3 Iowa football players make The Athletic's 2026 'Freaks List'

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A trio of Iowa football players was recently recognized for being among the most athletic players in college football ahead of the 2026 season.

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The Athletic's Bruce Feldman released his annual "Freaks List" on Aug. 10 in an attempt to rank "the strongest, fastest and most physical players in college football," according to the site. It's an offering Feldman has produced each preseason since 2005.

See which Hawkeyes made the list and where they ranked.

Which Iowa players made The Athletic's 2026 'Freaks List'?

The highest-rated Hawkeye on The Athletic's list was Iowa offensive lineman Kade Pieper, who checked in at No. 8.

Pieper, who started at right guard all last season for Iowa, returns to the list after ranking No. 22 in 2025.

Here's what Feldman wrote about Pieper:

"It's almost a given that we're going to have a Hawkeye O-lineman on here. The 6-foot-3, 298-pound former Nebraska state champion shot putter was named a first-team All-American last year by PFF after starting 13 games at right guard in 2025."

"Last year, Pieper came in at No. 22 on the Freaks List after setting an Iowa record (4.13) for fastest short shuttle among offensive guards. Among guards, he also posted the vertical jump record at 37.4 and the best 10-yard dash at 1.52. This offseason, he set the program record for heaviest squat by a guard, doing 680 pounds."

The other Hawkeyes recognized on Feldman's annual rankings were:

  • No. 28: Kahmari Brown, defensive line: "A second-team FCS All-American last year at Elon, Brown led the CAA program with 16 TFLs, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles and eight QB hurries. This offseason, the 6-foot-2, 258-pound Brown, a former high school running back in North Carolina, broad-jumped 10-3, vertical-jumped 40.2 inches and was timed at 1.56 in his 10-yard split. These are exceptional numbers for a nearly 260-pound edge rusher."
  • No. 38: Zach Lutmer, defensive back: "The Hawkeyes have a remarkable DB pedigree, and the 6-foot-1, 203-pound Lutmer is next in the pipeline. He was a second-team All-Big Ten pick last season after making 71 tackles with 5.5 TFLs and three interceptions. This offseason, Lutmer showed off his elite agility by clocking a 3.81-second shuttle time, setting a new record for Hawkeye DBs — especially impressive considering the program has produced the likes of Cooper DeJean, Micah Hyde, Josh Jackson, Desmond King and Bob Sanders. That 3.81 would match the fastest shuttle time ever recorded at the NFL combine, which Brandin Cooks ran in 2014. Lutmer also did a 41.9-inch vertical jump and squatted 575 pounds."

The top 10 college football players on The Athletic's 2026 'Freaks List'

Here's a look at Feldman's top 10 college football "freaks" for 2026:

  1. Nyck Harbor: South Carolina, wide receiver
  2. Jeremiah Smith: Ohio State, wide receiver
  3. A'Mauri Washington: Oregon, defensive tackle
  4. Jackson Cantwell: Miami, offensive tackle
  5. Jayden Woods: Florida, edge
  6. Arion Carter: Tennessee, linebacker
  7. Kemari Copeland: Virginia Tech, defensive tackle
  8. Kade Pieper: Iowa, offensive lineman
  9. Emmanuel Okoye: California, edge
  10. Colin Simmons: Texas, edge

Four players who appeared in the top 10 of Feldman's 2025 Freaks List — Harbor, Smith and Washington — returned in 2026. Harbor reclaimed the No. 1 spot after ranking third in 2025, becoming the first player in the history of Feldman's rankings to earn the top spot three times (2023, 2024 and 2026).

Harbor measures 6-foot-6 and 243 pounds with over 35-inch arms and an 82.5-inch wingspan. He caught 30 passes last season for 618 yards and six touchdowns.

He has also competed as a sprinter for South Carolina's track and field team, though he did not compete in 2025. The 21-year-old has posted times of 10.1 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 20.20 seconds in the 200-meter dash on the track.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: 3 Iowa football players make The Athletic's 2026 'Freaks List'

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