Do Freshmens work ethic not increase their first year?

It should so long as they are playing.

I've noticed some freshman will grow WE a lot with playtime and some won't budge. I believe it is tied to the scouting report, the 2nd or 3rd line where it talks about how much effort the kid puts in. Don't quote me on that as a fact though, maybe one of the more experienced coaches can chime in on that.

The most important factor is starts and playing time - without those WE will not grow at all. After that the next largest factor I’ve found is their starting WE - the higher the WE to begin with, the faster their WE grows. I think that might be what the above poster is referencing within the scouting reports but you should be able to see it expressed on the player card as a WE number.

Posted by zewskiz on 2/27/2025 3:49:00 PM (view original):
I've noticed some freshman will grow WE a lot with playtime and some won't budge. I believe it is tied to the scouting report, the 2nd or 3rd line where it talks about how much effort the kid puts in. Don't quote me on that as a fact though, maybe one of the more experienced coaches can chime in on that.

This is true, but it has to do with the growth through their entire career. Early, Late or Steady.