In college football, some freshman shine right away – taking the spotlight and added pressure and running with it.

Other struggle as they begin to have a hard time grasping a new scheme with new teammates often in a new role.

To try and prevent the latter from happening, many big name recruits will work to get to their new campus as quickly as possible. They do that by taking extra classes in high school, either during the summer or online, in hopes of finishing up in time for the start of their new school’s spring ball.

The advantages are evident. Those who decide to speed up high school can be with the new teammates quicker and can get more to get accustomed to the playbook.

One player who did just that is Arizona State freshman running back Eno Benjamin. Benjamin, who was ranked 276th in the ESPN300 rankings, says the extra time really helped him get a leg up.

“It helped a lot just being here from the spring,” Benjamin said during fall camp. “When (ASU freshman running back) Trelon (Smith) first got here, he struggled a little bit just picking everything up and I was kind of fast with it. I knew what I was doing.”

Another player who has to face the decision to possibly speed up their high school education is Pinnacle quarterback Spencer Rattler.

Rattler, like Benjamin, was a highly touted recruit. But before his junior season, holding offers from big name programs like Alabama, Notre Dame and Texas, the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback for 2019, according to ESPN, committed to Oklahoma.

With 3,141 passing yards and 37 touchdowns this season for the Pioneers, his talent is evident.

“He’s a great athlete, a great competitor and he’s always going to make plays,” Pinnacle coach Dana Zupke said about Rattler after a recent game.

But unlike Benjamin, Rattler has decided to finish out the entirety of his time in high school.

“I was thinking about finishing school early in December and early enrolling, but it was too many online classes and just schoolwork,” Rattler said. “So, I’m just going to go past my senior year and go into fall ball.

“So I’ll just go right in there around, I think its June they go, so I’ll head up there then.”

Regardless of when Rattler steps foot in Norman, Okla., he’s trying to get as prepared as he can for his big moment.

One way he’s thought about doing that is by possibly getting the Sooners’ playbook sometime during his senior year. And with the good relationship that Rattler’s quarterback coach Mike Giovando has with Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, Rattler may be able to get acclimated quicker than normal.

“(Giovando is) going to try and talk to him about maybe learning the schemes and everything,” Rattler said. “Gio knows everything. So I’ll go over to his house, get on the fields, just so I’m used to it so when I get up there I’m not brand new to everything.”

But for the junior, that’s all in the future. Right now, all he’s worried about is guiding the Pioneers through the 6A playoffs and onto the state title game.