With a steady stream of four- and five-star recruits coming in every year to replace players off the the NFL, Alabama is a place where it’s always a challenge to crack the two-deep, but certain young players have enough talent to earn playing time right away.

Entering the 2015 season, the Crimson Tide have a long list of freshmen who could see plenty of snaps this fall. Some were brought in to fill an immediate need while others could be waiting in the wings in case of injury to an upperclassmen, but there’s no shortage of first-year players who have impressed in the early going.

Here’s a look at Alabama freshman who could make an impact this season:

Calvin Ridley, wide receiver
It’s possible no player’s arrival on campus was more anticipated than Ridley, who seems like a decent bet to step into a starting role right away. The Tide needed help at wide receiver and will certainly miss All-American Amari Cooper, but the comparisons between Ridley and Cooper began almost immediately. Nick Saban has done what he can to control the hype around the freshman wideout, but once he hits the field there might not be much the coach can do to quell the excitement.

Ross Pierschbacher, offensive guard
After redshirting last year, Pierschbacher appears to have locked himself into a starting spot this season. The offensive line is a concern, or at least an unknown, with only senior center Ryan Kelly and sophomore left tackle Cam Robinson returning. Pierschbacher will get an opportunity to show he can hold his own playing between two potential All-Americans.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, defensive back
The young defensive back has come in and turned heads right away, shooting up the depth chart in preseason camp. According to practice reports, he’s been working as the No. 1 nickelback and could also see plenty of time at corner. The five-star prospect from New Jersey has been touted as one of the hardest workers on the team.

Damien Harris, running back
Derrick Henry rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last year and has the starting job locked up, but Harris could work his way into the primary backup position, especially because it appears senior Kenyan Drake may see more time at receiver. Henry, a top-ranked running back coming out of high school in Kentucky, adds depth to a backfield left hurting after departures and injuries this spring.

Blake Barnett, quarterback
Saban has been incredibly tight-lipped about the quarterback situation, but we do know Jake Coker has been dealing with a foot injury that may or may not have opened the door for Barnett to win the starting job. Either way, early reports say Barnett has been quite impressive since and it shouldn’t come as a shock if he gets on the field this season. And if he redshirts, he still probably is the quarterback of the future in Tuscaloosa.

Daron Payne, defensive tackle
Payne likely didn’t have much of a shot to dethrone A’Shawn Robinson as the starting defensive tackle, but he arrived on campus already one of the strongest players in the program, bench-pressing 500 pounds. It might be hard to keep the No. 19 overall prospect in his class off the field.

OTHERS TO WATCH: Defensive back Kendall Sheffield hasn’t been quite as impressive in the preseason as fellow five-star recruit Fitzpatrick, but he’s in the mix for playing time. Redshirt freshman Marlon Humphrey and true freshman Ronnie Harrison, who was an early enrollee should also be ready to play in a defensive backfield that has had to deal with plenty of injuries … There was a lot of hype surrounding the arrival of running back Bo Scarbrough, but it tempered with an ACL that has slowed him this offseason. He appears to be moving well so far in camp and could push for playing time behind Henry if he returns to the field midseason … Offensive guard Brandon Kennedy isn’t close to cracking the starting lineup, but after arriving in time for spring practice he’s got a chance to stay at second or third on the depth chart and perhaps play this season.