College football writer Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” has become an annual preseason tradition and this year’s edition includes Purdue sophomore safety Dillon Thieneman.
Thieneman, a 3-star recruit from Westfield High School, was rated by 247Sports as the No. 12 prospect in Indiana in the Class of 2023 and the No. 61 safety nationally. But the former Shamrocks standout exceeded expectations in his debut season with the Boilermakers, where older brothers Jake and Brennan also both played safety.
The No. 96 player on Feldman’s ‘Freaks List,’ Thieneman started in all 12 games as a freshman, led Purdue with 106 tackles and ranked third nationally in interceptions (six) and solo tackles (74). He earned an impressive list of accolades, including winning the Thompson-Randle El Big Ten Freshman of the Year and FWAA Defensive Freshman of the Year, along with being named second-team All-Big Ten (Coaches, Associated Press) and third-team All-America (AP).
Thieneman earned his spot on the ‘Freaks List’ with a remarkable physical transformation since arriving on campus 18 months ago, including packing on 11 pounds of muscle. The 6-foot safety now weighs 207 pounds – he was listed at 205 as a freshman – and has improved his speed and strength.
Now he is poised to be even more impactful for Purdue this fall as a sophomore, though it will be tough to exceed his stats from his freshman campaign.
Read the article from The Athletic: College football Freaks List 2024
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– Nate Latsch | latsch@scorebooklive.com
Source : Sports Illustrated