been some of Georgia’s biggest stars of the 2016 season.

In a season with two early losses but still so much to play for, this many freshmen playing well gives fans of Georgia a lot to be optimistic about. It also gives fans of other SEC teams a lot to be concerned with.

But who’s Georgia’s best freshmen midway through the football season? Here are the top five after a month and a half of the college football season.

Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) passes over Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Trenton Thompson (78) during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

5. Tyler Clark & 4. Julian Rochester

These two will be mentioned together since they play the same position.

It can be hard for the freshman in the SEC, especially at the line of scrimmage. Not only are you adjusting to the speed of the college game, but in the trenches you also have to adjust to the power.

Clark and Rochester haven’t been fantastic, they haven’t had David Pollack-like performances, but for true freshmen, they have more than good enough.

Rochester has 13 total tackles, only Trenton Thompson has more on the defensive line. Clark has 10 which ties him with John Atkins who is a starter. Clark also had a few pass rushes and shared a sack against South Carolina.

No other position at Georgia showcases the youth movement more than the defensive line. Nine players have received significant playing time. Five of them are freshmen, Rochester and Clark are the best of that bunch.

Sep 24, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Isaac Nauta (18) stiff arms Mississippi Rebels linebacker Terry Caldwell (21) during the first quarter of the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

3. Isaac Nauta

No freshman came in with as much hype as Nauta. Eason may have been the superstar quarterback, but Nauta was a five-star tight end which is rare in every recruiting database from 247 Sports, to the ESPN 300, to Scout.com.

Early on Nauta started slow. He didn’t start in either of Georgia’s first two games, Jeb Blazevich and Charlie Woerner did. But lately he has stepped up and has began to look like the superstar the recruiting websites heralded him as.

He had five catches for 83 yards with a 50-yard touchdown against Tennessee. That was the performance fans had been waiting on and it was in one of the biggest games of the season.

Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Brian Herrien (35) runs for yards during the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Georgia Dome. Georgia won 33-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

2. Brian Herrien

Before the season began all the buzz in Georgia’s run game centered around the return of Nick Chubb, Sony Michel after a 1,000 yard season, and the “Son of the Real Deal” Elijah Holyfield. But immediately after the season opener against North Carolina, Brian Herrien was the talk of the Bulldog Nation.

Michel and Holyfield were injured for the UNC game leaving the spotlight wide open for Herrien when Chubb needed a breather. he took full advantage of that and since then he has run with it.

Herrien has 50 carries for 347 yards with three touchdowns, good enough for second on the team. With Chubb injured against Tennessee, Herrien took the spotlight again during Michel’s breathers.

And last week against South Carolina, he was 18 yards away from his first 100 yard game. That would have been Georgia’s first ever game with three 100 yards rushers.

But a question about him needs to be asked; If Chubb and Michel are the one-two punch, what does that make Herrien?

Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason (10) on the field prior to the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jacob Eason

Who else other than Georgia’s first true freshman starter since Matthew Stafford? In five starts and six games, Eason is 86-of-168 with 1,020 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

But more so than stats, it’s Eason’s leadership that is most impressive. Twice now, Eason has delivered on last-minute touchdown drives. Unfortunately he is 1-1 in those games, but the fact is when Georgia needed a touchdown out of the true freshman gunslinger, he scored.

Even in the blowout loss to Ole Miss, you can hardly blame Eason with all of the passes his receivers dropped. And he did play terribly against South Carolina, but that’s such an oddity so far.

Eason is performing well above expectations. He’s dealt with relentless pass rushes, dropped passes from receivers and a lack of a running game for three weeks, yet he has still played well.