Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks list is never about reputation alone. It’s about the kind of raw athletic testing that makes you do a double take, and this year Notre Dame landed four players on it: defensive tackle Francis Brewu, defensive lineman Bryce Young, offensive tackle Anthonie Knapp, and defensive lineman Elijah Hughes.
That kind of showing says plenty about the physical makeup of this Notre Dame team. The list isn’t built around positions or even conventional star power.
It’s for players who can jump out of the gym, cover absurd ground, or move like lighter athletes despite carrying massive frames. Feldman’s standard is simple enough, and Notre Dame cleared it in a big way.
Brewu is the highest-ranked Irish player on the list at No. 24.
Feldman pointed to a 685-pound squat, a 475-pound bench press, and a 33-inch vertical at 280 pounds last year. Now the former Pitt Panther is up to 294 pounds and benching 500 pounds.
Young checks in at No. 50 after trimming down and getting stronger at the same time. His broad jump jumped from 9-5 to 10-2, and his vertical rose to 35 inches. The weight loss didn’t cost him in the weight room either, since he squatted 455, bench pressed 335, and clean 335.
Knapp comes in at No. 63, with numbers that fit the Freaks label for an offensive lineman. He posted a 33-inch vertical and a 9-2 broad jump, while also cleaning 345 pounds, squatting 585, and benching 405.
Hughes, the USC transfer, rounded out Notre Dame’s quartet with a broad jump of 9-9 1/2 this offseason. Feldman wrote, "To be almost 300 pounds and broad jump almost 10 feet is something," and Hughes also added a 33-inch vertical, a 610-pound squat, and a 345-pound clean.
Four names on one list like this does not win games by itself. But it does tell you what Notre Dame is bringing to the field: a roster packed with size, power, and rare athletic traits. That kind of profile is a big reason the Irish are being talked about as one of the best teams in the country.
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