Every year at this time of the season, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic comes out with his “freaks list” of the top 101 athletes in college football with measurables that are hard to believe.
The Michigan Wolverines have often been well represented, with Mazi Smith (No. 1, 2022) Kris Jenkins (No. 6 2023) and Kenneth Grant (No. 3, 2024) all cracking the top 10 in their final years in Ann Arbor. Even Alex Orii, U-M’s backup quarterback from a season ago, was the highest rated for his position (No. 13) last season.
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While U-M doesn’t have anybody who is quite as highly touted this year there are still two Wolverines who made the 2025 list: senior tight end Marlin Klein (No. 35) and redshirt freshman defensive tackle Manuel Biegel (No. 62), both of whom started as international products.
Klein, the pass catcher from Germany, was on the list a season ago (No. 90) but has shot up the rankings after another year of transforming his body. The team’s “Most Improved Player” on offense a season ago, stands 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds and has run 21.75 mph and broad jumped 9-foot-7 this offseason according to Feldman.
His three-cone drill (6.89) is better than Colston Loveland’s (6.94) from a year ago which would’ve been the best mark at the NFL combine for the position this year. The same goes for his offseason shuttle time (4.25).
The other German standout for Michigan, is Biegel. Born and raised as a soccer player, Biegel picked up American football during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Michigan tight end Marlin Klein (17) tries to jump over USC cornerback John Humphrey (19) during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
Per Feldman, he’s now up to 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds (he came to Ann Arbor at 280) while strength coach Justin Tress told The Athletic reporter he has “rare traits in both movement and strength and power” and that he “weighs 315 and moves like a linebacker.”
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During the offseason weight training program, Biegel showed out by squatting 425 pounds three times while also completing the reactive plyo stairs in 2.64 seconds — the fastest mark of any lineman on the team. For perspective, Aidan Hutchinson’s time was 2.57 seconds (when he was 50 pounds lighter).
Honorable mentions
Another pair of Wolverines earned shoutouts in the story as well.
“One other Wolverine Freak to remember is redshirt freshman RB Micah Ka’apana,” Feldman wrote. “A 5-11, 190-pounder from Hawaii who broke Roman Wilson’s reactive plyo stair record at Michigan of 2.22 by flying up the stairs in 2.19 seconds.
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“Ike Iwunnah, a 6-3, 320-pound senior, is just the third player in Michigan history who has done 800 pounds on the combo twist, joining Mike Onwenu and 2022 Freaks Lister Mazi Smith. Iwunnah also completed the reactive plyo stairs in 2.75 seconds (Mazi Smith did it in 2.82 seconds).”
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Two Michigan football players make The Athletic’s 2025 ‘freaks list’
