Young shells in the big sea

Remember the days when freshmen athletes were exciting for what they were going to become? When one of a coach’s main responsibilities was developing a young player in the four years he or she had to become great before moving on?

Now it seems that freshmen are all the rage, in this case at Maryland, ranging from the big money sports such as football and men’s basketball, to smaller teams such as women’s soccer.

Perry Hills leads the football team on Saturdays as a true freshman. While this is mostly out of necessity, look around him. One of his top receivers is Stefon Diggs, and his best running back is Wes Brown. Both skill players are freshmen as well.

The basketball team has had a very well-documented renaissance this off-season, signing five freshmen, (not including the recently departed Sam Cassell, Jr.) four of which will play immediately and receive significant playing time. And with the departure of Terrell Stoglin, Mychal Parker and Ashton Pankey, top recruits Shaquille Cleare and Jake Layman may establish themselves as the Terps’ best players in their first season.

Meanwhile, even women’s soccer is undergoing a youth movement. The roster is currently comprised of 16 freshmen, four of which started in their 2-1 victory over No. 6 North Carolina. Redshirt freshman goalie Rachelle Beanlands has started in eight of the team’s first nine games, giving up less than one goal per game thus far.

Should Maryland be alarmed at this freshman trend, or is it simply a general shift in college athletics? The boom of “one-and-done” freshman in college basketball is a well-known phenomenon, thanks to the NBA’s mandate for a high school player to attend college for at least one year. But what about other sports, in particular teams with athletes who don’t have a professional league to look to?

Perhaps freshmen are simply getting better, and having “experience” is no longer a top priority for coaches. Maybe older players tend to transfer out of competitive teams once they realize they are more interested in greater playing time. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that all eyes are on the youngsters at Maryland. It is yet to be determined just how well they will handle the scrutiny and demands of playing at a top institution.