POLL! Which true freshman will make the biggest impact against Georgia?

It’s not uncommon that a true freshman would come in and land regular roles on a Power 5 football team. Be it out of necessity or impressing coaches in camp, true freshmen often find ways to avoid the first-year redshirt.

However, it is a bit of a rarity to see these youngsters come in and be mainstays of production. Take our four answers in Friday’s poll for example:

Jalen Knox: 3 games played; 10 receptions, 169 yards, 1 touchdown

Tyler Badie: 3 games played; 33 carries, 139 net yards; 1 reception, 20 yards

Jarvis Ware: 3 games played; 1 tackle

Nick Bolton: 3 games played; 2 tackles, 0.5 sacks

All three of these freshmen have been regularly in the rotation over the past few games. We’ve talked about Nick Bolton on Speaker’s Circle and everyone has noticed the ways Knox and Badie have become important members of a dynamic offense.

Clearly, the results follow in step. While Ware and Bolton have become important members of the defensive rotation, Badie and Knox have cemented their importance to the offense. Both had big days in Mizzou’s tight win against Purdue last week, with Badie playing over Rountree and Crockett on the game-winning drive. Knox, meanwhile, turned in his first 100-yard game and added a long touchdown.

However, we shouldn’t overlook the importance of those on defense. Bolton, Ware and others — think Trajan Jeffcoat — are learning more every day, and coaches have been high on them so far. It could be just a matter of time until we hear about more true freshman in the Sunday headlines.