South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor delivers a historic first for annual ‘Freaks’ list

College football insider Bruce Feldman released his 20th annual “Freaks List” on Tuesday.

He put South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor in the top slot again, making him the first back-to-back No. 1 “freak” in the list’s history.

Feldman, a national college football writer for The Athletic, has compiled this list of college football players with “freakish” athletic traits since 2005. Previous Gamecocks to make the list include quarterback Luke Doty in 2021 and Sadarius Hutcherson in 2019 and 2020. But neither of them held the top spot.

Harbor has now done so twice.

In 2023, Feldman said he believed Harbor was the first true freshman No. 1. In this year’s writeup, Feldman acknowledged Harbor’s relative lack of experience in the year since. The five-star receiver started five games last season, catching 12 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown, and didn’t go through spring practice with the team.

He spent time instead with the track team.

Listed at 6-foot-5, 242 pounds, Harbor ran a 10.1-seconds in the 100 and a 20.20 in the 200 during the outdoor season. He earned second-team All-American honors, despite running against athletes “who are 60 and 70 pounds lighter than him,” Feldman wrote.

“Harbor looks like a video game creation,” Feldman added, “which was backed up by EA Sports giving him the rare 99 speed and 99 acceleration rating.”

Harbor was with the track team full time until June. But he should step into a larger role this season, as the lone returning starter in USC’s receiver room.

“He’s worked hard to become a better wide receiver,” coach Shane Beamer told Feldman.