Tag: Arnold Ebiketie

PFF names Falcons LB Arnold Ebiketie as 2024 breakout candidate

PFF named Falcons LB Arnold Ebiketie as the team’s top breakout candidate for 2024

The Atlanta Falcons will go into the 2024 season with a different defensive coordinator for the third straight year. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris hired Jimmy Lake to replace Ryan Nielsen, who took a job in Jacksonville.

On Wednesday, Lake met with the media and said the team was going back to a base 3-4 scheme. This is good news for outside linebackers like Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone. Both players were drafted under former defensive coordinator Dean Pees, who ran a 3-4 defense from 2021-2022.

While Malone’s role was drastically reduced under Nielsen, Ebiketie made strides in 2023. Ebiketie recorded six sacks, 12 QB hits, and two forced fumbles for Atlanta last season. Pro Football Focus’ Jonathon Macri named the third-year edge rusher as a potential breakout candidate for 2024:

The Falcons spent a second-round pick on Ebiketie in 2022 and while he hasn’t played a starting role just yet in the NFL, he has shown signs of improvement, specifically as a pass-rusher over the past two years. Ebiketie earned a 70.1 PFF pass-rush grade, came up with six sacks and finished with a strong 16.6% pressure rate in 2023. He did this on just 175 pass-rush snaps across 17 games, and with another year in Atlanta, should see an increased role in 2024. — Jonathon Macri, PFF

The Falcons moved up in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft to select Ebiektie out of Penn State. As Macri points out, Ebiketie should have an increased role in 2024, assuming the team doesn’t sign a big-name pass-rusher in free agency.

Falcons linebacker Bud Dupree and defensive lineman Calais Campbell are set to hit free agency this offseason, which could also help Ebiketie earn more playing time. Nonetheless, the former Nittany Lions edge rusher appears to have a bright future in Atlanta.

WATCH: Falcons LB Arnold Ebiketie mic’d up vs. the Jets

Watch: Falcons LB Arnold Ebiketie was mic’d up for Week 13 win over the Jets

The Falcons defense has carried the team all season and that was the case once again during Sunday’s win over the New York Jets. Not only did Jessie Bates come down with his fifth interception of the year, but the team recorded four more sacks.

Atlanta has 26 total sacks through the first 12 games, which is already the team’s highest sack total since 2020. Linebacker Arnold Ebiketie has been a big part of that turnaround, leading the Falcons with 5.5 sacks this season.

Ebiketie recorded one of the team’s four sacks in Week 13. The second-year linebacker was mic’d up for Sunday’s win. Watch below, as shared by the team’s Twitter account.

Make sure to check out the team’s updated depth chart heading into Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.

Falcons week 14 depth chart

Falcons Week 14 injury report

50 Falcons free agents

Twitter reacts to win over Jets

10 takeaways from win over Jets

Studs and Duds from Week 12

Falcons 7-round mock draft

Penn State in the NFL: Best photos from Week 2

Here are some of the best photos from around the NFL’s Week 2 of former Penn State players.

The big headlines coming out of the second weekend of the NFL’s regular season involving former Penn State players likely centered on the status of former running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag]. Barkley came out of the New York Giants’ comeback win on the road against the Arizona Cardinals with the help of two trainers and received x-rays following the game. His status moving forward, at this particular time, is known.

But the second week of the NFL regular season was another good one for former Penn State linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag], who helped the Dallas Cowboys blow away the other team from New York, the Jets, a week after dominating Barkley and the Giants.

Here are some of the best photos from around the NFL in Week 2 of former Penn State players.

Penn State in the NFL Week 1 roundup: Old faces in new places

Penn State had 39 players on NFL rosters as the NFL season started. Here’s how some of them played in Week 1.

Penn State may have already played two games this season, but the NFL has just gotten its season started. And there are a number of Penn State players scattered around the league. Penn State had 39 players appearing on Week 1 NFL rosters with 33 on the 53-man rosters around the league, four on practice squads, and two additional players on injured reserve to start the season.

A pair of recent standouts took the Sunday night spotlight as [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] and the Dallas Cowboys visited [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] and the New York Giants. A few more Penn State players will wrap up the first week of the NFL’s regular season when [autotag]Adrian Amos[/autotag] and the New York Jets face Connor McGovern, Ryan Bates, Daquan Jones and the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

Here is a look at how some former Penn State football players performed in Week 1 of the NFL regular season.

Best photos of Penn Staters in the NFL preseason

Check out some of the best photos from the NFL preseason of these former Penn State players.

While the college football season is about to get started, the NFL preseason is nearly in the books for 2023. And it has been a busy one for former Penn State Nittany Lions with a mix of veterans in new locations and rookies getting started has been the theme of the preseason, it seems.

Most teams have played at least two games in the preseason at this point, and Penn State fans have not had to look too far to find some of their former fan favorites around the league.

Here is a look at some of the best photos from the NFL preseason so far of some of the former Penn State players around the league.

Every NFL draft pick coached by James Franklin

Zac Stacy, Jordan Matthews, Saquon Barkley, Micah Parsons, and every other NFL draft pick who played for James Franklin.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] got his first head coaching opportunity with Vanderbilt after the 2010 season despite previously being the head coach-in-waiting at Maryland. The Commodores are not necessarily known for producing a tremendous amount of NFL talent, but Vanderbilt managed to send a few players off to the next level by way of the NFL draft under the guidance of Franklin, who has experience as an assistant coach in the NFL.

In the years Franklin was the head coach at Vanderbilt, from 2011 through 2013, Vanderbilt had seven players drafted. And a few more who would go on to be drafted later on out of Vanderbilt were brought into the program initially by Franklin and his staff. The seven players drafted from Vanderbilt from Franklin’s three seasons with the program is the most draft picks from Vanderbilt in a three-year span in school history since 1957-1969 saw 11 players selected by NFL teams, in the days of a draft lasting at least 20 rounds.

Since arriving at Penn State in 2014, Franklin has seen a growing number of his players go on to be drafted by NFL franchises, including an offensive rookie of the year in running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] in 2018 and a defensive rookie of the year in linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] in 2021.

Here is a look at every player drafted by an NFL team that had James Franklin as a head coach in their last game before being drafted, beginning with Franklin’s time at Vanderbilt.

And once you are done checking out this list, here is a list of every Penn State player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft since Penn State joined the Big Ten.

Penn State names Deion Barnes defensive line coach

Penn State announces its new defensive line coach

As Penn State gathers for the start of spring football practices, the search for a new defensive line coach has officially come to a close. On Monday, Penn State announced [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] will take on the role on the coaching staff.

“We are excited to have Deion represent his alma mater as our defensive line coach,” head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] said in a released statement. “I have really been impressed watching him grow as a coach and leader these last three seasons. Deion’s passion for Penn State and the defensive line room has been a differentiator. It is clear to me that he wears his pride for this University through his work.”

Barnes, a former Penn State defensive lineman from 2012 through 2014, has spent the past three seasons on the Penn State coaching staff as a graduate assistant. During that time, he has helped to develop [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag], [autotag]Jesse Luketa[/autotag], [autotag]Odafe Oweh[/autotag], and [autotag]Shaka Toney[/autotag]. All four were drafted by NFL teams, including Oweh as a first-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2021.

“I am thrilled and honored to be the defensive line coach for my alma mater,” Barnes said in a released statement. “I am extremely grateful to Coach Franklin for giving me this opportunity to lead a room of tremendous young men who have worked so hard each and every day. I have a lot of pride and passion for Penn State University, and I am excited to go to work with this coaching staff, this team, my letterman brothers and the best fans in college football.”

Barnes will fill the spot on the coaching staff previously occupied by John Scott Jr., who left the program for an opportunity with the Detroit Lions.

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Penn State opens spring football practices on Tuesday, March 14. The annual Blue-White spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 15.

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Seahawks take Arnold Ebiketie over Boye Mafe in this ESPN 2022 re-draft

There’s still time for Mafe to catch up, but for now Ebiketie appears to have the higher ceiling in the NFL.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. That’s the energy that Brady Henderson brought into ESPN’s 2022 NFL re-draft. In the first round, he had the Seahawks going the same route they did last year, selecting Mississippi State left tackle Charles Cross with the No. 9 overall pick.

In the second round of ESPN’s re-draft, Henderson picked Michigan State running back Ken Walker in the spot (No. 40 overall) that had gone to Minnesota outside linebacker Boye Mafe.

With the very next pick, Henderson went in a different direction. Instead of taking Mafe, he went with a different edge defender: Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie:

“The Seahawks loved Ebiketie but never got a chance to take him in the actual draft, ending up with Boye Mafe instead. With Mafe off the board in this scenario, they could take Ebiketie, who had similar production during his rookie season but a much better pass rush win rate — 17.6% compared to Mafe’s 10.2%.”

You’ll hear no argument from us. There’s still time for Mafe to catch up, but for now Ebiketie appears to have the higher ceiling in the NFL.

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PSU recruiting: Transfer receiver has Penn State in his top 5

If Penn State ios looking for a veteran transfer wide receiver, here’s one who has his eye on the Nittany Lions.

Penn State will be heading to the Rose Bowl to take on Utah to start off the new year. After that, it’s the offseason, and when it comes to the transfer portal, [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] is no stranger to that.

The past two offseasons, the Nittany Lions have utilized the transfer portal and have found great benefits from it. Last season, they brought in Temple transfer defensive end [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag], who went on to be a second-round draft pick to Atlanta Falcons in the 2022 draft.

This season, they brought in Maryland defensive lineman [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], Western Kentucky wide receiver [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] and Cornell offensive lineman [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag].

As of right now, there is a player that has Penn State in the mix for his latest list of top schools.

We’re staying on the offensive side of the ball for another pass-catcher. South Florida wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. is down to four schools: Colorado, Penn State, Houston, and Texas A&M.

According to his social media posting, it appears Horn Jr. anticipates announcing his transfer decision on Christmas. It is worth a reminder the early signing period opens up on Dec. 21. And with Colorado making a major splash hire with Deion Sanders recently, the Buffs could suddenly be an attractive candidate for almost any transfer right now.

As mentioned, the Nittany Lions brought in Tinsley, who really started to find his groove in the offense throughout the second half of the season. He finished the regular season with 528 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Horn Jr. finished this season with 551 receiving yards and three touchdowns. South Florida also hired their new head coach over the weekend in Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh.

With [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and Tinsley potentially leaving for the draft, that leaves a receiver room full of youth. The next guy in line would be [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag]. But, if Penn State can add another veteran player to pair with him, that would be a big help for [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] in his first year starting at the collegiate level for the Nittany Lions.

There are already a few pass-catchers in the transfer portal, some of which could help the Nittany Lions quite a bit. Oregon wide receiver Donte Thornton Jr. is one of them, and USF receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. is another.

With players entering the transfer portal left and right, it will be interesting to see if Penn State brings in another pass-catcher. With the Nittany Lions in his top five, Horn Jr. is a key guy to watch for Penn State transfer portal players this offseason.

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Falcons Week 13 inactives: LB Arnold Ebiketie OUT vs. Steelers

#Falcons rookie LB Arnold Ebiketie is one of seven players ruled OUT vs. the Steelers in Week 13

The Atlanta Falcons (5-7) have released their Week 13 inactives list, ruling out seven players for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-7).

Linebacker Arnold Ebiketie and offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, both of whom were listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, have officially been ruled out. Cornerback Rashad Fenton, who Atlanta traded for at the deadline, is inactive for the second week in a row.

Check out the team’s full Week 13 inactives list below.