"Soph" is an abbreviation for "sophomore," which refers to a student in the second year of a four-year college or high school program. In the context of the clue "Year before jr.", it means the year before becoming a junior.
Note: The provided meaning of the answer is for the latest New York Times crossword puzzle clue: Frosh, in a year. Explanations are generated by AI and may be inaccurate.