The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman released his 20th annual “Freaks List” on Tuesday. Besides shining a light on even more genetic marvels, the 2024 edition featured a first for the ongoing series: the first athlete to land at No. 1 in back-to-back years. South Carolina WR Nyck Harbor now has more spots on the Freaks List (2) than collegiate touchdowns (1), but if he is as much of a mutant as Feldman says he is, that should quickly this season.
South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor Becomes First Back-to-Back No. 1 on Freaks List
As a true freshman, Harbor only caught 12 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. However, his slow start as a pass catcher shouldn’t have been a surprise. Over his final two high school seasons, he posted a 31-729-10 receiving line as a tight end, doing most of his damage on the defensive side of the ball.
As a defensive end, Harbor generated 22.5 sacks across his junior and senior seasons, leading to back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year in the District of Columbia honors. But the 6’5″, 242-pounder’s dominance on the football field isn’t the only reason why Feldman has him so high on his list.
Harbor swept the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the 2021 and 2022 state high school meets, setting the state records in both events. He hasn’t stopped running either, spending the spring with South Carolina’s track team.
“In 20 years of the Freaks List, Harbor is our first back-to-back No. 1 player,” Feldman wrote. “The 6-5, 242-pound sophomore, who turned 19 in July, cemented his status on this list when he ran a 10.1 100 and 20.20 in the 200 for the Gamecocks’ track team, earning second-team All-America honors. Despite being as big as some defensive linemen, Harbor is ridiculously fast.
“As one track coach reminded me, Harbor is competing in NCAA track meets against athletes who are 60 and 70 pounds lighter than him. Harbor looks like a video game creation, which was backed up by EA Sports giving him the rare 99 speed and 99 acceleration rating.”
In last year’s Freaks List, Feldman spoke with South Carolina TEs coach Jody Wright, who coached in the NFL and at Alabama. When asked how Harbor compared to the players Wright has worked with, he said, “I would say a taller Julio [Jones] with a Derrick Henry-type build is a great comparison. He has the potential to develop into a mismatch nightmare with his size and speed.”
The fact that Harbor is two inches taller than Jones and the same weight Henry was with the Crimson Tide boggles the mind, especially when you add in the fact that his 100 time in high school was almost a full second faster than both of theirs.
Harbor is still raw as a receiver — hence his middling stats, despite playing in 12 games and starting five — but he’ll have every chance to hit the ground running in 2024 as the only returning starter in the room.
With explosive dual-threat QB LaNorris Sellers under center and Arkansas transfer RB Raheim “Rocket” Sanders in the backfield, the Gamecocks own one of the most athletically gifted offensive trios in the nation.
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Yet, like Harbor, Sellers is inexperienced, having sat behind Spencer Rattler in 2023. But what he did in his minimal action should have fans on the edge of their seats: 4 of 4 passing for 86 yards and two TDs while rushing five times for 51 yards and a score.
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