Every year from 1987 onward, college football’s top prospects have descended on Indianapolis for the NFL’s scouting combine. And while high-profile players sometimes eschew workouts, the event itself has grown substantially, at least in size and formality.
As Zak Keefer shared a few years ago, the 1998 edition saw Tennessee’s Peyton Manning with his back to the hotel bar as he worked a crowd of 25 reporters. Media availability looked a bit different for Shedeur Sanders last February.
Shedeur Sanders speaks to the media during the NFL Combine on February 28, 2025. Credit: Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Along the way, in summer 2005, my eventual colleague Bruce Feldman was searching to fill his docket as a college football journalist. He had the genius idea to highlight weight-room warriors, those who were leaving their likewise freakish teammates in awe.
And so began Bruce’s annual Freaks List, a college football season staple for over two decades. The first No. 1, Terna Nande, was a 230-pound linebacker who bench pressed 540 pounds and reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds. (At the time, Nande was teammates with future Rams coaches Sean McVay and Chris Shula at Miami University in Ohio. He most recently played for the CFL’s BC Lions.)
Inside: Meet the athletic wonders your team might draft, plus look at this year’s hardest free-agency group to assess.
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2026 NFL combine freaks
Better-known names would lead Feldman’s subsequent lists of top college football athletes, including Saquon Barkley, Myles Garrett and Tristan Wirfs:
A feature that began with 10 players — including future Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson, six spots below Nande in 2005 — has grown into an annual list of 101 college football Freaks. Each year, Bruce gets submissions from schools, coaches, teammates, parents, NFL scouts, trainers and agents, all hoping to add to it.
It’s proven useful in finding overlooked potential stars. Bruce’s No. 1 player to watch at last year’s combine was South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. Seattle scooped him up in the draft’s second round, and he finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
It also unearths small-school players, like Eagles corner Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo, 2023 list), Bengals receiver Andrei Iosivas (Princeton, 2022 list) and Seahawks corner Tariq Woolen (UTSA, 2021 list).
My takeaway from this past season’s top 10? Next year’s draft could be special. As in 2027’s. Arch Manning remains the headliner, but four of Feldman’s top six Freaks from this past August also have more college football left to play.
That 2027 class should include the current best player in college football, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, as well as the first player to rank No. 1 on Bruce’s list for consecutive years, South Carolina receiver Nyck Harbor, a 6-foot-5, 242-pound All-American in track.
The 2026 draft’s portion of last summer’s list lacks star power, but offers plenty of talent. In this class, Dane Brugler’s top-100 rankings overlap with four of Bruce’s top 10 freaks, suggesting we should pay close attention to these players, all of whom are scheduled to be here in Indianapolis:
- Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. The Alabama giant is a raw, 6-foot-7, 360 pounder who squatted 815 pounds last summer, then became a trick-play weapon. He’s No. 17 in Dane’s rankings.
- Defensive tackle Peter Woods. Clemson’s explosive lineman is a fascinating blend of size and speed, a 310-pounder with a reported 4.86 40-yard dash. After an underwhelming 2025, Dane ranks him No. 33, though the Vikings swoop in at No. 18 in our beat-reporter mock draft.
- Edge rusher Keldric Faulk. A 6-6, 270-pound hulk from Auburn, the 20-year-old was a surprising drop to the Chargers at No. 22 in that mock draft. “He will need development time,” Dane’s noted.
- Linebacker Sonny Styles. The Ohio State product is “the rare off-ball linebacker worth a top-10 pick,” per Dane, as he’s big (6-4, 240) and fast (expected to run a 4.5 40-yard dash).
As for Dane, he shared a different list of 21 prospects he’ll be tracking among the 318 here in Indy. Before televised workouts get going on Thursday, agents and front-office execs are also in town, and I expect many to be talking free agency. Let’s shift there.
Confusing free-agent receivers
For me, a new season begins once players start moving in free agency. These moves matter, sometimes even more than we could possibly expect. Last year’s headliner, Sam Darnold, helped lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl. I still can’t believe I’m writing that.
Anyway, after my colleague Daniel Popper grinded tape to rank the top 150 free agents, I had some questions for him before free agency begins in a couple weeks.
First, Daniel, who graded higher than you expected?
💬 “Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor. Not really on my radar heading into the process, he ended up among the top 30.
“I just kept getting more and more intrigued as I watched his film. He checks a lot of boxes. He can play inside and outside. He has a really good feel against zone coverage. He can push vertically and create after the catch. He flashed the late hands necessary to deceive DBs when the ball is in the air and manufacture open windows.
“He has a ton of untapped potential. He was playing behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The quarterback play in Minnesota was underwhelming. He is also a willing run blocker, which can be a separator when the grades are really close.”
Nailor is one of many reasons I’d pick receiver as the most difficult group of free agents to rank this offseason, since it feels like a crapshoot after the top two (Mike Evans and Alec Pierce). What position was toughest for you to rank, Daniel?
💬 “Receiver. After news broke that George Pickens was getting tagged, the complexion of the group changed. I like Pierce, but I think someone will overpay him. Evans still has some left in the tank, but he is entering his age-33 season and battled injuries last year. After those two, you are looking at a lot of imperfect players.
“I’d also add edge rusher into this conversation. Beyond Trey Hendrickson and Jaelan Phillips, there is a mix of young, flawed guys and aging stars. It was challenging, figuring out how to stack those archetypes. Do you prefer upside or proven production?”
Players like Eagles linebacker Zack Baun have proven that the right player in the right scheme can equate to an All-Pro season and Super Bowl victory, so I’d lean upside at bargain prices. For more on this year’s top free agents, check out Daniel’s top 10 at each position.
Extra Points
❤️ Tragic news. Vikings receiver Rondale Moore was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Saturday night, police said. The Purdue alumni was 25 years old. More here.
👀 Eagles’ win-now mindset. Brooks Kubena considers the temperature of coach Nick Sirianni’s seat, sharing three key offseason storylines for Philly.
⚡ The Broncos offense needs a dynamic transformation, and adding weapons for Bo Nix is a clear priority for them in this draft.
🔥 Hot topics. As I mentioned, our beat reporters shared one burning item for each team at the combine, including quarterback contracts, Travis Kelce’s future and Maxx Crosby trade talk.
🤝 DJ Moore on the move? In Kevin Fishbain’s Bears mailbag, he projects the (still only 28-year-old) receiver to remain in Chicago. “While Luther Burden and Rome Odunze give the room ‘young talent,’ there isn’t anyone else to fill Moore’s role.”
▶️ Popular: Feldman’s look inside the re-making of Fernando Mendoza, from shaky Cal starter to projected No. 1 pick.
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