Devy Fantasy Football: Top Week 12 Freshman Performances
Any big-time performance by a true freshman in college football is always exciting. Aside from the fact that you're watching a teenager not far removed from prom excel in a sport where 5th and 6th-year college seniors are the norm, there's the tantalizing promise of what said freshman can develop into and bring to his program years down the line.
It's always worth keeping an eye on big freshman performances for college and devy fantasy football leagues alike. Check out our fantasy football devy rankings page for more on players to target in these league formats. With that, let's get into some of the top performances of Week 12 by freshmen across the country.
College Football Week 12 Freshman Quarterback Standouts
QB Bear Bachmeier, BYU vs. TCU
After something of a rough outing in the loss to Texas Tech, the true freshman Bachmeier bounced back emphatically as the Cougars dismantled TCU. The quarterback racked up 355 total yards and two total touchdowns, looking dangerous both as a runner and as a passer. He plays with so much poise for his limited experience, and has a great feel for when to simply be a point guard and distribute the ball to his playmakers versus when to take matters into his own hands with a big-time run or throw. He looks extremely comfortable using his legs, but isn't over-reliant on them, which, again, is a rare quality for a true freshman. BYU has a good one in Bachmeier.
QB Scotty Fox, West Virginia vs. Arizona State
The Mountaineers fought valiantly, nearly upending Arizona State in Tempe before falling 25-23. True freshman quarterback Scotty Fox was once again the catalyst for West Virginia, tossing for a career-high 353 yards and two touchdowns while completing 61.3 percent of his passes. He plays with poise beyond his years, and his first touchdown of the game was a frozen rope over the middle of the field that found Jeff Weimer for a 75-yard score. Fox has injected some momentum into this team that previously looked lost at sea, and he's making a strong case to be the starting quarterback in Morgantown next season.
QB Byrd Ficklin, Utah vs. Baylor
Ficklin had to enter the game after Utes starter Devon Dampier went down with an injury. And while he didn't do much through the air — 2-of-3 passing for 23 yards — he was dynamic on the ground with six carries for 166 yards and two scores. As Utah rolled over a hapless Baylor squad, Ficklin put his eye-popping athleticism on display with touchdown runs of 67 and 74 yards. On the latter run (shown below), he took a quarterback keeper right through the teeth of the Bears' defense, unleashing a jaw-dropping stiff arm in the process. Ficklin is now certainly on the radar of plenty of Power Four programs looking for a quarterback via the portal, and Utah will surely try everything in its power to retain its young playmaking signal caller.
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College Football Week 12 Freshman Running Back Standouts
RB Bo Jackson, Ohio State vs. UCLA
Ohio State had absolutely no problem rolling over UCLA in yet another blowout win for the Buckeyes. There was plenty to like in Columbus, but the true freshman tailback with a familiar name continues to be one of them. Jackson has been the Buckeyes' top ball-carrier this season by a wide margin, and he's done nothing but rack up yards. Against the Bruins, it was more of the same, with 15 carries for 112 yards and a score. Watching him play, it's not hard to see why he's stuffed the stat sheet so early in his career. Jackson runs with incredible vision for a true freshman. Every cut he makes is decisive, and he wastes no time getting downhill. Jackson has flown under the radar a bit as the Buckeyes roll over every opponent as national title favorites, but this kid will be a problem for a while.
RB Jordon Davison, Oregon vs. Minnesota
Oregon overpowered Minnesota on Friday night, stomping the Gophers 42-13. But don't think Davison's involvement was simply because the Ducks blew out their opponent. He's been Oregon's No. 2 halfback for most of the season as a true freshman, and the Ducks have made a concerted effort to get him the ball. Davison logged his third multi-touchdown game of the year and is up to 461 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in 2025 on just 65 carries. His 39-yard touchdown scamper was a massive highlight, as he expertly followed his blockers and proceeded to snatch the ankles of Koi Perich, one of the better safeties in the game, in the open field.
RB Caleb Hawkins, North Texas vs. UAB
We try to focus largely on Power Conference players for this article, but I'd be remiss not to include the exploits of Mean Green true freshman tailback Caleb Hawkins. He's been dynamic all season, but he took his game to a different level against the Blazers. Hawkins ran for a whopping five touchdowns and 189 yards on a career-high 27 carries. He was the hot hand, and North Texas kept feeding him as it blew out UAB 53-24. After scoring four touchdowns in his previous game, Hawkins is up to nine in his last two outings and 16 on the season. He's been an unbelievable revelation in Denton.
College Football Week 12 Freshman Wide Receiver Standouts
WR Ashton Bethel-Roman, Texas A&M vs. South Carolina
Texas A&M had a comeback for the ages against South Carolina, erasing a 27-point halftime deficit to remain perfect on the season. A large part of that furious comeback was the redshirt freshman wideout Bethel-Roman, who had a career day with four grabs for 139 yards and a score. His big plays tend to come in bunches; he had a 76-yarder over the middle he nearly took to the house, and a 39-yard deep ball he secured with a diving catch in the end zone. After a performance like this, he only figures to get more involved for the Aggies moving forward.
WR Andrew Marsh, Michigan vs. Northwestern
The Wolverines certainly haven't had the most prolific passing attack this year, but true freshman wideout Andrew Marsh just put together a massive performance through the air. First of all, he saw 15 targets, nearly half of Bryce Underwood's attempts. That should tell you everything you need to know about how dangerous he is. He caught 12 of them for 189 yards, easily the biggest performance by a Michigan wideout thus far in 2025. Marsh wasn't just a one-trick pony, either. He made contested catches down the field as well as an improbable toe-dragging sideline catch to ice the game. Marsh is a budding star in the Big Ten.
WR Marcel Williams, Akron vs. Kent State
MAC wideout or not, the exploits of Akron's Marcel Williams in Week 12 can't be ignored. After a career-best game in Week 11, in which he surpassed 100 yards for the first time, the receiver took it a step further and surpassed 200 yards against Kent State. He finished with 14 grabs for 206 yards and two scores when all was said and done on a steady diet of targets; he saw 18 balls thrown his way against the Golden Flashes. His biggest highlight from the game was a 30-yard touchdown in which he out-muscled a defensive back at the catch point and broke the plane, all the while standing at 5-foot-11. Williams has a bright future ahead of him, with the Zips or otherwise.
