I was asked that question in another thread last week, and the easy answer is I have no idea.
But that's not totally true. We know Fritz trusted a true freshman quarterback to start all season in his first year at Sam Houston State, which was a big step up from Division II Central Missouri. I'm guessing plenty of coaches with less self-belief would have gone a safer route and lost more games with a more experienced quarterback even if the true freshman had proven he was the best option. The move worked out pretty well--Sam Houston State went 6-5 with Brian Bell at QB, and he was the QB the following two years as the Bearkats reached the FCS title game.
Fritz may repeat that move at Tulane. If Darius Bradwell shows he is the best option in spring drills, he probably will start the opener next fall. Fritz won't sacrifice the season to give his recruit some experience --he's been adamant about doing everything possible to send the seniors out with a good year--but he certainly won't be afraid to pull the trigger with a freshman at QB.
To get an idea of how many more freshmen might play, today I looked into Fritz' history in his two years at Georgia Southern. This is what I found:
2014
Fritz was hired on Jan. 10 and had little time to put together a recruiting class, which probably limited the chance for playing time for his 22-man class. All but four players were redshirted (four more didn't make it to their second season), and none of them played a significant role. Linebacker Chris DeLaRosa played in 10 games and made 15 tackles as a reserver. Defensive lineman Darrius Sapp, whose older brother played LB at Tennessee and signed with the Dallas Cowboys, made 10 tackles while playing 11 games. Offensive lineman Tommy Boynton participated in seven games, and defensive end Ross Alexander had three tackles in six games.
ANALYSIS: Fritz' first class at Georgia Southern was not as good as his first class at Tulane, and he inherited a team that had beaten Florida in Gainesville, so it was not a similar situation to taking over a team that won two games outside Louisiana in the last four years and was non-competitive in the AAC the last two.
2015
After winning the Sun Belt Conference in Georgia Southern's first year in the FBS, Fritz had a much better class in his second year, signing 27 players. This time, all but six were redshirted, but three of the true freshmen played big roles. Running back Wesley Fields played in all 13 games, rushing 101 times for 682 yards and seven touchdowns. Jeremiah Culbreth started the last 11 games at left offensive tackle for a team that led the nation in rushing. Defensive end Logan Hunt had 30 tackles as a key reserve, playing in every game.
The other three had smaller roles. Wide receiver Malik Henry had two catches for 46 yards in nine games, but since Georgia Southern almost never threw, the low catch total is no surprise. Offensive lineman Curtis Rainey played in eight gams for a total of 48 downs. Safety Joshua Moon played in five games with two tackles.
ANALYSIS: Fritz does not hesitate to play someone if he is ready, but he does not force things and throw freshmen in there simply to get them experience. He wants to win now, so he refuses to throw away the present for the future. I expect more than six freshmen to get on the field next fall, but I don't expect a huge number.
Then again, the part about having no idea is partially true. Good coaches don't always follow their history to a T. Instead, they do what's best for each situation. Tulane has needs just about everywhere but running back and starting defensive tackle. If the newcomers are good enough, they'll get on the field.
