NC State football players make Bruce Feldman's Top 100 Freaks List
One of the newest traditions and most anticipated preseason college football lists is The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. Feldman ranks the top 100 “freaks” in college football, and as has been a recent tradition, NC State football is represented in the ratings.
Subscribe to The Wolfpacker today for a limited-time $1 deal for a year of premium access
In 2022, two Wolfpack players cracked the top 100 — fifth-year redshirt junior linebacker Payton Wilson at No. 48 and fourth-year redshirt sophomore interior offensive lineman Dylan McMahon at No. 63.
Wilson led the ACC in tackles in 2020 with 108 and was named first-team all-conference. However, a shoulder injury ended Wilson’s season after just two games for NC State in 2021.
“The Pack is loaded at linebacker, and this guy is the best of a fantastic group,” Feldman wrote. “Wilson missed all of 2021 with a shoulder injury, but he made first-team All-ACC in 2020 after leading the league in tackles per game with 10.8 and making 11 TFLs. The 6-4, 230-pound former North Carolina state champion high school wrestler has vertical-jumped 36 inches, and coaches say he will ‘easily’ run the 40 in the 4.49 to 4.54 range.”
McMahon started all 12 NC State football games in 2021 and is expected to resume that role in 2022. This is the second straight year that McMahon made the list. He checked in at No. 73 a year ago.
“He played both guard spots and center in 2021,” Feldman wrote. “The 6-4, 300-pounder leads an excellent batch of State linemen with defensive tackle Josh Harris and center Grant Gibson also worthy of spots on this list. McMahon power-cleans over 400 pounds and vertical-jumped 32 inches this offseason.”
Top 10
- 1Hot
SEC lacks elite talent depth
Marcus Spears explains why
- 2New
Drew Mestemaker
QB making first start since HS freshman year
- 3
CFP's 'ultimate flaw'
Paul Finebaum takes aim at CFP
- 4
Bevo will attend Cotton Bowl
Texas mascot set to return
- 5
Lane Kiffin
Parting shot at CFP committee
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Gibson is a super senior this fall for NC State football and a preseason All-ACC selection. Harris is a fourth-year redshirt sophomore and expected to be a top reserve at nose tackle for the Pack.
This marks the fifth straight year that at least one NC State football player made Feldman’s list, and the second consecutive time multiple Wolfpackers made the cut.
In 2017, defensive lineman Kentavius Street was No. 3. The following two years, defensive end James Smith-Williams made the list both times, like Street rising to No. 3. Smith-Williams justified that billing when he ran the 40-yard dash at 4.60 seconds at the NFL Draft Combine, fastest of all defensive linemen at the event.
In 2020, defensive tackle Alim McNeill from NC State checked in at No. 32 on Feldman’s list.
Last season was the first time two NC State football players made the cut. In addition to McMahon, left tackle Ikem Ekwonu checked in at No. 58. Ekwonu (Carolina Panthers) joined Street (New Orleans Saints), Smith-Williams (Washington Commanders) and McNeill (Detroit Lions) in NFL training camps.
Past NC State Football Players On Freaks List
| Year | Rank | Name |
| 2017 | 3 | Kentavius Street |
| 2018 | 27 | James Smith-Williams |
| 2019 | 3 | James Smith-Williams |
| 2020 | 32 | Alim McNeill |
| 2021 | 58 | Ikem Ekwonu |
| 2021 | 73 | Dylan McMahon |
| 2022 | 48 | Payton Wilson |
| 2022 | 63 | Dylan McMahon |
