The making of a modern freak
Emmanuel Okoye, a Nigerian-born tight end who has reinvented himself as an edge rusher, cracked Bruce Feldman’s annual “freaks list” at No. 9, a ranking that highlights the most physically gifted players in college football.
Standing 6‑foot‑4 and weighing 247 pounds with a body‑fat percentage near 8 percent, Okoye blends size with lean muscle in a way that has drawn comparisons to the sport’s most iconic athletes.
His strength numbers are equally staggering: a 405‑pound bench press, a 500‑pound squat, a 365‑pound clean, a 42‑inch vertical leap and an 11‑foot broad jump, figures that place him among the most explosive prospects ever measured.
Coaches who have worked with him speak of “unlimited” athleticism; former Vols tight end Jacob Warren called him “one of the most athletic players I’ve ever seen,” while tight‑ends coach Alec Abeln described his abilities as “unparalleled.”
After a stint at Tennessee where he was shifted from tight end to edge during his final season and saw limited snaps because of his raw development, Okoye transferred to California, where new head coach Tosh Lupoi — who previously mentored similarly athletic linemen — is already planning to harness his freakish skill set.
Okoye’s rise also resonated beyond his own team; fellow Tennessee alumni Nico Iamaleava, now at UCLA, and Cam Seldon, now at USF, also appeared on Feldman’s list, underscoring a broader trend of explosive talent emerging from the program.