Trevin Wallace is one of college football's biggest "Freak" athletes

College football is loaded with freak athletes, but there are a select few that test the laws of just how athletic and “freakish” one individual can be.

Over at The Athletic, senior writer Bruce Feldman unveiled his college football “Freaks” list for the upcoming 2023 season. This is an exercise that Feldman has been doing for nearly 20 years now, dating back to his time writing at outlets such as ESPN, CBS, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, and now The Athletic. What started out as a list of college football’s 10 most impressive athletes has since turned into a yearly database with over 100 members every preseason.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Feldman has just one current Kentucky among his list of 101 “Freaks”, listing junior linebacker Trevin Wallace at No. 11. The former blue-chip recruit was recently tabbed as one of 51 players on the Butkus Award Watch List for the nation’s top linebacker. Wallace figures to play an important role in Kentucky’s defense this fall, in large part due to his physical traits.

“This guy was a huge get for Kentucky out of Jesup, Ga.,” Feldman wrote. “In 2021, he made the SEC’s All-Freshman team, and last year he posted 54 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks and intercepted two passes. The former high school track star — who once jumped 23-4 1/4 inches to break a school record that stood for 44 years and also won the state weightlifting title with a 335-pound power clean — is now up to 242 pounds, but still runs 22 MPH on the GPS and vertical-jumps 38.5 inches. His power clean is now up to 380 and he squats almost 600.”

The original idea of the College Football Freaks List was to spotlight the guys whose athleticism blew the minds of folks inside their own college football programs.

But over 20 years, it's evolved.

For the first time, a true freshman tops @BruceFeldmanCFB's list.

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 15, 2023

After playing a specialized role as a true freshman, Wallace was asked to carry a heavier workload last fall when DeAndre Square suffered an injury that sidelined him for more than a month. The true sophomore picked up the super senior’s slack and almost led the team in tackles. Wallace has already seen success on the field, but defensive coordinator Brad White believes there’s still plenty of room to grow.

“He’d be the first one to admit it. Now it’s about playing the linebacker position, not just being a great athlete and running around. He’s really starting to hone his eyes. It’s the nitty-gritty details,” White said earlier this month. “I’ve been pleased with his hand use, taking on blockers. He’s been more physical, which you need to be in our defense. His understanding of our defense — when I talk to him about scheme, big picture stuff, he can visualize it. That’s a big thing and he’s got that ability to not have to see it on a whiteboard. I can just describe something that’s happening and he can autocorrect from there.”

Expectations are high for the future NFL Draft pick.

Deone Walker didn’t make this list though — and for that, we now have beef with Mr. Feldman.