Eagerness to play can pay off. (College Football).

You hear it from every recruit's mouth: "I want to play right away." And for the most part, U coaches tell them what they want to hear. Of course, few of those 18-year-olds are equipped for the increased speed and size in Division I-A football. Try telling that to them.

But more and more often, circumstances warrant programs using true freshmen. Prior to the 85-scholarship limit, schools could hoard talent, leaving freshmen buried on the depth chart. But coaches now can find themselves in need of an immediate infusion of talent at a position if injuries or defections hit hard.

The freshmen with the best chance to play right away are those who line up farthest from the ball: receivers and defensive backs. The more strength (in a lineman's case) or know-how (in a quarterback's case) it takes to play a position, the longer it generally takes to get on the field. There have, of course, been exceptions, and many true freshman have excelled immediately. These players from the last four years set the standard for the class of 2003:

Offense

WR Reggie Williams, Washington (Recruiting class of 2001). Set Pac-10 freshman records for catches (55) and yards (973).

WR Mike Williams, Southern California ('02). A huge target who caught everything in sight.

T Nat Dorsey, Georgia Tech ('01). The first true freshman to earn first-team all-ACC honors since 1995.