Who will be the best freshman in college football this season?

Updated Aug. 10, 2022 5:06 p.m. ET

The college football season is nearly upon us — and with that several highly touted freshman are ready to have an early impact.

Which youngster will most turn the tide for their program in their first collegiate action?

Let's dive into the candidates.

Travis Hunter, DB, Jackson State

Hunter was the nation's top recruit coming out of high school and is considered a generational talent. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound defensive back comes from Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, and is the highest-ranked recruit to commit to an HBCU. He was named the MaxPreps Player of the Year and garnered multiple All-American selections and All-Georgia awards. 

Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson

Klubnik is out of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. He was a five-star recruit and the No. 1 quarterback in the 2022 class. He won USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year award twice (2020, 2021) and was named Gatorade Player of the Year after his senior season. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound play-caller guided Westlake to three consecutive state titles and was the first QB to go undefeated as a starter while winning back-to-back state titles in Texas' highest classification since Kyler Murray.

Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

Out of East Saint Louis High School, Burden is 6-foot and 200 pounds and was the top-ranked receiver in the 2022 class, as well as the No. 3 overall recruit. He was the Rivals Illinois High School Player of the Year.

Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

Singleton is a 6-foot, 219-pound running back out of Reading, Pennsylvania's Governor Mifflin High School. He was the top-ranked running back in 2022 and was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. He was also selected to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl and was Berks County's MVP as a junior and senior.

Jovantae Barnes, RB, Oklahoma

The Sooners picked up Barnes from Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, as a four-star recruit and the 10th-ranked running back in the class of 2022. Barnes is 6-foot, 201 pounds, and was a mid-year enrollee who impressed the Sooners during spring practices.