KALAMAZOO, Mich. – For the third consecutive season, Western Michigan has a football student-athlete recognized on Bruce Feldman of The Athletic's annual "Freaks List." Redshirt senior wide receiver/defensive back D'Wayne Eskridge represents the Broncos this year. In 2018 and 2019, LeVante Bellamy was chosen by Feldman.

Since the early 2000s, Feldman, a veteran college football reporter, has ranked the game's top-40 most gifted athletes from a physical ability and testing perspective. Eskridge checks in at No. 27 this year. Previous No. 1 "freaks" have been Iowa's Tristan Wirfs, SMU's Margus Hunt to Texas A&M's Myles Garrett, South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney and Penn State's Saquon Barkley.

Feldman lists Eskridge's freakiest attribute as his explosiveness.

"The 5-9, 190-pounder clocked a laser-timed 4.33 40 as a sophomore and has continued to get stronger and more explosive in his college career," Feldman said of Eskridge. "He benches 350 and squats 505 to go with a 37.5-inch vertical and a very good short shuttle time of 4.08."

Eskridge is a 2020 preseason first team All-Mid-American Conference selection by Athlon Sports and third team by Phil Steele. A product of Bluffton, Ind., Eskridge has played in 39 career games with 23 starts. He owns 88 receptions for 1,476 yards (16.77) and seven touchdowns while rushing 10 times for 73 yards (7.30). Defensively, he has recorded 20 tackles with four pass breakups and one caused fumble.

During the 2019 season, Eskridge started the first four games before suffering a campaign-ending clavicle injury at Syracuse. He started at both wide receiver and cornerback against Syracuse and Georgia State. He finished the year with 14 tackles and four PBUs to go along with three receptions for 73 yards (24.33).

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