Fresno State isn't relying on too many true freshmen this year. Running back Robbie Rouse, linebacker Travis Brown and quarterback Derek Carr immediately come to mind as newbie contributors in reserve roles.
But just think about the position Fresno State would be in and the talent pool it'd have if the Bulldogs had the luxury of redshirting all of their players during their first year.
Ryan Mathews would only be a sophomore and probably never have been labeled injury prone. He would have had an additional year to get bigger and stronger and handle the physical punishment of playing running back, rather than playing his first season and getting injured at the end of the 2007 season (see photo above of the skinner Mathews version of his true freshman season).
Then think just how good Mathews would be if this was only his redshirt sophomore season and how much damage he could do next year and perhaps in 2011! Just his production this year, particularly if he was listed as a sophomore, would be eye popping. Mathews would be on everyone's radar. And, he wouldn't be eligible leave for the NFL draft just yet following the end of this season.
Running backs Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding would be juniors and would not have played in 2006. So would cornerbacks AJ Jefferson and Damion Owens.
Receiver Devon Wylie would be a sophomore. So would defensive end Chris Carter and offensive lineman Devan Cunningham. You'd have to assume that they'd all be better as they got older.
It's just a shame that players have to be relied on early, mostly because depth is never truly established.
Fresno State is hardly the only team that has to rely on young players. In fact, the Bulldogs probably do it less than most other teams in the Western Athletic Conference. And every program in the nation -- good and bad ones -- has to turn to younger players sooner than they want for multiple reasons ... the depth just wasn't there ... the younger players were that much better than the older ones already in the program ... unexpected departures via NFL draft, suspension, etc.
But again, think just how much better Fresno State would be and how much better the players would be if they had to redshirt.
Outside of this recent batch of Fresno State players, most of their top players got to redshirt. Guys like Richard Marshall, David Carr, Paul Pinegar, Bear Pascoe, Marcus Riley, Clifton Smith.
Point being ... don't be in such a rush to play the younger guys. Because it's when they're older that they typically have their best seasons.
Right? Just exclude the seniors from that 2006 season that went 4-8 from your arguments.
Actually, Mathews would be eligible to leave after this year even if he'd redshirted. Your graduating class has to be only 3 years removed from high school to be eligible for the NFL draft.
That's what made Larry Fitzgerald eligible for the draft only though he was a true sophmore. He spent one year in prep school after graduation then played two years at Pitt.