9/25/2015 football Edit

First 10: Physical freaks

Woody Wommack

Football Recruiting Analyst

Any look at Rivals250, a list of the nation's best football prospects, will produce some eye-popping measurements. But even among the elite talents, there is a different tier of player. We're talking about guys that are in high school but look like they could easily be on a college roster or perhaps even an NFL roster. These players draw plenty of praise from talent evaluators, with the term "physical specimen" one that is thrown out often. Another word coaches and evaluators use is "freak," but when it's used in this context, it's very much a compliment. Here's a look at the top 10 physical freaks in the 2016 class.

At 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds, Cleveland looks like he could easily be cast as "The Mountain" on Game of Thrones. While he prefers his battles on the football field instead of Westeros, a physical build like his is rare to find, even in college football, let alone in a small town in rural Georgia. Bulldogs fans are hoping Cleveland's physical potential translates to early playing time on the field once he arrives in Athens.

-- Woody Wommack, Southeast analyst

Drake Davis

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

Davis took a year off football to concentrate on soccer and track, but has had no problem shaking off the rust as a senior. Davis, who has impressive size (6-4, 212) and even more impressive speed, contributes in the return game and at wide receiver for IMG. Ole Miss leads for Davis, who retains tremendous versatility for a player with such a long frame.

-- Rob Cassidy, Southeast analyst

Kyle Davis

Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer

When I first saw Davis in the summer of 2013, I assumed he was a rising senior. Little did I know that Davis had just finished his freshman year. He already had the look of a college prospect. As the years have gone along, Davis has only gotten bigger and stronger, and now stands 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. His physicality and strength is one of the things that makes him so hard for smaller defensive backs to deal with.

-- Wommack

Daelin Hayes

Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline

When Hayes first rose to five-star status, he had only a handful of varsity games under his belt. What he did have, though, was a rare combination of size and athleticism. This past spring, we measured Hayes at 6-foot-3 and 254 pounds -- huge for a high school linebacker prospect. And yet, when considering who to compare his game to, the best answer is probably Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith, a player known for his range and ability to play in space. Hayes' speed and coverage skills from the linebacker position defy his measurables, and make him one of the most impressive physical specimens in the 2016 class.

-- Josh Helmholdt, Midwest analyst

Kendell Jones

Killeen (Texas) Shoemaker

They call Jones 'the Hulk', and it is easy to see why he earned his nickname. At 6-foot-4 and 350 pounds, Jones looks like he does not have an ounce of fat on his bones. He is sheer intimidation walking off the bus, and it does not stop there. Once he steps on the field, he tends to smash his opponents on a regular basis.

-- Jason Howell, Mid-South analyst

Mique Juarez

Torrance (Calif.) North

Juarez is a hitting machine on defense and has tremendous athleticism and speed to play sideline-to-sideline. The top player in California can come up, fill the hole and make a devastating hit or he can track players down because of his speed and versatility. He also plays quarterback in high school and BYU likes him at that position -- it compared him to Taysom Hill -- so Juarez really brings a whole lot to the table.

-- Gorney

DeKaylin Metcalf

Oxford, Miss.

Metcalf's height is striking. The four-star receiver is all of 6-foot-4 and carries some solid thickness as well. But while his frame is the first thing people notice, the fact that he glides around like a prospect of much slighter stature is what makes him special. The only knock on Metcalf, an Ole Miss commit, is just how fast he is on the top end, but his combination of size and agility make him a hyper-impressive physical specimen.

-- Cassidy

Isaac Nauta

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

Nauta is another big body that retains the dexterity of a smaller man. A rare five-star prospect at the tight end position, players of Nauta's great size (6-4, 235) don't usually come with his suddenness or burst of speed. Add in the fact that the IMG tight end has extremely reliable hands, and it's easy to figure out what sets him apart.

-- Cassidy

Rahshaun Smith

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

Smith might be the most imposing-looking prospect on a team full of freak athletes. He appears to be college-ready from a physical standpoint and carries next to no bad weight. Smith, a one-time Clemson commit, is considering a multitude of schools, including Maryland. Whichever programs lands the 230-pound linebacker shouldn't have to wait long for him to contribute on Saturdays in the fall.

-- Cassidy