Three Notre Dame football players crack Bruce Feldman’s annual ‘Freaks List’
Each summer for almost 20 years, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic releases his annual “Freaks List” with the intention of highlighting those “who generate buzz inside their programs by displaying the unique physical abilities that wow even those who observe gifted athletes every day.”
Irish players are no stranger to the collection of elite athletes — safety Kyle Hamilton, defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey and running back Chris Tyree were among those chosen in 2021 — and 2022 is no different. As was the case last season, three Notre Dame players made the most recent list, which was released on Wednesday.
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No. 38: Cornerback Cam Hart
The first Irish player to catch Feldman’s eye is a sneaky defensive back who could make some NFL Draft noise throughout the 2022 season. Hart, who spent the offseason rehabbing a shoulder injury, is now back and full-go for head coach Marcus Freeman.
“This is a long, fast corner who made 42 tackles last season in his first year as a starter, intercepting two passes and deflecting nine others,” Feldman said. “The 6-2 1/2, 205-pounder from Maryland has remarkable tools, broad-jumping 11-2, vertical-jumping 38 inches and hitting 21.7 mph on the GPS. His power-clean peak output (2490) is also one of the best on the team.”
No. 56: Defensive lineman Rylie Mills
Despite putting on nine pounds since the 2021 season, Mills is moving to the outside at defensive end for Notre Dame this fall to work opposite a potential first-round NFL Draft pick in Foskey.
“The 6-5, 292-pound former high school discus thrower and shot putter is a player to watch,” Feldman said. “Mills, who had three sacks in 2021, is really strong, having benched 420 this offseason, but also moves very well, clocking 19 mph on the GPS. Mills’ explosiveness also is reflected in his hang clean peak output of 2828 and his power clean peak output of 2854 — both totals are higher than his super freaky linemate Foskey (2674, 2696, respectively).”
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Feldman’s mention of explosiveness is the key to Mills’ success (or lack thereof) in 2022, as the biggest question with the junior is whether he can thrive as a true defensive end.
No. 79: Wide receiver Lorenzo Styles
Styles, the final Notre Dame player to crack the 2022 list, will need to have a breakout season for Notre Dame this fall if the Irish want to hang with the best teams in the nation.
“The Ohio native, the son of a former OSU Buckeye who became a third-round pick and was on the Rams team that won Super Bowl XXXIV, had a good freshman season, catching 24 passes for 344 yards,” Feldman said. “He finished the season with a bang, catching eight passes for 136 yards and a touchdown against Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. This offseason, the 6-1, 195-pounder squats 510 pounds, broad-jumped 10-10 1/2 and hit 22 mph on the GPS.”
Styles will get to put his offseason work to the test on Sept. 3 in front of his hometown of Columbus, Ohio when the Irish open at Ohio State.
