Every year, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic publishes one of the must-read pieces for every football fan. Feldman’s annual “College Football Freaks” list documents the amazing physical attributes of many of the nation’s collegiate athletes.
While not always an indicator of actual football-playing ability, being included on the “Feldman Freaks” list, as it’s colloquially known, is a real asset for an NFL draft prospect. Along with many prodigiously athletic underclassmen, this year’s list is loaded with prominent 2024 draft prospects.
Here are a few prime prospects that Feldman spotlighted. It becomes quickly evident why the NFL scouts are high on these college athletes.
Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison Jr. enters the college season as my No. 1 overall prospect. Aside from being the son of a legendary NFL wideout and possessing incredible technical skills at the family position, Harrison is also a deserving physical inclusion on the “Freaks” list.
Here’s what Feldman noted about Harrison Jr., who was the No. 2 entry on this year’s Freaks:
At 6-4, 208, the son of a Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver is remarkably gifted. He has everything. He’s very strong — he bench presses 380 pounds and did 20 reps of 225 on the bench and squatted 500. He’s very explosive, having broad-jumped 10 feet 8, and he’s really sudden, having clocked a 3.94 in the shuttle and improved on his max velocity from last year, up to 23.5 MPH
Harrison projects as a potential top-5 overall pick in 2024, and his amazing athleticism is no small reason why.
Penn State OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu
The No. 4 overall prospect in the preseason prospect rankings here at Draft Wire, Fashanu might have been a top-20 overall pick had he entered the 2023 NFL draft. His technical savvy and footwork on the edge of the offensive line are already at professional caliber.
Fashanu is also an athletic freak. Here’s what Feldman wrote about No. 23 on his list,
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.
Iowa DB Cooper DeJean
DeJean earned the No. 5 spot on the preseason 2024 cornerback rankings with his playmaking ability and positional versatility for the Hawkeyes.
The Iowa CB earned the No. 14 spot on Feldman’s list with attributes that read like a dream for an outside cornerback,
The former high school quarterback (who also lettered three times in basketball, track and baseball each) won the Iowa state long jump title (23-7 1/2 inches) and 100 meters (11.16) and has continued to get more explosive since he’s been in college.
This offseason, he spent a week with NFL combine trainer Jordan Luallen, who clocked DeJean at 0.92 in his flying 10s and had him at 2.39 in his 20-yard sprint out of a two-point stance.
If DeJean plays as well as he did in 2022 and posts those athletic numbers at the combine, it’s very hard to see him not being a top-20 overall pick.
Florida State EDGE Jared Verse
Verse has a good chance to be the first defensive player selected in 2024. After transferring from Albany to Florida State, Verse showed power, speed, balance and the right amount of aggression.
About that power and speed…
At 6-3 1/2, 260 pounds, Verse power-cleans 360 pounds, squats 555 and benches 455, but he also has excellent burst, running 21.14 MPH in a game with a max acceleration of 5.85m/s with a max deceleration of -6.98m/s.
Verse is No. 26 on the Freaks list in 2023.
UCLA RB Carson Steele
Steele transferred from Ball State, where he thrived for the Cardinals in the MAC as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. With a more talented cast around him, the follically gifted RB can rise up the draft boards by proving he can make the jump up the CFB pecking order.
If he fails, it won’t be because of a lack of speed or strength. Steele checks in at No. 21 on Feldman’s list,
Steele, at 6-1, 233, has wowed his new teammates with his strength. He bench-pressed 450 pounds and squatted 685. His wheels have been impressive too, clocking 20.96 MPH and vertical-jumping 35 inches.
Oregon EDGE Brandon Dorlus
Before he announced he was returning to Oregon for a fifth season, Dorlus was a fixture in the top 75 projections for 2023. With another year to continue his transition into more of an EDGE from an interior line player, Dorlus could very well shoot into the first round if the production better matches his outrageous physical talents.
Those athletic gifts earned Dorlus the No. 51 spot on Feldman’s Freaks,
Dorlus, a 6-3, 290-pounder, has similar power numbers to Burch — a 685-pound back squat, a 685-pound sumo deadlift and a 345-pound power clean. He’s also almost as fast, hitting 20.75 MPH on the GPS.
Florida State WR Johnny Wilson
Wilson is the No. 7 wideout in our preseason rankings, but he’s upwardly mobile. After a decent first season at Florida State following a transfer from Arizona State, Wilson blurs the line between tight end and wide receiver physically–the size of a TE and the speed of a Z-receiver.
At almost 6 feet 7, 239 pounds, he has 36-inch arms, 10 1/4 inch hands and a standing reach of 8-10. He also has a 35.5 inch vertical and a 10-5 broad jump. In games, he’s topped out at 21.23 MPH with a max acceleration of 5.26 m/s and has a max deceleration of -7.21 m/s.
He’s No. 28 on Feldman’s Freaks list.
Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
Looking for a sleeper cornerback who could crack the top-50 overall next spring? Mitchell is a good candidate. A playmaker who has good games against Notre Dame and Ohio State on his Rockets resumé, Mitchell brings the impressive athleticism to rocket up (sorry) draft boards,
At a sturdy 6-0, 200, Mitchell bench-pressed 225 pounds 21 times, squatted 44 and had a top speed of 23.58 MPH on the GPS this summer. He also ran in the 40 in the 4.3s twice for NFL scouts this spring.
Mitchell is the best NFL prospect in the MAC entering the season and gets an early primetime game against Illinois to show once again he belongs with the bigger boys. He’s No. 46 on the Freaks list.
