6 Penn State players make Bruce Feldman’s “Freak List”
The athl;eticism on the Penn State roster is well recognized by those who pay close attention. And few pay closer attention to the freakish athletic nature of college football’s finest like Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. Feldman’s “Freak List” has developed a cult following of those who are big college football fans. For those unaware, Feldman has been creating this list for around 20 years that highlights the best athletes around college football.
Hence, the term “freak.”
Feldman started with 10 players he talked about every year, but the popularity has driven him to cover more players. Coaches, teammates, parents, scouts and agents will contact him to let him know about someone who he should look at for the list.
This year, Feldman’s “Freak List” has 101 names on it with six players from Penn State getting highlighted for their athleticism. Here is where they are ranked on his list. You can view the full list of Feldman’s college football freaks for 2023 via The Athletic.
Chop Robinson: No. 9
As if Penn State wasn’t happy enough Chop Robinson immediately performed after getting him from the transfer portal, he comes into 2023 inside the top 10 on the “Freak List.”
“So the Nittany Lions have an incredibly explosive 250-pound guy with blazing speed, great strength and Freakish agility. Yeah, we remember a guy like that who came out of Happy Valley … The 6-3, 254-pound junior is a little bigger than Parsons, and almost as fast. He clocked a 4.47 40 this offseason and ran a quicker shuttle, 4.22. He also broad-jumped 10-7 and bench-pressed 400 pounds.”
Just comparing Robinson to Micah Parson physically is wild. Then realizing that he surpasses him in certain things is insane to think about.
Jordan van den Berg: No. 15
Did anyone even consider Jordan van den Berg when thinking about the best athletes in the program? It’s certainly not a name that immediately comes to mind, but make no mistake, the defensive tackle is about as physically gifted as they come.
“He puts up Freaky numbers in the weight room. This offseason, he benched 455, cleaned 380 and back-squatted 690, but it’s the combination of that strength with his agility numbers that forced his way onto this list. He was clocked at 4.74 in the 40 and his shuttle time of 4.20 might be even more impressive. He also vertical-jumped 31 inches and broad-jumped 9-2.”
Olu Fashanu: No. 23
Considering that Olu Fashanu will likely be the number one offensive tackle drafted in the upcoming NFL Draft, it was hard to believe that he wouldn’t be featured on this list. He has incredible agility to go along with his size and has scouts at the next level fawning at the idea of selecting him for their team.
“However, the towering 6-6, 320-pounder from Washington, D.C., had a terrific year on the field and an impressive one off it, running a 4.97 40 this offseason and had a 4.63 shuttle time. That 40 time would’ve tied for best at the NFL combine among all the offensive linemen there. Fashanu, who attributes his agility to all the time he spent playing basketball growing up, also bench-pressed 405 pounds, squatted 605 and power-cleaned 350 clean.”
Nick Singleton: No. 31
There was a lot of hype surrounding the five-star freshman last season. It’s fair to say Nick Singleton exceeded those expectations and is ready to take college football by storm. He made multiple preseason award watch lists as he gets ready to take his game to the next level this season.
“When legit coaches start comparing you to Adrian Peterson, you know you’ve got a special talent … At 228 pounds, Singleton ran a 4.39 40 this offseason and also had a 4.18 shuttle; a 10-0 broad but also power-cleaned 385 pounds and bench-pressed 425 bench.”
The reports from Penn State insiders throughout the offseason is that Singleton looks even better physically than he did last year when he rushed for over 1,000 yards and set a program record for rushing touchdowns as a freshman (12). He’ll be on this list the next season as a junior.
Zane Durant: No. 38
Zane Durant is ready to take the next step after his freshman season where he made five tackles and recorded a sack. He’s a short, explosive defensive tackle that has drawn comparisons to Pittsburgh alum Calijah Kansey, who was taken in the first of the 2023 NFL Draft.
“Durant is about 6-1, 284 pounds and clocked a 4.66 40 this offseason. Durant has generated some big buzz inside the Nittany Lions’ program and we can see why. He ran a 4.44 shuttle and broad-jumped 9-10 to go with a 425-pound bench. Big-time numbers all around, especially for someone who has only had one full year in a college weight program.”
Abdul Carter: No. 43
If Abdul Carter is ranked sixth on the list of best athletes inside the program, there are some special players at Penn State. The linebacker was a revelation as a true freshman and has put his name on the map coming into his sophomore season.
“How special does Penn State think Carter is? They gave him No. 11 … Carter flashed spectacular talent as a true freshman, making 10.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks and breaking up four passes. At 6-3, 250, Carter clocked a 4.48 40, had a 4.35 shuttle and broad-jumped 10-7. He also power-cleaned 350.”
