Four Nittany Lions Named Top College Football ‘Freaks’

Four Penn State football players, Abdul Carter, Zane Durant, Nick Singleton, and Gabe Nwosu, have been named to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic’s annual “Freaks List.”

Carter, a junior defensive end, came in at No. 12 on Feldman’s list. While he spent two seasons playing linebacker for the Nittany Lions, Carter hasn’t come down from his place in the national spotlight after moving to the defensive line

“As he has moved from linebacker to the defensive line, the 6-3 Carter is up four pounds to 254. He matched his numbers from last offseason, clocking a 4.48 40, a 4.35 shuttle, and broad-jumping 10-7 when he was No. 43 on our list in 2023,” Feldman wrote. “He’ll be an even bigger problem for rival quarterbacks now that he’s coming off the edge. Carter’s max velocity is 22.4 mph. He vertical-jumped 33.5 inches, power cleaned 350 pounds, bench pressed 375, and squatted 600.”

Durant, a sophomore defensive tackle, was the 18th-freakiest player on the list. With 17 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks, Durant established himself in a deep defensive line rotation last year.

“Durant was No. 38 on the list last year; he has added six pounds (up to 290) but hasn’t lost any speed, running another 4.66 40 this offseason. He hit a max velocity of 21.1 mph,” Feldman wrote. “His shuttle time improved to 4.43, and his broad jump stayed at 9-10. He vertical-jumped 30.5 inches. His 660-pound squat set a Penn State record for defensive linemen. He also bench pressed 425.”

Singleton, a junior running back, came in at No. 29. While Singleton’s rushing numbers his sophomore year weren’t as impressive as his freshman year, he is still one of the Big Ten’s more respected running backs with 1,813 career rushing yards and 20 career rushing touchdowns.

“Expect Singleton and the Penn State offense to become more potent with former Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki taking over,” Feldman wrote. “This offseason, the 228-pound Singleton hit 23.6 mph on the GPS and trimmed his 40 time from 4.39 to 4.35. His shuttle time stayed at 4.18. His broad jump improved to 10-1. His power clean went up to 390. His 655-pound squat bumped Penn State great Saquon Barkley off of the top spot as the program’s record holder for running backs.”

Gabe Nwosu, the Nittany Lions’ kickoff specialist and backup punter, was the only Penn Stater making his debut on the list this year. While Feldman wrote that the likes of Tony Rojas or Elliott Washington could’ve made the cut, he instead went with the abnormally large special teams player at No. 91.

“He is definitely not your average kicker or punter,” Feldman wrote about Nwosu. “The sophomore from Maryland is 6-6 and 280 pounds. He benched 365 pounds, squatted 525, and cleaned 330. Even more impressively, he clocked a 4.86 40 at that size, broad-jumped 9-9, and vertical-jumped 31.5-inches. As PSU’s kickoff specialist in 2023, Nwosu finished third in the Big Ten in touchbacks with 50, and was fourth in kickoff average at 63.7 yards.”

Former Penn State defensive lineman Jordan van der Berg also made the cut at No. 46. Van der Berg transferred to Georgia Tech after the 2023 season.