Many athletes stand out among the rest for their exceptional skills and abilities, while others make names for themselves with their insane physical qualities. With their jumps, speed, or strength, they hit marks that others can only dream of. In the latest list of such freaks ahead of the 2026 season, a Big Ten athlete has his name ranking very high.

Oregon defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington has officially cemented his reputation as one of college football’s most jaw-dropping athletes. His viral 855-pound Hatfield squat earned him the No. 3 spot on The Athletic‘s Bruce Feldman’s annual 101 Freaks List heading into the 2026 season.

Washington, who ranked No. 4 last year, followed up with a breakout campaign in 2025 with 33 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 22 pressures, and eight passes defended, tying for the most among all FBS defensive linemen.

Feldman noted, “He came in at No. 4 last year and went on to have a strong season for the Ducks.”

This offseason, Washington trimmed down from 338 to 327 pounds while clocking an astonishing 20.7 mph. He also posted a 35-inch vertical, a 765-pound back squat, a 365-pound power clean, and the viral 855-pound Hatfield squat for two reps.

A’Mauri Washington Had a Breakout 2025 Season

A’Mauri Washington arrived at Oregon in 2023 as a top-50 defensive line recruit out of Arizona. After a quiet freshman year (two tackles in eight games), he steadily climbed to 10 tackles in 2024, then his breakout 33 in 2025. Beyond his exploits as a defensive back, his sheer explosiveness has made him a phenomenon.

Head coach Dan Lanning believes Washington hasn’t even maxed out his potential, noting the program caps his lifts for safety. Teammates echo the awe. Defensive end Teitum Tuioti said, “A’Mauri’s get-off is crazy fast. I’ve never seen nothing like it. If we had a 5-yard dash on our whole team, he probably would win it.”

Coaches have compared Washington’s burst to two of Lanning’s former Georgia stars, Jalen Carter and Devonte Wyatt—both first-round picks despite weighing over 300 pounds. Wyatt famously ran a 4.77-second 40-yard dash at 304 pounds, underscoring the rare athleticism Washington now mirrors.

The Freaks list is topped by South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor, whose track-level speed at 243 pounds (10.1 in the 100m, 20.2 in the 200m) makes him a unicorn. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith follows at No. 2, boasting the fastest 10-yard dash in Buckeyes program history at 1.44 seconds.

A’Mauri Washington’s combination of raw strength and explosive speed has him firmly in the conversation with the most extraordinary athletes in college football. And if his trajectory continues, he may soon join Carter and Wyatt as the next defensive tackle to leap from “Freaks List” to first-round draft pick.