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Which Penn State players made The Athletic’s annual ‘Freaks List?’
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- Which Penn State players made The Athletic’s annual ‘Freaks List?’
The college football season is less than a month away, so with everyone's football fever rising, many people use this time to make lists of players, coaches, and teams. A lot of those lists have been favorable to Penn State, like the US LBM Coaches Poll and On3 Sports ' AP Poll projection .
One of the latest rankings released by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic highlighted the Nittany Lions once again. Feldman ranked the 101-best athletes in college football heading into 2026 and his list included three Penn State players. This is a significant distinction in itself, but having a wide receiver on the list might be the most notable aspect.
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Brett Eskildsen
Penn State wide receiver Brett Eskildsen participates at football media day in Holuba Hall, Friday, August 7, 2026, in State College.
Feldman has been putting out this list every year since 2005 and Penn State has never had a wideout make it. Well, Brett Eskildsen comes over from Iowa State and looks to make an immediate impact on the receiver room after coming in at No. 35 on this list. After playing sparingly in 2024, he improved tremendously and had 526 yards and five touchdowns last year with the Cyclones .
We don't get many twitchy athletes come through Happy Valley at Eskildsen's position, so this will be a welcome sight. He has a chance to become a fan favorite if he can build off his successful 2025 season.
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Tony Rojas
Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Penn State student-athlete Tony Rojas speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Tony Rojas is primed for a big season and everyone knows it. The coaching staff has been talking him up all summer and he has been labeled as one of the few players in college football who has a real chance to break out this season.
Not only has he been extremely productive when he's been on the field, he's also a tremendous athlete, coming in at No. 25 on the Freaks List. Despite a shortened season last year, he still climbs five spots from his previous placement on the list. If he gets back to his healthy ways then he has a chance to put together one of the best defensive seasons in the nation this year.
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Audavion Collins
Sep 6, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Audavion Collins (2) celebrates with long snapper Tyler Duzansky (48) after downing the ball on the one yard line following a punt during the second quarter against the Florida International Panthers at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
The last Nittany Lions player on this list is cornerback Audavion Collins , who's entering his last season. Feldman ranked him at No. 91, noting the fact that the redshirt senior got up to 23.1 miles per hour this offseason, while also posting a 10-6 broad jump and a 38-inch vertical.
Athleticism is one of the most critical parts of being a cornerback and it's an area that Collins thrives in. Penn State fans should have a lot of fun watching these three guys fly all over the field in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Which Penn State players made The Athletic's annual 'Freaks List?'
