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The Athletic's Bruce Feldman gave his thoughts on the sport's elite “freaks” going into the 2025 season. One of them came from James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions, seeing Zane Durant get the selection.
Feldman named the 101 players he views as “freaks” in a list he published on Monday. Some of them had quotes from coaches and players, with Penn State's Durant placing inside the top 10.
“This is his third season on the Freaks List. “Zane is the best D-tackle I’ve played against,” said Penn State center Nick Dawkins, who has faced several top 50 draft picks in his college career. Among them: Oregon first-rounder Derrick Harmon and Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams,” Feldman wrote.
“I’ve played against some dang good defensive linemen, but Zane Durant is the best. It’s the twitchiness off the ball, it’s the lateral movement, it’s the combination and recovery of being able to have a counter move that is a counter to power and/or speed. It’s his IQ. Being able to pick up screens, picking out stretch plays, picking up gap schemes and calling it out before the play, and it’s his killer mentality. I could go on for two hours about this stuff. He’s just a different cat.”
“In 2024, Durant had 42 tackles, 11 TFLs and three sacks. The 6-1, 290-pound senior from Florida has run a 4.66 40 and hit a max velocity of 21.1 mph. He clocked a 4.43 shuttle time, broad jumped 9-10 and vertical jumped 30 1/2 inches. He’s bench pressed 425 pounds and squatted 660. This offseason, he power cleaned 345 pounds. Ty Blanding is another Freaky DT; at 6-1, 292 pounds, the sophomore ran a 4.82 40 this offseason and squatted 675 pounds,” Feldman concluded.
What's next for Zane Durant, Penn State
Zane Durant stands out as a talented defender for the Penn State Nittany Lions to turn to in key situations.
Penn State enters their 12th year with James Franklin as his head coach. They have gone 101-42 in their 11 seasons with him, including a 64-33 display in Big Ten Play.
Last season was a huge success for the program. They finished with a 13-3 overall record, going 8-1 in league play. They reached the College Football Playoff, losing 27-24 to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the semifinals.
