True freshman

True freshman is a term used in NCAA sports, indicating that an athlete is playing the sport in his first year of college, rather than redshirting for one or more years to protect future college eligibility. Freshmen usually are redshirted because they do not have as much of a legitimate chance of starting or getting playing time for a team as a sophomore, junior, or senior, and could allow them to play an additional year or years later on in their collegiate careers when they are more experienced.