Reporter Bruce Feldman of The Athletic dropped his 2025 ‘Freaks List’ on Monday morning, which names the strongest, fastest, and most physical players in college football. A pair of Gators in freshman edge Jayden Woods and sophomore running back Jadan Baugh were honored.
Edge Jayden Woods: No. 40
Jayden Woods is the highest ranked freshman on Feldman’s list coming in at No.40, ahead of some of college football’s best athletes.
“The four-star recruit from Kansas, who was a 6A state champion in shot put and discus, has added 15 pounds since arriving last winter. Woods has wowed coaches with his explosiveness, intelligence and work ethic. At 6-3, 244, Woods broad jumped 10-5 this offseason and vertical jumped 33.5 inches. His shuttle time was 4.28. He squatted 555 pounds and power cleaned 365,” Feldman wrote.
We heard about Woods setting the tone in the weight room early in spring camp, but we didn’t realize that he was already one of the best athletes on the team.
Florida’s redshirt senior George Gumbs Jr. held most of the strength records in the edge room prior to Woods’ arrival in Gainesville. That is no longer the case.
“My name’s not on there no more. He took my name all off the board,” Gumbs Jr. said on Woods. “I think he took the squat record out the gate and the clean record, I’m not gonna lie to you, I think he took all that out the gate.”
Sophomore linebacker Aaron Chiles was praised in the article, although not named on the top 100 list.
“ILB Aaron Chiles is another similarly sized Freaky defender,” Feldman wrote. “The 243-pound sophomore vertical jumped 9-10 1/2 and cleaned 345 pounds at 243.”
Woods is part of a deep edge rushing unit, so playing time will need to be earned on the football field. However, it will be challenging for Florida’s staff to keep a guy with this much athletic ability off the gridiron.
“Jayden Woods is a unicorn, man. They don’t make them like that,” head coach Billy Napier said on Monday.
Running back Jadan Baugh: No.53
Sophomore Jadan Baugh finds himself at No.53 on the Freaks List, the fourth highest ranking amongst running backs in college football.
“As a true freshman, Baugh gave the Gators a huge spark in the second half of the season, shining against Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss. He also had big performances against FSU and Kentucky, when he had a program-record five rushing TDs. Baugh led the Gators with 673 yards, averaging over five yards per carry to go with eight TDs. The 6-1, 233-pound power back from Atlanta, who has 13.6 percent body fat, squatted 565 pounds this offseason, did a close-grip bench press of 350 and cleaned 335. He also moves well for such a big back, hitting 21.7 mph,” Feldman wrote.
Florida’s Strength and Conditioning coach Tyler Miles recently claimed that Baugh is pound for pound the strongest player of the team. He also noted that since they started tracking this information, Baugh is the strongest player Florida has ever had.
Napier was asked during Monday’s press conference about Woods and Baugh making the Freaks List.
“Doesn’t surprise me. I’m just glad they’re on our team.”