On Wednesday afternoon, Missouri's five-star freshman Williams Nwaneri was named to the preseason Freshman of the Year Award Watchlist. This comes as a slight surprise, given that Nwaneri's playing time this season is still in question. The 5-star commit from the Kansas City area was a huge boost to the program.
The general rule of thumb with freshmen is that they'll take some time to adjust to the collegiate level, but sometimes there are special talents. Nwaneri seems to fit into that category, as the defensive lineman might be called upon earlier than expected.
.@NwaneriWilliams named to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Watchlist 😤#MIZ | #STP pic.twitter.com/n2UUxQaiTC
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) August 28, 2024
The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, now in its 7th year, is designed to recognize the most outstanding freshman in the country. The award will be presented on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the Maxwell Football Club Awards event.
Nwaneri definitely still has work to do to earn snaps, as Missouri has acquired significant defensive depth via the transfer portal. However, an unfortunate injury to Darris Smith could potentially open the door for Nwaneri to see the field in his first year. It remains unclear how much playing time the true freshman might receive, but his talent could earn him an early opportunity.
With Missouri kicking off the season on Thursday against Murray State, this could be an ideal opportunity for Nwaneri to see increased snaps in-game. The Tigers are 47-point favorites, and if things go as expected, they should be able to get some of their young talent involved in Thursday's game.