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SEC edges Big Ten in annual 'Freaks List' football rankings
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- SEC edges Big Ten in annual 'Freaks List' football rankings
The Athletic's Bruce Feldman released his annual "Freaks List" on Monday, Aug. 10, representing another checkpoint of the college football offseason ,
For those unfamiliar, Feldman ranks the most athletic players from teams across the college football landscape in terms of height, size, speed, or whatever it is that makes them a distinct, unique athlete — earning the moniker of athletic "freak." Most of the players on the list are standouts at their respective schools, as one might imagine.
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South Carolina receiver Nyck Harbor, who led the team with 30 receptions for 618 yards with six touchdowns last season, was named No. 1 on the list for the third time in four seasons. Harbor stands 6-foot-5, 239 pounds and possesses world-class speed, having competed on South Carolina's track and field team before focusing on football in 2025, even though he was invited to the 2024 USA Track & Field Olympic trials.
The "Freaks List" is dominated by SEC and Big Ten talent. Here's a look at how college football's best conferences compare on the latest "Freaks List":
2026 'Freaks List': Comparing SEC, Big Ten
Feldman's list was dominated by the SEC and Big Ten — as expected — with 43 of the 101 inclusions from the two conferences. Although the Big Ten has won three consecutive national championships, the SEC narrowly edged out the Big Ten with 22 players on the list compared to 21 from the Big Ten.
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The Big Ten had the edge on the 2025 "Freaks List," with 21 players to the SEC's 20.
The SEC also had four top-10 ranked players in 2026, including Harbor, Florida EDGE Jayden Woods, Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter and Texas EDGE Colin Simmons. It was one more than the Big Ten, which had Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, Oregon defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington and Iowa offensive guard Kade Pieper.
"Freaks List" inclusions don't exactly guarantee national championships, but it appears the SEC and Big Ten are neck-and-neck with high-end athletes, even if both conferences have numerous players missing the list.
Big Ten
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2. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
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3. A'Mauri Washington, Oregon
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8. Kade Pieper, Iowa
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11. Devon Jackson, Oregon
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21. KJ Duff, Rutgers
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25. Tony Rojas, Penn State
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27. Kahmari Brown, Iowa
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29. Brenten "Inky" Jones, Ohio State
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34. Sahir West, UCLA
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35. Brett Eskildsen, Penn State
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37. Zach Lutmer, Iowa
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39. Anthony Smith, Minnesota
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40. Kaden Feagin, Illinois
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36. Junior Poyser, Wisconsin
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53. Abu Sama, Wisconsin
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67. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
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68. Dylan Robinson, Washington
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77. Javan Robinson, Wisconsin
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78. Gavin Magorien, Michigan
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85, Kobe Asamoah, Rutgers
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91. Audavion Collins, Penn State
SEC
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1. Nyck Harbor, South Carolina
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5. Jayden Woods, Florida
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6. Arion Carter, Tennessee
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10. Colin Simmons, Texas
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13. Jackson Lloyd, Alabama
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14. Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
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23. Daniel Hill, Alabama
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26. Da'Shawn Womack, Auburn
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31. Anto Saka, Texas A&M
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32. London Humphreys, Georgia
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33. LJ McCray, Florida
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36. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
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38. Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama
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48. Byrum Brown, Auburn
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49. Deuce Alexander, Mississippi
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54. Bray Hubbard, Alabama
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59. Hayden Hansen, Oklahoma
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65. Quincy Rhodes Jr., Arkansas
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69. John Mateer, Oklahoma
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71. Mike Matthews, Tennessee
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94. Elijah Griffin, Georgia
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95. Jaray Bledsoe, Mississippi State
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SEC edges Big Ten in annual 'Freaks List' football rankings
