Jim Harbaugh has always liked to throw freshmen on the field.
Look at 2016. Chris Evans debuted against Hawaii with 112 yards. Rashan Gary tallied 23 tackles with five for loss. Khaleke Hudson and Devin Bush were special teams maestros.
Those all made sense. Others didn’t. Burning freshman guard Michael Onwenu’s redshirt snatched away a year of development.
This summer, the NCAA declared players will now be allowed to play in up to four games and still qualify for a redshirt season.
Where does that leave the 2018 recruiting class this season?