Let’s start with the college football freaks.
Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List is back, and as always, it’s doing more than just bragging on the strongest, fastest and strangest athletes in the sport. This thing has become a yearly signal that football season is creeping closer, and it still does what it’s always done best: give coaches and staff a chance to shine a light on the guys they think deserve it. That includes players from every level, not just the obvious future NFL names.
South Carolina wideout Nyck Harbor is back at the top of the conversation. He’s the first player in the history of the Freaks list to sit at No. 1 in back-to-back years, and after dropping to No. 3 last year, he’s back in the top spot again.
Harbor is 6-foot-6, around 240 pounds and runs for the track team. Bruce reported he hit 23.8 mph during offseason workouts this summer.
The polish still needs work, but the physical tools are obvious.
The Gamecocks have three players on the list: Harbor, edge Dylan Stewart at No. 14 and quarterback LaNorris Sellers at No. 36. If South Carolina is on and you’re nearby this fall, it sounds like a team worth watching.
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith shows up too, though it almost feels too easy to mention him. He has already looked like the best wide receiver in college football since arriving in Columbus, and Bruce flat-out calls him the best player in the country, bar none. Smith is the centerpiece of the preseason No. 1 team, and he’s said he got faster this offseason, which feels unfair.
Then there’s my favorite kind of Freaks List entry: the one that makes you stop and smile. Harding University fullback Andrew Miller checks in at No.
- He ran for 2,000 yards last year and posted a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash.
The fullback label may be a little misleading in a wishbone offense, but the profile is still outrageous. Miller looks like a player who can make an NFL roster, and he also catches snakes in his free time.
Elsewhere, the sports world had no shortage of news.
Legendary NBA coach Don Nelson died yesterday at 86, his family announced. Nelson won five titles as a Celtics player and later built his coaching legacy with “Nellie Ball,” a style that fits right into today’s NBA with its pace and smaller lineups designed to outrun opponents. He finished as the second-winningest coach in league history.
In the WNBA, Kayla McBride made history. The Lynx guard drilled 10 3-pointers in Minnesota’s 103-90 win over Dallas last night, setting the league record for most triples in a game. She finished with 43 points, which is also the franchise record for points in a game.
There was also a milestone on a different kind of court for Hezly Rivera, who repeated as U.S. gymnastics champ yesterday. She became the first woman since Simone Biles to do it.
And it was a rough day for some major tennis names. Jannik Sinner withdrew from the Cincinnati Open, Aryna Sabalenka was upset at the Canadian Open and Alexandra Eala’s run at the Canadian Open came to an end.
In soccer, 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan, the Philadelphia Union standout who is set to join Manchester City when he turns 18, scored once and assisted on another last night.
Demi Vollering won the Tour de France Femmes after a huge attack on the final stage.
One of the stranger stories of the weekend came from golf. Mike Trout took his Angels teammates to his private club in New Jersey on Aug. 3 for a bonding round, and four of them got traded while they were out there. That’s about as cursed as a day can get.
And if you needed one more absurd athletic feat, Stephen Biebelhausen ran a mile in 4:17 in Cleveland over the weekend during the Guardian Mile race while pushing a stroller. That effort earned him the men’s Guinness World Record for fastest mile run with a stroller. The baby was along for the ride, naturally.
On the schedule tonight, the Phillies visit the Cardinals at 7:45 p.m. ET on FS1, with Philadelphia hanging onto the final NL wild-card spot and St.
Louis sitting 3 1/2 games back at 59-59. The WNBA matchup to watch is Tempo at Dream at 8 p.m.
ET on Peacock and NBC Sports Network, with Atlanta 7-3 in its last 10 and right in the middle of a crowded race from seeds No. 3 through 8.
Around the edges, Brooks Koepka is out of the FedEx Cup playoffs after Michael Brennan won the Wyndham Championship, Teddy Bridgewater has left the Lions, Chris Sale was ejected yesterday before the first pitch on a day he wasn’t even starting, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan was spotted at LIV’s tournament yesterday despite PIF pulling funding for the league.
In Other News...
South Carolinas Early Read On Neff Giwa Could Surprise Gamecocks Fans
Neff Giwas arrival in South Carolina football has already added a different kind of intrigue to the preseason mix. A former rugby player from Ireland, Giwa is working through his early practices with the Gamecocks and drawing notice for the athletic traits that helped get him here, while teammate Nolan Hay has been helping him learn the basics of the game as he settles into a new sport and a new system.
For a roster looking to find useful pieces wherever they can, Giwas development is worth watching even if his path is still in the early stages. Shane Beamer has pointed to his potential value, and the most immediate opening may come away from the offensive line rather than in a starting role, which makes the next few weeks a test of how quickly he can translate raw ability into something South Carolina can actually use. [Read more 🡒]
Gamecocks Defense Is Setting A Tone Fans Will Want To See
South Carolinas preseason camp has already started to develop a reputation for the kind of edge Shane Beamer would want carrying over into August and beyond. With the first scrimmage of the month set for Williams-Brice Stadium, players around the offense have been talking about how the defense is bringing a physical, competitive tone to practice, the sort of early camp energy that can sharpen both sides of the ball.
Offensive lineman Nolan Hay and tight ends Maurice Brown and Brady Hunt have each pointed to several defensive teammates who have stood out for their play and intensity. For a Gamecocks roster still sorting itself out in camp, that kind of internal pressure can be a good sign, especially if the defense keeps forcing the offense to match its level once the action moves into a more game-like setting. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina May Have An Under The Radar Answer At Safety
David Bucey has been one of the quieter names in South Carolinas preseason camp, but his rise has been hard to miss inside the program. Head coach Shane Beamer and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray have both pointed to Buceys toughness and steady development, and thats helped his standing as he pushes for a bigger defensive role. After spending the last two seasons mostly on special teams, he has already appeared in every game the Gamecocks have played over that stretch, which has made him a familiar and trusted piece in the lineup.
What makes Bucey worth watching now is how much more there appears to be on the table for him. His responsibilities have grown on both defense and special teams, and that broader workload suggests South Carolina sees a player ready for more than the niche role he has filled so far. With camp still sorting out the back end of the defense, Bucey has positioned himself as a legitimate option in the mix, and the coming weeks will show just how far that climb can go. [Read more 🡒]