Notre Dame places two on Bruce Feldman's 2025 Freaks List

Two of Notre Dame’s top breakout candidates made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, The Athletic’s annual ranking of the top-101 physical specimens in college football. Sophomore defensive end Bryce Young is No. 44 on the list, while senior tight end Eli Raridon checked in at No. 85.

Feldman, a national college football insider with The Athletic, compiles the list every year with “intel from coaches, schools, teammates, parents, NFL scouts, NFL Scouting Combine trainers and agents.” Both Young and Raridon made their Freaks List debut in 2025.

Young, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Bryant Young and track athlete Kristin Young — both of whom starred at Notre Dame — has some of the best genetics on the Irish. Some of his testing numbers have to be seen to be believed.

“At 6-7, 270, Young combines terrific length and size to go with high-end explosiveness,” Feldman wrote. “He’s put on almost 30 pounds since arriving last year, but still managed to vertical jump 34 1/2 inches and broad jump 9-5. He benched 335 pounds and cleaned 335.”

Young is relatively new to defensive end; he first started playing the position as a sophomore in high school. As a result, he’s still developing his skill set. But his upside, his coaches and teammates agree, is astronomical.

Raridon has only one year of eligibility remaining to Young’s three, but he’s finally healthy after three seasons of recovering from injury and regaining his confidence. The Des Moines, Iowa product had his best offseason yet, and Irish offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Mike Denbrock is adamant that he’s set for a massive 2025 season.

Raridon looked more explosive than ever during spring practice, which Notre Dame fans saw first-hand in the Blue-Gold game. Feldman’s intel confirmed the eye test.

“The 6-6, 255-pound second-generation Irish football player displayed plenty of explosiveness this offseason, vertical jumping 34 inches and broad jumping 9-10,” Feldman wrote. “He’s also quite strong, benching 350 pounds, power cleaning 335 and squatting 535.”

Young and Raridon were Notre Dame’s only two representatives on Feldman’s Freaks List, but a third received an honorable mention: sophomore offensive tackle Anthonie Knapp.

Feldman explained that Knapp, who started 15 games at left tackle and will retain that spot in 2025, “made a compelling case for a spot on this year’s Freaks List.”

“The 6-5, 300-pound offensive tackle, who excelled filling in for Charles Jagusah last season, vertical jumped 30 inches and benched 425 pounds,” Feldman wrote.

Conspicuously absent from Feldman’s ranking was junior Irish running back Jeremiyah Love, whose movement skills at 6-foot, 214 pounds are cartoonishly good. Feldman acknowledged Love’s exclusion and provided a logical explanation.

“There might be a few freaky athletes you’re expecting to see on here who aren’t,” Feldman wrote. “One is Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love, who in high school won the Missouri state 100-meter title by running a 10.76.

“Notre Dame’s staff has been very helpful in getting me the best information possible for the Freaks List over the years. This summer they sent over their info and I noticed Love wasn’t on there. I asked about him and was told that because he was in a recovery phase of his training and was not at full go, his numbers do not reflect what he is actually capable of doing. He’s obviously an elite athlete and fantastic running back, but that is why he’s not on here.”

Notre Dame opens the 2025 season at Miami on Aug. 31 in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Hurricanes placed one player on the Freaks List: junior offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, who clocked in at No. 16.

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