The D2 Football season is just a few weeks old, but there have been plenty of first-year players who have made a big impact to their team in their first career outings.
While we still have a while to go until the season is over and we have a full season to review, it is never to early to start determining who the best freshman has been so far.
Take a look at the candidate files below, and vote in the poll at the end of the article. Make sure to also keep your eye out for these and other dynamic freshmen, and if you find any you think we should talk about, start the conversation on Twitter over @HEROSportsD2FB.
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Al McKeller, RB — UIndy
Stats: 313 yards, 3 TD
Though the hometown prodigy has slowed for Indy in the last couple of weeks, the dynamite start to the year against Grand Valley State is reason enough to put McKeller among the best freshmen in the game.
Posting 206 rushing yards and a score against GVSU, McKeller almost single-handedly sprung the tremendous upset for the Greyhounds. Since then, the Indianapolis native has averaged just 53.5 yards per game, but has found the end zone once every week.
Going forward, it would be great to see the freshman wall come down again before heading into GLVC play in a couple of weeks. Indy is one of the most surprising teams in the country so far, and McKeller has been a huge reason why.
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Javon Butler, WR — Glenville State
Stats: 335 yards, 5 TD
The Pioneers haven't seen the same 3-0 start as Indy has, but they very much found a future cornerstone with which to build their offense around. Leading the team with 335 receiving yards and 5 TD, Butler has been the go-to option for the GSU offense.
Besides receiving, Butler also has rushed for 13 yards on three carries, and doubles as the punter where he averages 31.9 yards per punt. While it is common for players to pull double duty on different aspects of the game, rarely do we see true freshmen doing such, giving Butler even more credence to his spectacular start.
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N'Ktavious Floyd, LB — Miles
Stats: 12 tackles, 2 INT
A true freshman from Phenix City, Alabama, Floyd has stepped right in and made impact plays for the Golden Bears defense that helped lead the team to their first win last week, 29-10 over Fort Valley.
The biggest play that Floyd has made is a pick-6 against FCS-member Alcorn State. That interception was returned 42 yards for a big score that made the scoreboard read 24-14 Alcorn with 14:40 to go in the third. Even though Miles eventually lost that contest, it was nice to see a nice young player make an impact play in his first collegiate outing.
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Who is the Best Freshman in D2 Football So Far?
