My daughter came in as a Sophomore and was still able to get credit for her gen eds from AP.
The first year classes are just a requirement for the minor, like you’d have with any minor. They are definitely not the same freshman composition requirement, for example. They are 15 person seminars where you also have upperclassmen mentors giving you a lot of personal feedback to improve your writing.
Some of the Blount classes actually count towards the general education requirements. And if you weren’t out of the Freshman English/composition, they offer a section just for Blount that knocks out both classes at once.