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247Sports released its True Freshman All-America team on Tuesday, highlighting the best newcomers the 2023 college football season had to offer. While the advent of the transfer portal has made it less common to see true freshmen play major roles in the modern game, there are still plenty of highlights. 

For example, two College Football Playoff teams in Alabama and Texas saw standout players make 247Sports' list. The Crimson Tide placed two in starting safety Caleb Downs and starting left tackle Kadyn Proctor, both of whom were five-star prospect in the high school recruiting ranks. 

While most assume five-stars will have the most immediate impact on a yearly basis, only five of the 27 athletes selected occupied that vaunted ranking in the 2023 class. The rest range in stock from entirely unranked to top-50 overall four-star players. Regardless, there were a few names that stand out from the rest of the pack. Here's a look at some of the highlight selections from 247Sports' True Freshman All-America team. 

Caleb Downs, DB, Alabama

If you had to project one true freshman as a surefire future top-10 NFL Draft pick, it would be Downs. It seemed as if he earned a starting spot on Alabama's talent-laden defense from the moment he stepped foot on campus. It isn't hard to see why. Downs stuffed the stat sheet and earned SEC Newcomer of the Year honors after posting 99 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble and three pass breakups. As the No. 8 player and No. 1 safety in the Class of 2023, Downs is obviously an elite athlete, but his intangibles flashed as well. He showed a knack for quickly reading plays and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, which puts him lightyears ahead of most freshmen. He also has an ability to break the game on special teams, something he showcased with an electric 85-yard punt return touchdown against Chattanooga. 

Dillon Thieneman, DB, Purdue 

No freshman had a better statistical campaign than Thieneman, who flew under the radar all year despite logging six interceptions -- more than any other freshman and tied for second nationally. No other freshman has more than three interceptions. He also led all freshmen with 106 tackles and forced two fumbles to add to his impressive individual turnover total. Purdue's coaching staff trusted Thieneman so much that they often left him on an island deep in the defensive secondary when blitzing, a role in which he thrived. It also allowed him to display his advanced ball-tracking skills and knack for erasing potential big plays. 

Kevin Concepcion, WR, NC State

Though he started in the slot almost immediately, Concepcion had a relatively quiet first few games for the Wolfpack. Then he had six catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns against Virginia, and it was off to the races from there. That was the first of five multi-touchdown games for Concepcion, who consistently showed up against strong competition like North Carolina and Clemson. He ranks second in the ACC and first among freshmen with 10 receiving touchdowns, and he's the only FBS player with at least 750 yards receiving and 250 yards rushing; NC State found creative ways to get the ball into his hands. He's a big-play threat on almost every snap with game-breaking speed and the agility to dance around would-be tacklers. 

Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami 

Mauigoa emerged as an alpha on Miami's offensive line early in the process, leading the unit through drills during fall practice while taking the starting right tackle spot by force. He subsequently played 800 snaps during the regular season, more than any other top-100 freshman in the entire country. Standing at 6-foot-6 and pushing 340 pounds, he's a vicious run blocker that isn't afraid to throw his weight around at the point of attack. He also allowed just 24 pressures and five sacks all year, numbers that should continue to shrink as he grows more accustomed to collegiate edge rushers. 

Rueben Bain Jr., DL, Miami

Though I tried not to double up on teams mentioned, it felt impossible to avoid putting Bain on this list. Miami made it a priority to load up in the trenches after struggling on both sides of the ball in Mario Cristobal's first year, and Bain and Mauigoa are going to be pillars for a very long time. Bain, who was the No. 10 edge rusher in the class of 2023, led Miami's defensive linemen and tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks. He also tallied a whopping 46 pressures, which leads all freshmen, and was credited with three quarterback hurries. Miami also moved the 6-foot-4, 275-pound Bain all over the defensive line, using him both as an edge rusher on most downs and an interior defensive lineman to generate extra pressure in obvious passing situations. He excelled at it all. 

Anthony Hill, LB, Texas

Hill had a statement game very early in his Texas career, popping off the screen with two sacks in the Longhorns' Week 2 upset win against Alabama. For those that didn't pay close attention afterwards, he was just that good all season. No matter where Texas put the 6-foot-3, 234-pound Hill, be it at edge rusher or off-ball linebacker, he just made plays. He finished the year with 63 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, four quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. He also forced a fumble in Texas' Big 12 Championship Game win against Oklahoma State, allowing the Longhorns to pad a considerable 35-14 first-half lead. Hill has all the tools to be a game wrecking pass rusher, and he showed improvement as a coverage linebacker in his first year in Austin, Texas. The future is undeniably bright for the former No. 17 overall prospect.