Spring practices are upon us, as teams start to prepare for their 2014 season. Teams are looking for young, fresh talent to replace the faces that have graduated or decided to move on to the NFL.

Some of the new faces at the spring practices will be freshman, who found an opportunity to enroll in classes early at their respective schools. Many schools have at least three early enrollees who are looking to get a step ahead of their class, as well as trying to earn an opportunity for a starting role.

Here are five freshman who can possibly parlay their early enrollee status into a starting role in 2014.

DeShaun Watson (Quarterback, Clemson)

I discussed Watson yesterday in my article about which quarterbacks can benefit the most from a strong Spring Game performance.

Watson is a dual threat quarterback, very similar to the departing Tajh Boyd. With Chad Morris running a successful offense around Boyd the past few years, Watson enrolling early gives him good time to pick up the playbook for the season, and for Morris to make any necessary changes to his scheme to fit Watson’s strengths. He will be a playmaker at Clemson, and he has a good opportunity to start as a true freshman.

Tony Brown (Cornerback, Alabama)

Brown was one of the nation’s top cornerback in this recruiting class, so it won’t be a surprise if he sees the field a lot this season. However, after the Tide suffered from a porous pass defense, mostly due to poor cornerback play, Brown is getting a huge opportunity to grasp the playbook and learn his role in Saban’s scheme by going through spring practices.

If Brown can pick the college game up quickly, don’t be surprised if he is lining up against opponent’s best receivers on Saturdays.

Jalen Tabor (Cornerback, Florida)

Tabor was in the headlines for his sudden decision to switch his commitment from Arizona to Florida after three days. Tabor, like Brown, is another highly ranked cornerback recruit who can make an instant impact. Tabor enrolling early gives him an opportunity to fight for the number-two cornerback job, to play opposite superstar sophomore Vernon Hargreaves III. The Gators have huge voids in the secondary, losing Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Roberson, and Jaylen Watkins to the NFL, so Tabor has a clear opening.

Kyle Allen (Quarterback, Texas A&M)

Allen was ranked by many recruiting services as the best pocket-passing quarterback in the class, and for good reason. Allen has a strong arm and is an accurate passer. However, he is walking into a position battle that the winner will be tasked with the impossible: Replacing Johnny Manziel. With Matt Joeckel and Kenny Hill already on the roster, the battle for who will be the starting quarterback next season will be a dogfight. Allen enrolling early will give him a fair shot to win the job, instead of coming in for fall practices, where Joeckel and Hill will have already had more reps and the opportunity to showcase their talent in the Spring Game.

Raekwon McMillan (Linebacker, Ohio State)

McMillan has an opportunity to be the next great star for the Buckeyes defense. And after last season, they can use all the help they can get. Ohio State played strong in run defense, but are losing players like Ryan Shazier to the NFL, so they will need some help replacing his impact. McMillan does not play the same style as Shazier, who is much quicker and has more burst, but he can be plugged in immediately and help solidify the defense and keep the Buckeyes near the top of the polls.