TheAthletic.com's Bruce Feldman releases a list of the 'top 50 freaks' in college football every year prior to the start of the season, and a Michigan Wolverines player topped this year's edition.
Senior defensive end Kwity Paye took the top slot on Feldman's 2020 list, thanks in large part to his speed in the three-cone drill, which the writer described as his 'freakiest attribute.'
"The Wolverines have a few special athletes on their defensive line ([junior] Aidan Hutchinson also possesses impressive agility for his size), but the 6-4, 271-pound Paye (50 tackles, 12.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks) has generated a lot of buzz among the NFL scouting community for some remarkable wheels," Feldman wrote.
"He clocked the second-best 3-cone time on the team at a blistering 6.37 seconds, which would have topped anyone at the 2020 combine. Paye’s 40 is also moving at 4.57, with a solid 34-inch vertical and 30 reps on the bench press.
"Paye’s 40 time and 4.15 pro shuttle time are better than any D-lineman or edge player who tested at the 2020 combine. His 11.3 time in the 60-yard shuttle is also elite. Paye, a former high school running back who reported to Ann Arbor at 228 pounds, was a member of a state championship 4×100 meter relay team in high school and also won a state title in the long jump, going 21 feet, 5 inches as a junior.
"He has a rare blend of strength, control and balance and his change of direction is probably even better than former Wolverine Freak [defensive end] Rashan Gary."
Gary grabbed Feldman's top spot on the list heading into the 2018 campaign, while another current Wolverine — redshirt sophomore defensive end Julius Welschof — actually checked in at No. 37 overall as a freshman on that year's edition as well.
Paye could have gone pro after the 2019 season ended, but decided to return to Ann Arbor for his senior campaign in 2020. He and Hutchinson are expected to make up one of the best defensive end duos in the nation next season, after the pair combined for 22.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks last year.
Senior wideout Nico Collins was the only other Wolverine player to make an appearance on Feldman's list, checking in at No. 47 overall. The writer cited the Birmingham, Ala., native's agility as the primary reason for his inclusion.
"[Michigan offensive coordinator] Josh Gattis has produced a bunch of big-time receivers over the past decade, and Collins is the latest in the pipeline," Feldman wrote. "Last season the Alabama native caught 37 passes for 729 yards with a team-leading seven touchdowns and 19.7 yards per catch.
"The 6-4, 222-pound senior is a very dynamic athlete, running the 40 in the 4.4s, and his coached rave about his toughness and body control."
Collins' 19.7 yards per catch were the second-best average in the Big Ten in 2020, and like Paye, he too could have left U-M early for the NFL but chose to come back for his senior year.
Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy had high praise for the wideout earlier this month in a tweet, when he explained why NFL scouts are already raving about him.
Another impressive trait surrounding Collins that will make him appealing to NFL organizations is his ball security; he has dropped just four passes while appearing in 25 games over the past two years.
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