Trio of Bearcats Football Talents Named in 2026 Freaks List

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman dropped his annual college football freaks list this week, and one Bearcat made the list on the latest go-around: Evan Tengesdahl.

The preseason All-Big 12 left guard is taking up a lot of the hype for Cincinnati as they look to lean on a veteran offensive line in 2026.

"The left guard is coming off a superb season in which his 82.8 PFF rating was highest among Big 12 guards and sixth nationally," Feldman wrote. "Tengesdahl played a key role in Cincinnati’s line earning recognition from the Joe Moore Award, as the Bearcats were named semifinalists. The 6-4, 323-pounder turned down several SEC and Big Ten schools this offseason to stay put.

"He’s one of the most powerful players in college football. He benched 425 pounds, did a sumo lift with 615 and back squatted 615. He also showed off his agility by running a 1.75-second 10-yard split, had a 4.68 shuttle time and hit 18.12 mph on the GPS. Tengesdahl also made a case for CJ Crite, a 207-pound sophomore DB, for a spot here: 'He’s lifting like three times his body weight. It’s crazy how strong he is.'"

Crite is one of the top candidates to help fill in for the injured Ty Goodwill at safety throughout the 2026 season.

Feldman also noted Taran Tyo on the list as a pseudo honorable mention.

The new Bearcats center has played just about every position on the offensive line throughout his career.

"His teammate, OL Taran Tyo, is almost as strong. A former All-MAC player at Ball State, the 6-3, 326-pound Tyo had an excellent first season at UC at right guard in 2025. His bench isn’t quite as strong as his teammate Evan Tengesdahl’s at 405, but his lower body is stronger with his 700-pound back squat. Tyo, a standout wrestler in high school, did a 605-pound sumo lift to go with an 1.85-second 10-yard split, a 4.70 shuttle time, and he hit 17.50 mph on the GPS. He and Tengesdahl are tied for the strongest-rated players in the College Football 27 video game."

Cincinnati's 2026 success is heavily tied to great seasons from these two offensive line maulers.

Check out the full piece from Feldman here.

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