Calvin Ridley got his first start when Alabama was 3-1 and heading into what was at the time a showdown with No. 8 ranked Georgia. He answered the bell with five receptions for 120 yards receiving, a 50-yard big play and a 45-yard touchdown. At the time, the 45-yard touchdown grab was Alabama's longest scoring play of the season and just like that the Crimson Tide offense had found a perimeter complement to Derrick Henry's power rushing game.

Calvin Ridley led all true freshmen nationally with 73 receptions.

Because of Ridley's ability to transform an Alabama offense that would mow down the rest of its opponents en route to a college football playoff birth, he has been named the 247Sports True Freshman of the Year.

Though Ridley finished the regular season with 75 receptions for 893 yards and five scores, it's not just the stats that earned him 2015's top freshman award. It was how and when he gained those yards. Often Ridley was making plays at seminal points in close football game.

Take Alabama's win over Arkansas for example. The game followed Alabama's thrashing of Georgia and had 'trap game' written all over it. Things played out that way with Arkansas leading 7-3 late in the third quarter before Ridley scored on an 81-yard touchdown reception that ignited the Alabama offense. Alabama would go on to score 17 fourth-quarter points in a 27-14 win and Ridley would finish with nine catches for 140 yards and the second longest reception in Alabama history by a freshman.

In Alabama's biggest scare of the season, Ridley was huge in helping the Tide sneak by Tennessee. He led Alabama in receiving against the Vols with seven catches for 88 yards and had critical catches in each of Alabama's two fourth quarter scoring drives, none bigger than a 15-yard grab on 3rd and 6 late in the fourth allowed Alabama to extend its game-winning drive.

Since earning the starting job against Georgia, Ridley led Alabama in receptions eight of the next nine games. He led the Tide in receiving yards every game for the remainder of the season. Ridley's 893 yards receiving was third among all true freshman and his 75 receptions lead all true freshmen nationally.

As a high school senior out of Pompano Beach (Fla.) Monarch, Ridley was ranked by the industry generated 247Sports Composite as the No. 11 prospect in the country and the nation's top wide receiver. He was dominant in both camp and game-settings and really validated himself as the nation's best receiving with an eye-popping showing at The Opening finals in the summer of 2014.

Maybe the only knock on Ridley as a prospect was his age. He was a 19-year old senior that was dominating players that were often significantly younger than him. As a college freshman, he's dominating players significantly older than him too.

Ridley was a huge get for Alabama behind the recruiting efforts of Mario Cristobal and Billy Napier. He committed in April of 2014 during an unofficial visit and though he ultimately took an official visit to Florida State in December, he never wavered significantly despite heavy national interest and in-state pressures.