This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 2h ago
SEC athlete beats Big Ten star for top spot on annual ‘Freaks’ list
Every team needs at least one.
To be named a freak is a badge of honor in college football, and Bruce Feldman of The Athletic released his annual list.
So, what determines a freak?
Well, Feldman breaks it down.
“They were the players who could jump ridiculously high or far (usually both) or were able to run exceptionally fast for someone who was 325 pounds or 6-foot-7,” he writes.
The SEC’s Nyck Harbor of South Carolina has been named the top spot, beating out fellow wide receiver and Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith. Oregon’s A’Mauri Washington finished third on the list.
“To be this big and this blazing fast is truly rare,” Feldman writes. “NFL scouts who came through Columbia this offseason measured him at 6-foot-6, 243 pounds with over 35-inch arms. His wingspan is 82 1/2 inches. He ran a 10.1 in the 100 and 20.20 in the 200 for the Gamecocks track team, where he’s competing in the NCAAs against runners 60 and 70 pounds lighter than him.”
Last season, Harbor caught 30 passes for a team-high 618 yards and six TDs. He averaged 20.6 yards per reception, which ranks third in school history.
Feldman points to Harbor, while carrying 235 pounds, topped out at 23.8 mph on the GPS and also measured in at just 5 percent body fat.
Smith, however, is the best player in the country, Feldman contends. He was last year’s top Freak and the accomplishments appear to prove that. Per the report, the Ohio State receiver finished with 2,558 receiving yards and 27 TDs are the most by any Big Ten receiver in his first two years in college.
Last year alone, Smith had 87 catches for 1,243 yards and 12 TDs.
“The 6-3 1/2-inch Smith is bigger than he was last year, weighing 224 pounds,” Feldman writes. “His explosiveness for that size is reminiscent of another Freak WR from South Florida, Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Johnson. In a program stocked with high-level athletes, Smith — a super-sized wideout — ran a 1.44-second 10-yard sprint, fastest in the Buckeyes program.
MORE BY MARK HEIM
Death of law student linked to popular weight loss shot Aug. 10, 2026, 9:13 a.m.
SEC coach on why he schedules differently than Indiana: ‘Want to see exciting, competitive games’ Aug. 10, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
“Smith’s 11-foot broad jump, 38 1/2-inch vertical jump and 23.5 mph on the GPS are rare for a wideout this big. Even more eye-catching is the 6.84-second L-drill time he ran this offseason. Only one player at last year’s NFL combine, Alabama WR Germie Bernard (who is almost 20 pounds lighter), ran a quicker time.”
Four SEC athletes populate the top 10 of a list of 101 Freaks. The Big Ten has three in the top 10.
Check out the full list here .
Read the original article on NJ.com . Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
SECBig TenFreaksSevenEveryBruce FeldmanThe AthleticWellFeldmanThe SEC’s Nyck HarborSouth CarolinaOhio State
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
