College football's most athletic big man, plus six Coaches Poll takeaways

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At present in faculty soccer information, it’s hoodie season someplace.

Tremendous Freaks: Massive dudes shifting very quickly

that particular second every year whenever you step exterior and scent soccer? Not a soccer, which you’ll be able to scent at any time, in the event you personal one. However soccer itself, the religious factor. It smells like no matter form of grass is smelliest in your space every fall.

This week, the web obtained a whiff of your space’s soccer grass when Bruce Feldman’s twenty first annual Freaks Checklist arrived, showcasing faculty soccer’s 101 present most farfetched athletes.

Ohio State’s 19-year-old Jeremiah Smith (sure, we’re going to maintain mentioning his age till he turns 20 on the day the Buckeyes play Michigan) takes the highest spot, unseating South Carolina’s literal monitor star, Nyck Harbor, who final 12 months turned the checklist’s first-ever repeat No. 1. I requested Bruce how shut Harbor got here to pulling off a three-peat:

“The highest three had been fairly shut in my thoughts. Harbor’s clearly blazing quick, and 20 kilos heavier and a bit of taller than Smith (who’s stronger, doing 20 reps of 225 and probably the most dominant participant within the nation).

“Then there’s Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor, who I had a tough time not placing at No. 2. Being that giant at 6-7, 366 and having tremendous power is one factor, however to vertical bounce 32 inches, which is as excessive or greater than a bunch of large receivers on the NFL mix this 12 months, and he broad jumped 9-3. When Chad Johnson was on the mix, he solely did 9-0.

“I feel I might’ve had the highest three in any order and felt fairly good about it.”

Every time I learn these lists, I all the time deal with the feats achieved by the hugest people, the Dontari Poes and Jordan Davises. And yeah, the 366-pound Proctor’s reported 32-inch vert would tie that of 2022 first-rounder Chris Olave (187 kilos), and his 111-inch broad bounce would beat that of 2018 first-rounder Calvin Ridley (190 kilos). This man is Thor! Think about outjumping individuals half your dimension! Certain, that’s not exhausting to think about for me, as a result of individuals half my dimension are center schoolers. However you already know what I imply. Truly, now I’m not sure what number of center schoolers I can outjump. Time to line up towards some nephews.

A lot extra in the 101-player Freaks Checklist, together with the Columbus-based Smith leveling up by surrendering meals on the Columbus-based Wendy’s.

Fast Snaps

Rankings! Six notes on the Coaches Ballot

Yesterday, the 2025 Coaches Ballot debuted with No. 1 Texas among the many nation-leading 9 SEC groups in the total 25.

1. Enjoyable reality! That is Texas’ first-ever preseason No. 1 in both the AP or Coaches. Wait, first ever? That’s kinda humorous, contemplating all these years of everybody worrying in regards to the media supposedly overrating the Longhorns every season, proper? (Texas has began at No. 2 in every ballot a bunch of instances, most just lately 2009.)

2. So far as the Coaches Ballot is anxious, the season’s first full Saturday (Aug. 30) will function No. 1 Texas at No. 2 Ohio State in a CFP semifinal rematch. We’ll wait to see if the extra prestigious and authoritative AP Prime 25 follows go well with subsequent week earlier than we dial up the scoreboard tickers, however this recreation might be the first-ever Week 1 assembly between the AP’s No. 1 and No. 2, although a number of have occurred in Week 2 earlier than … and Week 1 is kinda Week 2 lately, now that Week 0 exists. 💫

Talking of Week 0, it’ll have an all-ranked matchup (per the Coaches, a minimum of) for the primary time since 1983’s Nebraska win over Penn State: No. 20 Kansas State vs. No. 21 Iowa State in Dublin’s O’Farmageddon. Eighteen days.

3. Whereas we’re at it, let’s preserve treating the Coaches as a preview of the AP. If each polls find yourself matching, we’d see (per Sports activities Reference’s AP database):

No. 3 Penn State’s highest AP preseason rating since 1997, No. 11 Arizona State’s since 1998, No. 12 Illinois’ since 1990 and No. 16 SMU’s since 1985 …
… plus No. 8 Alabama’s lowest since 2008, Nick Saban’s second season. Put together for No person Believed In The Tide.

4. The principle shock for me: Oklahoma within the Coaches’ unofficial No. 26 spot, down within the Others Receiving Votes shadow realm. Numerous laptop rankings venture the reworked Sooners about 10 spots greater, and so they’re in our checklist of 11 unranked groups that might make the CFP.

5. Facet notes relating to each August’s discussions in regards to the existence of preseason rankings:

Tens of millions of individuals care about them, in order that they exist. Kinda like “Jurassic Park” sequels.
Regardless of widespread fears, they really don’t seem to influence CFP rankings, primarily based on a four-year evaluation I did some time again. (There’s additionally a typical notion that these polls are all rigged to place larger spotlights on upcoming video games. If that had been the case, we might’ve had No. 1 vs. No. 2 video games in opening weekends prior to now.)
They’re traditionally invaluable. For example, they offer us a fast snapshot of precisely which groups had been thought-about the favorites in every season. (Throughout every season, in addition they empower you to mock your overrated rival for going from the highest 10 to not talked about in any respect. And doesn’t that alone justify preseason rankings?)

6. Most significantly, somebody gave Buffalo a No. 25 vote. Hey, the reigning Bahamas Bowl champs principally weathered the portal! This vote would possibly or may not have come from the workplace of Pete Lembo, Buffalo head coach.

Full Coaches Ballot right here, ICYMI.