Three Wisconsin Badgers make The Athletic’s annual ‘freaks’ list in 2021
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman has released his annual ‘college football Freaks List’ for the 2021 season.
Three Wisconsin Badgers listed below made the list, a surprising tally given the program’s usual lack of five-star recruits and Derrick Henry-type high school talents.
I’m not using that as a slight against the program, the recruits they land just aren’t in the same ballpark physical than some of those from Alabama, Florida and the south.
Related: Opinion: It’s time for college football to get rid of the preseason AP Poll
Here are those three players and why Feldman included them in his extensive ranking:
No. 22: Wisconsin LB Leo Chenal
Credit: Wisconsin athletics
Here's what Feldman had to say:
"The 6-2, 255-pound junior (31 tackles, six TFLs in 2020) is one of eight Badgers who bench 400 pounds or more. Chenal does 420 and cleans 385. The big man clocked a 4.00 time in the pro agility and has hit a top speed of 20.95 MPH on the GPS. He’s also broad jumped 10-1. Technically, Chenal isn’t the strongest Chenal on the team — big brother John, a senior fullback, benches five pounds more and squats 620, but he isn’t quite as Freaky in terms of his speed and agility."
No. 63: Wisconsin DE Matt Henningsen
Credit - Kelli Steffes, UW Athletics
"Not only are the 6-3, 291-pounder’s test numbers dazzling, he’s phenomenal in the classroom too. Henningsen is a grad student in electrical engineering and had a 4.0 GPA as an undergrad. As for his Freak credentials, he’s vertical jumped 34.5-inches, broad jumped 9-10 1/2, power cleaned 410; back squatted 675 and reached 19.34 MPH on the GPS. Three years ago Henningsen became the first Wisconsin walk-on since at least 1990 to start a season opener as a freshman. In his career he has made 58 tackles, 7.5 TFLs and five sacks."
No. 87: Wisconsin P Andy Vujnovich
Wisconsin punter Andy Vujnovich punts during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Iowa, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
"The Badgers are so well-represented here, even their punter is a stud. A jacked 6-3, 230-pound dude who averaged 41.6 yards per punt in 2020, he’s here due to some crazy measurables: a 35-inch vert; a pro agility time quicker than most defensive backs (4.00 seconds); a 10-yard split of 1.54, and he benches 395."
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