Kwity Paye is #1 on Bruce Feldman's 2020 "Freaks List"

Submitted by Magnus on July 21st, 2020 at 11:33 AM

Bruce Feldman posted his "Freaks List" on The Athletic, and Kwity Paye is #1 on the list. He runs like a defensive back at 6'4" and 271 lbs. I won't steal the whole thing, but go ahead and click over: LINK.

Nico Collins also appears on the list at #47.

Also, I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know there was a guy named Racey McMath.

ThePonyConquerer

July 21st, 2020 at 11:38 AM ^

If there’s a season, Kwity should have a good one.

Also Racey McMath sounds like a name from a flash game on ‘cool math games’.

MichiganTeacher

July 21st, 2020 at 5:36 PM ^

I agree; he will likely get the Gary treatment.

For a lot of reasons, I don't like that. A) I wonder if someone who is more of a roleplayer (obviously a tremendous athlete, but not the #1 freak) could do the anchor job 90-95% as well - while Paye could star at WDE or somewhere else and make plays that no one else could. B) It's good for recruiting to get guys with gaudy numbers. C) It's good for team morale to have guys with gaudy numbers.

Football is far from my main sport, so I don't know. Hard to argue with Don Brown. But I wonder.

Broken Brilliance

July 21st, 2020 at 11:44 AM ^

Hoping for some big victories to send kwity off to the league (perhaps Aidan, too).

After yesterday's Ojabo news, I'm very relieved that the team will have some depth at the end position. (Looking at you, Vilain).

dragonchild

July 21st, 2020 at 12:03 PM ^

Am I mixing up my D-linemen, or was Paye not "freakishly" athletic?  IIRC he graded out as "very, very good at the job, but not a play-destroying monster".

MGoStrength

July 21st, 2020 at 12:06 PM ^

Just hoping he gets a senior year.  Do we think if there is no 2020 season will guys get another year of eligibility?

Magnus

July 21st, 2020 at 12:30 PM ^

At the very least, someone like Nico Collins, Kwity Paye, etc. should get a fifth year of eligibility. Those guys were in the class of 2017, so they're only in year four.

I think the NCAA would rule like they did in the spring, allowing schools to offer another year of eligibility to players who missed out on baseball, track, etc. That doesn't mean every player/school will use that added year (for example, I bet Collins would go to the NFL instead of coming back in 2021).

MGoStrength

July 21st, 2020 at 3:52 PM ^

That doesn't mean every player/school will use that added year (for example, I bet Collins would go to the NFL instead of coming back in 2021).

Yeah, agreed.  I can see Nico leaving for the NFL, but Kwity doesn't seem like a round 1-2 pick like Nico.  I'm just hoping none of the up and coming Jrs like Hutchinson, McGrone, Mayfield, etc. go early.  If the worst thing UM loses is Nico and OSU is looking at losing 2/3 of their starting depth chart, UM may actually have a shot in 2021.  Then again, maybe a bunch of highly ranked 2nd year guys who have never played a college snap may still beat us :/

MGoStrength

July 23rd, 2020 at 11:34 AM ^

In addition to Fields, you'd have to think Olave, Myers, Davis, & Wade are gone too as all are likely round 1-2 projections.  After that Cooper, Munford, Sermon, and Farrell are already in their 5th year. Borland, Werner, Garrett, Browning, & Williamson are seniors.  And, Vincent, Togai, Tyreke Smith, Ruckert, and Proctor are probably projecting as round 2-3 picks.  It's quite possible OSU could lose 10-15 starters.  That's the good news. 

The bad news is rising freshman won't be 18 years old any longer.  Guys like Paris Johnson, Fleming, Smith-Njigba, Henry, etc. And, rising sophomores like Vimai, Friday, Harrison, etc. are all top recruits waiting to replace them.  But, the biggest thing is they will have a 2nd year QB who's never played a college snap, likely either Stroud or Miller.  If we actually bring everyone back minus Nico and get them at home, I suddenly like our chances a lot better.

CWoodIsMyBoiii

July 21st, 2020 at 12:20 PM ^

Did this surprise anyone else?  I guess I've always thought of Kwity as a really good college player who does what is asked of him but doesn't jump off the screen.  I guess I need to pay more attention to the young man! 

tspoon

July 21st, 2020 at 1:13 PM ^

Yes!  Like Alain Kashama coming out of nowhere as a fifth year senior for two of his career 5.5 sacks in the '03 game against OSU.  That type of thing is never forgotten.

 

(full disclosure, I did have to look up the 5.5 career total ... but I sure remember the sacks versus OSU!)

 

Qmatic

July 21st, 2020 at 1:50 PM ^

If they stay healthy, Hutch and Paye can be as good and dare a say, maybe even better, than Winovich & Gary and Taco & Wormley.

We have had some fantastic DE combos in Harbaugh’s tenure

Blake Forum

July 21st, 2020 at 4:20 PM ^

Hugely underrated player. I hope he gets to play this year, has a monster season, and helps shut down worries about recruiting three-star sleepers from the Northeast

SirBentham

July 21st, 2020 at 10:15 PM ^

While I wish it were true, there is no way that 6.37 3-cone time is real. That would be the 2nd fastest of all time at the NFL combine - at any position, never mind DE/DL. 

that's basically a 50" vertical.

This is silly.