One of my D’s close friends had a paid research position starting freshman year as well. She knew she wanted to pursue a PhD so started researching immediately. This is Purdue.
My D’s friend did the same at TAMU with the same horizon.
I think there is a misperception that large Us are impersonal and relationships with professors are few and far between. That has been very far from our D’s experience. These big schools often do a great job with small seminar classes, specialized advisors, and living learning communities.