Every year as athletes continue to get stronger, faster, and more explosive than we’ve seemingly seen before, it’s easy to call a player an athletic freak. While all of the players we watch on Saturdays in college football are incredible athletes, there’s a rare level of athlete we get to see from time to time that instantly stands out.
One of the best moments in every offseason is when The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman releases his annual “College football Freaks List” which highlights the biggest freak athletes in the sport. On Monday, Feldman released his 2026 list with one of Oregon’s X-Factors for the season standing out.
Devon Jackson earns place on Bruce Feldman’s Freak List with key trait
On Monday, Bruce Feldman released his 2026 edition of his Freaks List where linebacker Devon Jackson ranked 11th of 101 players mentioned.
A 6-6, 235-pound WR with an 82 1/2-inch wingspan who runs a 10.1 100M? A 327-pound DT who hit almost 21 MPH?!? And Jeremiah Smith clocked WHAT this off-season?!?
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) August 10, 2026
The 2026 Freaks List--free story link:https://t.co/90kVc9uzfq pic.twitter.com/uP53xYrnAe
The biggest reason for Devon Jackson making the list, and ranking so high was his blazing speed as Feldman declared him the fastest linebacker in college football. Jackson’s high school track background was highly mentioned, but it appears he still has that track speed as Feldman reports that Jackson reached 24 MPH on the GPS tracker this offseason, the fastest of any player The Athletic has heard about.
Coming into the season, one of the biggest holes for the Oregon Ducks to fill is the massive void left behind by Bryce Boettcher’s departure. While Jackson received a ton of playing time last season, the Ducks are going to need him to hit another level if the defense is going to live up to the potential of being the Nation’s best.
Last season, Devon Jackson racked up 41 tackles which was a step back from the 47 tackles and 1.5 sacks he posted in 2024. Stepping into a bigger role will only lead to Jackson’s tackle numbers jumping up, but the defense needs him to record sacks when he’s blitzed, and to use that blazing speed to make plays in coverage.
The Oregon defense has a loaded defensive line, and the secondary has the potential to be one of the Nation’s best with Brandon Finney Jr and Koi Perich leading the group. The linebacker core on paper looks like the weakest part of the defense, but with the potential of Jackson, and Dan Lanning’s background, there’s a great chance that the duo in the middle rounds into form in 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google