On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman released his annual “Freaks” list.
According to Feldman, the list is compiled of “the players who generate buzz inside their programs by displaying the unique physical abilities that wow even those who observe gifted athletes every day.”
In other words, these are the guys that jump off the screen. The types of players that NFL scouts can’t get enough of come draft season.
LSU DL Maason Smith made the list, coming in at 12.
Feldman said that Smith hit 19.5 MPH on the GPS this summer and has an 11-foot vertical.
This is a guy who’s listed at 6’5′ and 300 lbs. on LSU’s website. To have that type of athletic ability with that size gives him a chance to do some disruptive things on a football field.
As a freshman, Smith tallied 16 pressures and four sacks despite playing in just nine games. He showed an ability to play all over the line, lining up inside and at defensive end. He has the chance to be a physical force in 2022.
The defensive line should be the strength of LSU’s defense this fall. Along with Smith, the unit is led by B.J. Ojulari and Jaquelin Roy. Transfer Mekhi Wingo, who like Smith, was a freshman last fall, has a chance to be a big contributor as well.