Penn State Sports Magazine
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1 2 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M O ne of the clearest signs every August that the college foot- ball season is just around the corner is Bruce Feldman's annual Freaks List for The Athletic. Feldman, a longtime college foot- ball writer who doubles as a sideline reporter for FOX, has been curating and publishing his list of the sport's "strongest, fastest and most physi- cal players" since 2005. Penn State players have long been part of Feld- man's project, which started out as a top 10 and is now a top 100. This year is no different. Five Nittany Lions made the 2025 list, beginning with senior defen- sive tackle Zane Durant. The third- year starter checks in at No. 8 on a rundown that begins with Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 1. This year marks the third time that the Penn State veteran has made the cut. He was No. 18 in 2024 and No. 38 in 2023. While shouting out Durant, Feld- man also highlighted a younger defensive tackle in position coach Deion Barnes' room. "In 2024, Durant had 42 tackles, 11 TFLs and three sacks," Feldman noted. "The 6-1, 290-pound senior from Florida has run a 4.66 40 and hit a max velocity of 21.1 mph. He clocked a 4.43 shuttle time, broad-jumped 9-10 and vertical jumped 30 ½ inches. He's bench-pressed 425 pounds and squat- ted 660. This offseason, he power cleaned 345 pounds. Ty Blanding is an- other Freaky DT; at 6-1, 292 pounds, the sophomore ran a 4.82 40 this offseason and squatted 675 pounds." Blanding is one of many Penn State defensive tackles aiming to earn a bigger role this year behind Durant and super senior Alonzo Ford Jr. The next Penn State player on Feld- man's list is senior running back Nicho- las Singleton at No. 19. "The guy who holds the school's all- time rushing TD mark is Saquon Bark- ley, who had 43 in three seasons," Feld- man wrote. "Barkley, No. 1 on the 2017 Freaks List, ran a 4.33 40, power cleaned 405 pounds and bench-pressed 405. Singleton is close to those numbers and better in the bench press, doing 435. He improved his power clean to 395. His 40 is 4.35, shuttle time is 4.18. His max velocity is 23.5 mph. He broke Barkley's running back record in the squat last year, doing 665. He did 660 this offsea- son. Singleton's broad jump also went up four inches to 10-5." Junior linebacker Tony Rojas is next up at No. 30, earning praise for his athleticism despite battling an injury that hindered him through- out the 2024 season and forced him to sit out spring practice. "A standout running back in high school, he's made big gains this offseason, improving his 40 to 4.37 from 4.50," Feldman noted. "His vertical jump went from 34 inches to 37 ½, he now broad-jumps 10-5 and also bettered his shuttle time to 4.05 — no linebacker has gone faster than that at the combine since 2019. Rojas hit 22.5 mph on the GPS, power cleaned 350 pounds and benched 375." Junior cornerback Elliot Wash- ington II checks in at No. 47 and redshirt senior tight end Khalil Dinkins is at No. 71. Feldman de- scribed the 5-11, 199-pound Wash- ington as "one of the Freakiest DBs in the country," adding that he "set the Penn State record for DBs in the squat, doing 565 pounds in his freshman year. He's clocked a 4.32 40 and this offseason, broad-jumped 10-7, vertical jumped 37 ½ inches and hit 23 mph on the GPS." As for Dinkins, Feldman reported that his 4.50-second 40-yard time is a record for Penn State tight ends. The projected starter also turned in a 10-0 broad jump and 4.30 shuttle time, along with a 405-pound bench press, 355-pound power clean and 550-pound squat. In addition to the current Penn State players on the list, former Nittany Lion defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg checked in at No. 18. Van den Berg transferred to Georgia Tech in March 2024. ■ FIVE PENN STATERS MAKE THE ATHLETIC'S 'FREAKS LIST' G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Senior defensive tackle Zane Durant was the No. 8 player on Bruce Feldman's list of the nation's "freakiest" athletes. Penn State landed five selections among the 100 players mentioned. No other team had more than three . PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS