The Athletic names two UCLA players to annual college football 'Freaks List'
College football has long been ruled by those who assert their dominance physically.
Every summer, a handful of those "freaks" get recognized for their athletic gifts before they get a chance to demonstrate them on Saturdays.
Expanding upon his normal list of 50 student-athletes, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman composed a list of 101 college football players who stand out the most for their unique physical traits with help from players, coaches and sports information directors around the country. The 2021 list, published Monday, had two UCLA players holding down spots – tight end Mike Martinez at No. 16 and defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia at No. 57.
Martinez is the highest-ranked Bruin on Feldman's preseason "freaks" list since Jaelan Phillips was the No. 8 player on the 2018 list.
Even though he likely won't get as many snaps or targets as Greg Dulcich, Martinez is certainly primed to take on a bigger receiving role than he had the past two seasons. He has totaled just 70 yards and one touchdown on six catches in his UCLA career, mostly relying on his blocking skills to get him playing time.
Still, Feldman detailed each and every one of his special physical traits and why they set him apart so much on the field:
A true Freak with ridiculously long arms. Our old line for the 6-6, 272-pound tight end: His arms are so long that he could tie his shoes while standing up. Martinez’s actual arm length is 36 inches, and his wingspan is 86 inches. He bench presses 350 pounds. He wears a size 19 shoe. But the biggest reason he’s a fixture on this list is his enormous hands, measuring 12 ½ inches across. (Five years ago, DeForest Buckner tied an NFL combine record for hand size established by former Boston College offensive lineman Gosder Cherilus at 11 ¾.) This offseason, Martinez’s athleticism has made a big step forward as well, showing much better burst, clocking a 4.9 40.
With such long arms and big hands, Martinez has one of the best catch radii in the nation. He puts it on display on the regular, including during Sunday's practice when he made this one-handed snag down the sideline.
Martinez also made the 2020 list at No. 44.
Ogbonnia replaced former teammate Osa Odighizuwa on the "freaks" list, the latter of which came in at No. 22 in 2020. Ogbonnia is 2 inches taller and 44 pounds heavier than Odighizuwa was, and he can squat and bench about the same amounts.
Here's an excerpt from Feldman on how Ogbonnia's powerlifting and track & field past give him such a unique skillset:
A nationally ranked shot putter, the 6-4, 323-pound Texan decided to focus on football in the spring and not compete for the Bruins track team, and UCLA coaches say he’s primed for a huge year anchoring their defense. In 2020, he had 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks but has shown he’s embracing the leadership role with Osa Odighizuwa gone to the NFL. Ogbonnia, who had powerlifted in high school, squatted 685 pounds this offseason and benched 440, which is even more impressive when you consider he has an 82-inch wingspan and really long arms. He is a huge, explosive man with rare quickness for someone that size.
Ogbonnia spoke to the media Wednesday about that time he squatted 683 pounds, and he admitted once you hit that mark, there's not point in pushing yourself any further after a certain point.
This is actually a return to freak-dom for Ogbonnia, who ranked No. 36 in 2019 before getting dropped from the 2020 rendition.
Other than maybe backup 6-foot-7, 310-pound tackle Lucas Gramlick and 6-foot-6 fifth-string quarterback Parker McQuarrie, there weren't many notable UCLA absences from the rest of Feldman's 2021 "freaks" list.
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