Texas' Physical Freaks Lead 2025 Rankings
The latest edition of The Athletic’s "College Football Freaks" list, compiled by analyst Bruce Feldman, spotlights a handful of Texas‑based players whose measurable attributes have set new benchmarks for the sport.
Texas State’s offensive lineman Sully Burns, a 6‑foot‑7, 325‑pound transfer from Tulane, opened the season as a starter at right tackle and quickly became a cornerstone of the Bobcats’ line. In the offseason he set a program record with a 9‑foot‑8‑inch broad jump, a 415‑pound power clean, and a 355‑pound bench press.
Joining Burns on the Texas State defensive front, Chancellor Owens, a 6‑foot‑3, 295‑pound tackle, rewrote the school’s strength records with a 655‑pound squat and a 430‑pound bench press, underscoring the program’s growing emphasis on raw power.
Perhaps the most electrifying name on the list is Texas Longhorns edge rusher Colin Simmons. Named a first‑team All‑SEC selection, Simmons led the conference with 12 sacks and posted a bar‑velocity of 1.4 m/s on a 335‑pound lift, a combination of size, speed and explosiveness that has drawn comparisons to the league’s elite.
The Aggies’ defensive line also made a splash. Anto Saka, who transferred from Northwestern, bench‑pressed 370 pounds, power‑cleaned 345 pounds and squatted 565 pounds. Fellow linemen Marco Jones and DJ Hicks logged sprint times of 20.6 mph and 19.4 mph while benching 425 and 405 pounds respectively, painting a picture of a unit built for both mass and agility.
Across the state, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas State each earned multiple placements in Feldman’s top‑101 ranking, a testament to the depth of talent cultivated in the Lone Star State. The excitement will crescendo in Week 1 when Simmons squares off against another noted “freak,” Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green, a matchup that could set the tone for the season.
Bruce Feldman, the veteran journalist behind the list, has become a go‑to source for evaluating the physical upside of college prospects, and his rankings continue to influence recruiting narratives nationwide.