Arizona Football: 5 Freshmen who could have the Biggest Impact in 2017

TUCSON, AZ – OCTOBER 15: Head coach Rich Rodriguez of the Arizona Wildcats on the sideline during the first quarter of the college football game against the USC Trojans at Arizona Stadium on October 15, 2016, in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

As we inch closer to the kick-off of the 2017 season, we bring you our breakdown of the five freshmen, who could have the biggest impact this year.

First off, let’s get this straight, this article is purely speculative and does not actually reflect what the coaches may be thinking and will be deciding. However, with the 2017 season nearly upon us, I wanted to speculate on which Top five freshmen could potentially have an impact this season.

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Make no mistake about it, 2016 was certainly a tough year for the Wildcats, and after a 3-9 finish, things are heating up in Tucson, and not because of the brutal summer.

This year is going to be a big one for Rich Rodriguez, and he’s going to need all hands on deck. Some guys will need to step up, but which youngins’ are going to be able to do that?

With that said, here is our list of the top five freshmen to look out for this season!

Honorable Mention

A freshman to play in their first year is always tough (even redshirt freshmen), and to be able to have an immediate impact. However, with the 2017 season quickly approaching, we feel these freshmen, in particular, have a chance to also have an impact this season.

My-King Johnson – The standout defensive end from Tempe, Johnson has most of the physical tools to compete early, and with Arizona needing a serious upgrade along the defensive line, this pick seems to make a lot of sense.

Antonio Parks – The New Orléans native was part of the 2015 recruiting class, but after gray shirting, Parks didn’t show up until Spring of 2016 and red-shirted last season. Now ready to finally compete in 2017, you can bet he will be ready physically, and has had plenty of time to get acclimated and familiar with Arizona’s play calling and terminology.

Jose Ramirez – The tackling machine from Florida, Ramirez came in this past spring and already has a leg up on some of the other freshmen in the 2017 class. Linebacker is certainly a position of need, and the coaches seemed to like what they saw of Ramirez during spring. That makes him a potential candidate to see some early playing time!

Colin Schooler – Scooby Wright 2.0? Schooler comes in a bit under the radar, but certainly at a position of need. He was a standout at Mission Viejo High School, and was the Orange County player of the year. Schooler has great potential, and with Arizona’s need at linebacker, this choice seems obvious.

Tony Fields – Fields is a player! Hailing froth the talented Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas, NV, he came to Arizona a semester early, ready to compete in the Spring.

Just from watching him during the spring scrimmage, he was impressive and made a number of plays. Fields is athletic, and plays aggressively, and confidently. That’s going to be huge going into 2017, and the potential for him to come in and play is definitely there!

Nathan Tilford – Easily the most impressive true freshman in my opinion. Tilford has the tools to be successful, and in a high-powered offense like Rodriguez’s, Tilford is a legitimate threat for the Wildcats.

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Arguably the most coveted piece in the class of 2017, Tilford is a fantastic athlete. However, he comes in a position that already has a few talented running backs in front of him. Nick Wilson is the senior-to-be, and easily the front-runner, however, there are questions about his durability. He hasn’t exactly had the best bill of health the past couple of seasons, and will 2017 be similar?

Also, there is JJ Taylor. A redshirt freshman who should technically be on this list, but while his immense success last season came as a surprise, him coming off an injury and returning to his 2016 form doesn’t come as much of a hope as it does an expectation for 2017.

However, there are certainly questions regarding Taylor as well! He’s an electric player with tremendous upside and playmaking ability, but at 5-feet-6-inches and 170 pounds, does Taylor have the build to be a running back in the Pac-12 with a heavy workload? This is why Tilford could have a significant impact in 2017.

No. 5 Lorenzo Burns (RS Freshman)

Coming in at number five is defensive back, Lorenzo Burns. The former standout at Linfield Christian in Murrieta, CA, Burns was a pretty sought after corner in the 2016 recruiting class, having offers from Cal, Washington, and Nebraska among others.

Last season, Burns seemed to impress coaches early on, even making appearances in the Cactus Kickoff Classic vs. BYU, and collecting a tackle versus Grambling State. However, an injury would derail his season, and Burns would redshirt the rest of 2016.

Now heading into 2017, Burns looks to continue to stay in the coaches favor and return to form just ahead of the season.

Arizona loses DaVonte’ Neal, but return Dane Cruikshank, Jace Whittaker, Sammy Morrison and Kwesi Mashack at corner. The Wildcats could use a bit more consistency and improved performance in the defensive backfield, and I’m sure getting Burns back will be an immense help.

No. 4 Jalen Cochran (RS Freshman)

Perhaps one of the biggest wild cards heading into 2017, however, none with greater opportunity than Jalen Cochran.

The Michigan-native comes into the season with plenty of upsides, but with some uncertainty. As you may recall, Cochran danced with the idea to transfer out of the University of Arizona, only to change his mind a couple of weeks later.

Phew! Cochran is a talented, potentially multi-positional, type of football player. He certainly was a pleasant, and late surprise to the 2016 recruiting class, and after redshirting in 2016, Cochran is primed for a potentially big season.

The defense has seen its struggles under Rodriguez, and that means plenty of opportunities for everyone. The defensive line is an area of concern, and Cochran can come in as the hybrid linebacker/ edge rusher.

Arizona Defensive Coordinator Marcel Yates certainly had some interesting ideas when running his defense at Boise State, and perhaps we can see more of it in year two under Yates.

No. 3 Devaughn Cooper (RS Freshman)

The speedy So Cal native comes into 2017 with plenty of hype and opportunity. One of the bigger gets in the 2016 recruiting class, Devaughn Cooper had to patiently wait his turn last season.

A standout at Narbonne High School, he is number three on our list for a good reason. Gone are Trey Griffey, Nate Phillips, and Samajie Grant, and that leaves the door open for a number of Wildcats.

Arizona’s offense is certainly fast-paced and seeks to get the ball into the hands of its playmakers. Returning are veterans like; Cam Denson, Shun Brown, Tyrell Johnson and Tony Ellison among others, however, the opportunity is still there for a guy like Cooper.

He seemed to impress during the spring, and if he can produce more plays like this, look out!

Khalil Tate and Cooper are not only teammates they are friends from their high school days, and they practice in Los Angeles when on school breaks. These two can become a great duo when it counts, bombs to the end zone all day.

No. 2 Michael Eletise (RS Freshman)

The big man from the big island, Michael Eletise was one of the crowning jewels in the class of 2016.  Fast forward a redshirt year later, and now is the time to shine. He’s a workaholic and is easily one of the most talented linemen on the roster.

He possesses great size and athleticism, and with the potential to come in and provide more depth to the offensive line.

It’s no secret Arizona has a highly potent offense, and the offensive linemen are an integral part in that. Whether it’s opening running lanes, and providing time for the quarterbacks to throw, they help this offense go.

Arizona saw a few injuries at the position last season, and while Eletise is not on the depth chart to start as of this moment, the potential is there for him to see plenty of playing time.

Linemen are often rotated on this team, and with the few exceptions like Jacob Alsadek and Nathan Eldridge, the opportunity is there for Eletise, and we imagine seeing him a lot in 2017!

No. 1 Gavin Robertson (RS Freshman)

Surprise? Not to us! Gavin Robertson has a huge opportunity heading into 2017! The freshman from Washington red-shirted last season with the Wildcats, and after a position change, he could be huge this year.

The talented, hard-hitting former safety moved to linebacker just ahead of the spring and for a good reason! Robertson is a gifted athlete, and with the uncertainty at linebacker for Arizona, this pick makes sense.

Much like Paul Magloire Jr., Robertson has the chance to come in and see significant minutes and perhaps also to help solidify and improve a struggling defense.

Here was newly hired linebacker coach, Scott Boone, talking about Robertson on the position change.

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There you have it! What do you think of our picks? Don’t agree, let us know on Twitter or Facebook! Bear Down, Arizona!