What is the hardest/easiest positions for a freshman to start varsity at?
- Thread starter LukeFeddersen
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WR is my choice for easiest. Defense anywhere would be the toughest. Physical aspect of delivering a hit at that age would be tough.
I am very surprised running back/linebacker was not mentioned. I feel those are the positions that are most often played as freshman.
Depends on the system you're in, I guess. Running back seems to be one of the easier positions to play (if you have the talent, of course). That's where you will see a lot of college freshmen have quick success. Get the ball, look for the hole, try not to get tackled - doesn't take a lot of study or coaching, necessarily.
Linebacker could be a tougher position to learn, especially if you're the one responsible for defensive signals or telling the D-linemen what to do. Also reading keys between pass/run is a big thing to learn, if you're going to be a good linebacker.
Again, receiver depends on the system. If you're running ambitious route trees and reading defenders to decide where to go, that's tough for a freshman to figure out. If your team throws the ball four times a game, a good blocking WR can pick that up pretty fast.
Linebacker could be a tougher position to learn, especially if you're the one responsible for defensive signals or telling the D-linemen what to do. Also reading keys between pass/run is a big thing to learn, if you're going to be a good linebacker.
Again, receiver depends on the system. If you're running ambitious route trees and reading defenders to decide where to go, that's tough for a freshman to figure out. If your team throws the ball four times a game, a good blocking WR can pick that up pretty fast.
Ya I would agree depends on the system. Wr may be easiest for most teams. The hardest is probably offensive line. although kicker for some teams is non existant.
Easiest- punter
Hardest- Lineman
Difficult to really name a specific position on either side of the line because they all require a certain physicality that is much more advantageous to upperclassmen who are generally more developed and experienced than 13, 14, and 15 yr old freshmen (yes, I've seen ages vary that much if you were wondering).
Sometimes you get the stud 240 lb 6'5" freshman who is gonna be a freak of nature, but I'm guessing most schools don't have one of those. You also rarely see any freshmen starting on either side of the line in most any class, unless their numbers are that low or the kid is just that good.
How many freshmen start on the O or D lines for the top 5 4A schools?
And punter is the easiest because there's a few more things that go into being a kicker, though a lot of it depends on how much a coach invests into those positions. All a punter has to do is catch the ball cleanly and get off even a decent kick in an attempt to change the field position. Most coaches are fine with 30+ yds a kick. 40 yds a kick is usually pretty good for the average HS team.
Kicker is a little more complex, especially if you're gonna do PATs and/or FGs. If they're just for kickoffs, you'd still want a kicker who can get it to the 10-15 yd line at the very least, though I'm seeing more and more kickers these days get very close to kicking it out of the endzones. Usually, freshmen at most schools don't have that kind of leg strength though, but I've seen some that do.
Hardest- Lineman
Difficult to really name a specific position on either side of the line because they all require a certain physicality that is much more advantageous to upperclassmen who are generally more developed and experienced than 13, 14, and 15 yr old freshmen (yes, I've seen ages vary that much if you were wondering).
Sometimes you get the stud 240 lb 6'5" freshman who is gonna be a freak of nature, but I'm guessing most schools don't have one of those. You also rarely see any freshmen starting on either side of the line in most any class, unless their numbers are that low or the kid is just that good.
How many freshmen start on the O or D lines for the top 5 4A schools?
And punter is the easiest because there's a few more things that go into being a kicker, though a lot of it depends on how much a coach invests into those positions. All a punter has to do is catch the ball cleanly and get off even a decent kick in an attempt to change the field position. Most coaches are fine with 30+ yds a kick. 40 yds a kick is usually pretty good for the average HS team.
Kicker is a little more complex, especially if you're gonna do PATs and/or FGs. If they're just for kickoffs, you'd still want a kicker who can get it to the 10-15 yd line at the very least, though I'm seeing more and more kickers these days get very close to kicking it out of the endzones. Usually, freshmen at most schools don't have that kind of leg strength though, but I've seen some that do.
Line, to me. Even if a guy has the physical tools, he's still going up against guys who are, at least in theory, 4 years older and 4 years more spent in the weight room. If you're a DT/NG on a 4-3 team there is a chance you're going to spend a good deal of your game getting hit by 400-500+ lbs a number of times on double teams, etc. Not to mention things happen IMO quickest on the line for the simplest fact you're closest to the ball. And the ability to react generally comes from experience, etc. So betweens the physical and mental demands I'd say line is hardest.
And it barely edges out QB/LB. LB would be 2nd hardest to me because of the reading and you have to be able to drop and stop the run, depending on system.
A really talented QB can come in and do quite well on occasion but its tough.
Generally the further away from the ball I'd say the easier it gets, receiver and corner are probably spots a youngster who might have good enough hands and can run could make an impact. Back is another decent choice but that comes down to scheme and if he's asked to block in pass pro schemes how well he can do.
I'd actually kicker is hard for a freshmen in HS... I imagine being in a play off / district rivalry game and standing out there by yourself with a chance to win the game and having everyone in stands / on both teams knowing it might come down to this kick is a lot of pressure. The art of kicking the ball might be relatively easy though I'd disagree with that, but the mental makeup kickers need to have to me is similar to a QB who needs to be able to move on and forget the mistake, same with a kicker. Maybe not forget it but let it go and move on.
Punter might be pretty easy but I would have no idea since I never did that
And it barely edges out QB/LB. LB would be 2nd hardest to me because of the reading and you have to be able to drop and stop the run, depending on system.
A really talented QB can come in and do quite well on occasion but its tough.
Generally the further away from the ball I'd say the easier it gets, receiver and corner are probably spots a youngster who might have good enough hands and can run could make an impact. Back is another decent choice but that comes down to scheme and if he's asked to block in pass pro schemes how well he can do.
I'd actually kicker is hard for a freshmen in HS... I imagine being in a play off / district rivalry game and standing out there by yourself with a chance to win the game and having everyone in stands / on both teams knowing it might come down to this kick is a lot of pressure. The art of kicking the ball might be relatively easy though I'd disagree with that, but the mental makeup kickers need to have to me is similar to a QB who needs to be able to move on and forget the mistake, same with a kicker. Maybe not forget it but let it go and move on.
Punter might be pretty easy but I would have no idea since I never did that
That's where you get into each team's different system. A freshman could easily start at QB on an option offense or a run-heavy offense where he's not required to throw or make reads much. But once you mix passing into the equation, that is where experience often pays off.
It's the same for kicker. Like I said, if you're just having him handle kickoff duties, it's the same as punter. Just get a good kick and play safety on the return. The more you require of your kicker, though, the more difficult the position becomes even for seniors. Field goal kicking is probably one of the most difficult things to do in the sport, although it's an acquired skill that takes time to get good at, like any other position.
It's the same for kicker. Like I said, if you're just having him handle kickoff duties, it's the same as punter. Just get a good kick and play safety on the return. The more you require of your kicker, though, the more difficult the position becomes even for seniors. Field goal kicking is probably one of the most difficult things to do in the sport, although it's an acquired skill that takes time to get good at, like any other position.
Never heard anyone phrase it, my son is a starting punter. When I think of starting football positions I think of the 11 on O or D. Just me I guess. If you want to see it as those guys that go off into a corner and kick the ball around as opposed to the guys in the drills banging. Blocking, tackling, running. Okay.
It is the easiest position though. Kind of a trick question you found the grail on. A 6th grader could be a punter. Even younger. Still have never heard "I am the starting varsity punter" though. Kudos though.
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