The Athletic's list of 101 freak athletes for the upcoming 2026 season, published on Monday, includes two Syracuse football linebackers, and nearly a third one.
They are sophomore Antoine Deslauriers, the Canadian product who was a freshman All-American for the Orange last year, and senior Chris D'Appolonia, an All-MAC performer in 2025 who transferred to SU from Toledo.
The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Deslauriers, last season, tied for the team lead in total tackles, with 60. He also had 2.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups as a freshman for the 'Cuse in 2025.
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 6-foot-3, 235-pound D'Appolonia moved from Toledo to Syracuse this past offseason alongside new SU defensive coordinator Vince Kehres, who previously held the same role with the Rockets. D'Appolonia, in 2025, registered 68 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, four pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Syracuse football linebackers are freak athletes.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic noted that D'Appolonia made the freaks list last year when he was at Toledo. According to The Athletic, D'Appolonia "vertical jumped 37 inches (up from 34 1/2 inches last year) and had a top speed of 21.67 mph this offseason. He also bench pressed 375 pounds (up 20 pounds), squatted 565 and cleaned 325."
Deslauriers, per Feldman, "bench pressed 390 pounds this offseason, squatted 500, vertical jumped 34 inches and hit 21.48 mph on the GPS." Deslauriers is a truly remarkable physical specimen, and he's a leader of the Orange program in 2026, having represented the team last month at the Atlantic Coast Conference's annual Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C.
A third Syracuse football linebacker, junior Jamie Tremble, was also under consideration for the 2026 freaks list, Feldman says. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Tremble committed to the 'Cuse in its 2024 class as a tight end but has since transitioned to linebacker.
Feldman writes that Tremble "hit 23 mph on the GPS to go with a 36-inch vert, 330-pound bench and 475-pound squat."
Kehres' linebackers will absolutely be a position group of strength for the 'Cuse defense in the 2026 campaign, which commences on Saturday, Sept. 5, when Syracuse football will host non-conference foe New Hampshire at the JMA Wireless Dome.
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