Cincinnati Bearcat football players make the 2026 College Football "freaks" list

Every year, The Athletic releases a list of the freak athletes in college football for the upcoming season. This year, one Bearcat made the list of 101 athletes, Evan Tengesdahl, along with his teammates Taran Tyo and CJ Crite, getting mentioned. Tengesdahl has been mentioned in a ton of preseason All-American lists, along with his fellow offensive lineman Tyo being named to preseason All-Big 12 lists. The Bearcats were named finalists for the Joe Moore Award last season, which goes to the best offensive line in college football, so there should be no surprise that Tengesdahl and Tyo are getting their recognition. Crite was mentioned among players to have a larger role with the announcement of the Ty Goodwill Achilles injury.

Tengesdahl came in at No. 87 on the list, with them noting his 82.8 PFF rating, which was highest among Big 12 guards and sixth nationally last season. Standing at 6-foot-4, 323 pounds, Tengesdahl could've taken the offer to join several Big Ten and SEC programs, but he decided to stay in Cincinnati. It was noted in the article that Tengesdahl gave Crite a shoutout in the weight room, saying that the 207-pound defensive back is "Lifting like three times his body weight."

They note the guard duo of Tengesdahl and Tyo, saying that the Ball State transfer is "almost as strong". Tyo's 700-pound back squat says that his lower body is stronger, however. Tengesdahl and Tyo have the highest strength rating in EA Sports' College Football 27 Video Game, showing the Bearcats' advantage running the ball in the A and B gaps.

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