Redshirt Athletes Have a Very Important Purpose in College Sports

The experience of playing or watching college sports can be very different from the professional leagues. The athletes have to balance their careers on the field with their lives as young students. Nevertheless, there are certain rules that only apply at the college level.

What is a redshirt athlete? Here's what we know about the term that is used in football, basketball, and many other disciplines that allow young adults to build their trajectories. Being labeled as a redshirt is often a loophole that can be taken advantage of.

To understand what it means to be a redshirt athlete, it's relevant to remember that college athletes are only supposed to play over the course of the four years related to their studies. The rules indicate that the length of their courses allow players to be eligible across these four years.

This is where the redshirt term comes in. Those who skip a season while remaining a part of the team and their training schedule are considered redshirts.

Being a redshirt can happen for a wide variety of reasons. Injuries, the complicated transition from high school to college, and the need for more training are some of the reasons why college athletes need to stay out of competition.

The purpose of allowing someone to skip a season is to perfect their skills without the athlete missing the opportunity to compete due to their impending graduation.

Every year, sports leagues are eager to recruit young players who can make history for years to come. There is nothing wrong with redshirts preserving their health or working on their skills before making the jump to the big leagues.

Julian Sayin is the quarterback of the Ohio State team. The young man has plenty of impressive accomplishments for his age, including a shocking 80 percent completed passes during his first year as a college athlete. Julian is just getting started.

The player is in consideration for the 2025 edition of the Heisman Trophy. The award is handed out every season to the best player across the entire college football division. It would be a great honor for Julian to capture the trophy as a freshman.

Technically, Julian is a redshirt freshman. A true freshman has never captured the coveted Heisman trophy. It's also relevant to point out that "redshirt" isn't an official term that can be found in the rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

The ruling regarding five-year players is the following: "A student-athlete shall complete the student-athlete's seasons of participation within five calendaryears from the beginning of the semester or quarter in which the student-athlete first registered for a minimum full-time program of studies in a collegiate institution."

Even if he isn't a true freshman, Julian would take his career to the next level if he manages to win the Heisman Trophy. Being a redshirt can be very helpful.