Here is every former Penn State plater on an NFL roster to start the new NFL season in 2022.
The start of a new season in the National Football League is here and there will be a good amount of Penn State flavor throughout the league this season. Penn State will have the eighth most players on an NFL opening day roster this season with 34 players appearing on an NFL team’s 53-man roster to start the season (plus two additional players on injured reserve and another on the physically unable to perform list). In all, Penn State claims 44 players are on NFL rosters to start the year with the inclusion of practice squad players.
That includes nine players who were on the Penn State roster in 2021, including wide receiver [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag], and safety [autotag]Jaquan Brisker[/autotag]. Dotson is one of four Penn State players on the Washington Commanders, the most of any NFL franchise to start the season.
Former kicker [autotag]Robbie Gould[/autotag] continues to be the elder statesman of the Nittany Lions football family in the NFL. Gould, of the San Francisco 49ers, is entering his 19th season in the NFL.
Here is a look at every Penn State player on either an NFL team’s 53-man roster or practice squad at the start of the 2022 season.
The NFL schedule release lets us know when Penn State’s latest NFL draft class is set to make their NFL debut.
The 2022 NFL draft has come and gone and in doing so Penn State fans have new players to follow as they pursue professional careers.
This draft class saw eight Nittany Lions get drafted over the course of the drafts seven rounds. They then saw five more players get signed as undrafted free agents, sending 13 players to the NFL off of a college roster is no easy task. It speaks to what [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff have been able to do with their players and why he is seeing a recruiting boom taking place in Happy Valley.
After careers that saw them build themselves up at Beaver Stadium they now will begin the grueling travel of a 17-game NFL schedule. Take a look at who and where they will be playing in their first NFL games.
Keeping track of Penn State players signed as undrafted free agents in the NFL
The NFL draft is always the craziest time of the year for any team. The only thing that comes close to it experienced over seven rounds is the epitome organized chaos. Teams are making calls, making offers, and hoping to grab anyone who well out of the draft who they had a draftable grade on.
The best part of this is simple, so many players get one more shot at completing a lifelong dream. For several Penn State players in this draft class it is their one shot at the glory the NFL can provide. We saw several players with rather significant draft slides that still got drafted but that doomed several other players hoping to hear their names.
Thankfully, a handful of them have found homes for now and others have camp invites to show what they can bring to a team this summer. It can be hard to track all these players down so allow for us to assist.
The Atlanta Falcons weren’t content to add just one Penn State defensive lineman in the draft, so they signed another.
Not content to have just one Penn State defensive lineman on its roster from the recent draft class, the Atlanta Falcons have reportedly signed defensive tackle [autotag]Derrick Tangelo[/autotag]. Tangelo was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Falcons over the weekend after the conclusion of the 2022 NFL draft.
According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, the Falcons signed Tangleo to a contract valued at $55,0000.
Former Penn State DT Derrick Tangelo is signing with the #Falcons on a deal that includes $55,000 guaranteed, per his agents @NessMugrabi and @davidcanter
Tangelo may not have been drafted, but it was expected he would be a late-round draft pick if he was picked up by an NFL team. So the Falcons are getting a player that could be one to keep an eye on because he can play at the next level.
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Penn State offensive lineman Eric Wilson is the long Nittany Lion in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
The Senior Bowl may get all of the recognition when it comes to college football all-star games, but this weekend is a pretty important one for a number of players hoping to catch the eyes of the NFL. The first of the three most notable college football all-star games will be played this weekend with the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl kicking off in the Rose Bowl on Saturday evening.
Penn State offensive lineman Eric Wilson will be among those playing in the game, which is the only college all-star game directly connected with the NFL. Wilson will get one final chance to put on the pads and helmet and show what he can do against other talented players from across the college football spectrum as they hope to show NFL scouts they belong in the professional ranks.
Wilson started in 12 games for Penn State in 2021 after transferring to the program from Harvard. With the Crimson, Wilson played in 22 games from 2017 through 2019 (Harvard and the rest of the Ivy League did not play football in 2020 due to the pandemic).
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will air on NFL Network beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Wilson is the 10th player from Penn State to make an appearance in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
Moving forward, the East-West Shrine Game will be played on Thursday, February 3 in Las Vegas. Linebacker Ellis Brooks and defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo each accepted invitations to play in the game.
The Senior Bowl is scheduled for next Saturday, February 5 at 2:30 p.m. ET. Tariq Castro-Fields, Arnold Ebiketie, Jesse Luketa, Jordan Stout, and Jahan Dotson have all accepted invites and are on the National team roster to be coached by the staff of the New York Jets.
Penn State DT Derrick Tangelo is the latest to declare for the 2022 NFL draft and skip the Outback Bowl
Penn State’s depth on defense was already set to be put to the test in the Outback Bowl against Arkansas, but the test just got a little bit harder on Wednesday. Derrick Tangelo joined a handful of his defensive teammates in declaring for the NFL draft and choosing to opt-out of the bowl game.
Tangelo announced his decision with a message shared on his Twitter account on Wednesday.
“It was an electric environment every time in Beaver Stadium with the 107k bringing the energy play in and play out,” Tangelo said. “You guys will always be with me and I’ll always appreciate you.”
“With that being said, I will be forgoing the bowl game and I will be preparing myself for the 2022 NFL Draft,” Tangleo announced. “I am excited to see what the future holds for me and my family.”
Tangelo transferred to Penn State from Duke as a graduate transfer, and he wasted no time in establishing himself on the defensive line. Tangelo started all 12 regular-season games for Penn State.
Tangelo is the fifth defensive starter to announce a decision to opt-out of the Outback Bowl, and the sixth starter overall. Tangelo joins fellow defensive lineman Arnold Ebiketie, safety Jaquan Brisker, and linebackers Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks in sitting out of the Outback Bowl. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson is also opting out to begin focusing on his NFL future.
5 takeaways from Penn State’s 28-0 victory over Rutgers in Week 12
Penn State managed to close out its home schedule with a win on Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium. As I suspected it may be, it was a bit of a slow burn for Rutgers as Penn State pulled away in the second half after a sluggish start to the game. But what I didn’t see coming was a backup quarterback coming into the game to provide the much-needed spark on offense. Christian Veilleux was impressive in his first career game for Penn State and the defense was once again its dominant self as Penn State handled Rutgers, 28-0, to clinch a winning season.
Here are some of my initial takeaways from Penn State’s Week 12 win against Rutgers.
1. A look to the future with Christian Veilleux?
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Fans love the backup quarterback, and Christian Veilleux gave no reason not to be looking forward to the future of the Penn State offense. For all of the focus that has been placed on Class of 2022 quarterback Drew Allar, it may be premature to completely forget about Veilleux too.
On Saturday, Veilleux quickly got himself adjusted to what he was facing from the Rutgers defense and ended his first career game with three touchdown passes and 235 yards. He also rushed for 36 yards on 10 rushing attempts.
2. It’s a shame Sean Clifford didn’t get to finish the game
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
I said after the Michigan loss last week that Sean Clifford was absolutely deserving of respect for his commitment to representing this program despite being as banged up as he has been and was against the Wolverines. I see no reason to back away from that stance this week. Clifford was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with an apparent arm injury, but he was also reportedly under the weather and not feeling great for the game. But on senior day, he wanted to get one final time to go out a winner in a Penn State uniform in Beaver Stadium.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get to do that quite in the way he would have liked. We’ll see if Clifford is available and back in the starting lineup next week when Penn State goes to Michigan State. If he is healthy, I see no reason James Franklin would not go back to Clifford. But if Clifford is not ready to play, then there should be no reason to hesitate to hand the starting job to Veilleux for the first time.
Arnold Ebiketie has been so much fun to watch this season
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
It seems as though Arnold Ebiketie has been involved in some big moments all season long for Penn State. And on a line that lost PJ Mustipher recently, having Ebiketie making plays is always welcomed. The former Temple player who transferred to Penn State appears to be taking advantage of the opportunity to be a defensive force in Happy Valley and scouts will surely be intrigued to see how he looks in the draft prep cycle.
Penn State’s other transfer addition on the defensive line, Derrick Tangelo from Duke, also had an early impact with some big plays to set the tone.
4. I still am in awe of Jordan Stout
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Maybe I have been covering Penn State and Big Ten football too long, but I have really been enjoying the art of Penn State punter Jordan Stout. In a game of field position early on, Penn State and Rutgers were each well equipped in the punting department with two of the best punters in the nation showing off what they can do. Stout was pinning the Scarlet Knights offense deep in their own end throughout the first half, and he ended up getting more of a rest in the second half and the offense got going.
Having a punter like Stout is a luxury that can fly under the radar, but Penn State has one of the best punters in the country.
Let’s not revisit the Iowa game too much
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Going back to Christian Veilleux, it is difficult not to go back to the Iowa game and wonder what could have been if James Franklin opted to go with Veilleux instead of Taquan Roberson when Clifford was knocked out of the game by the Hawkeyes earlier this season.
That is easy to do after witnessing what Veilleux did against Rutgers, but I have a feeling not much would have been different if Franklin had a do-over. Even if Veilleux was inserted in the game in place of the injured Clifford against Iowa, Veilleux would have been put in the same awful situation Roberson was. On the road against the Iowa defense off the bench would have been as stiff a challenge as you could be put in. Veilleux had a much better situation in front of him in Week 12 against Rutgers at home and with the benefit of roughly twice as many weeks’ worth of practices under this belt.
But still, it’s hard not to wonder what could have been. Could Veilleux have led Penn State to one scoring drive that would change the outlook of the game? Maybe, but there is no guarantee.
Report Card: Grading Penn State’s victory over Rutgers, where the defense and special teams earn high honors
Things didn’t exactly go as planned for Penn State on senior day against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, but the Nittany Lions still managed to get to the end of its final home game in Beaver Stadium on the winning side of things. And after the second half of the season playing out the way it has, that is not to take for granted.
Here are the grades for Penn State’s performance against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium.
Quarterback: A-
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Perhaps this is more a grade specifically for Christian Veilleux, but we’ll go with it in this situation. Sean Clifford started the game but didn’t reach the end of the first quarter. things were tough for Penn State’s starter before getting knocked out of the game for the second time this season, and it took a little bit of time before Veilleux got in a groove.
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But it was difficult not to be impressed by Veilleux’s anticipated debut, especially given the circumstances. Veilleux threw three touchdown passes and made a few plays with his feet as well. And, best yet, it all helped lead to a win in a game that started off as sluggish as it could get.
Sean Clifford, Jahan Dotson, Jaquan Brisker, Journey Brown among those being honored at Penn State’s senior day
Penn State will play its final game in Beaver Stadium for the 2021 season on Saturday afternoon against Rutgers. And with this being the final home game of the season, it is the final opportunity for 32 players to step foot on the field inside Beaver Stadium for a game. Penn State will recognize 32 players for senior day festivities prior to kicking off against Rutgers on Saturday.
Of course, this is a slightly different type of senior day. Of the 32 players being recognized on Saturday afternoon, three players will be going through the senior day ceremony for a second time. Jaquan Brisker, Tariq Castro-Fields, and Ben Wilson were all recognized in Penn State’s senior day ceremony last season, but the NCAA allowed all players to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the entire sports world. So those three players opted for one more season in Happy Valley.
Of note, Penn State will recognize Sean Clifford, who could still potentially return for another season in 2022 (also a result of the NCAA’s decision on extra years of eligibility for all). Clifford isn’t the only player who can take advantage of that option, but there remains plenty of discussion on whether or not Clifford will return for another season.
Clifford’s top receiving target, Jahan Dotson, will also be recognized. Although Dotson could return for another season as well, there is no suggestion he will do so. Dotson is expected to be one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2022 NFL draft, and some believe he could be a first-round pick.
Penn State will also recognize Journey Brown. Brown was forced to medically retire prior to the 2020 season after learning of a health concern that made continuing playing football a risky endeavor.
Here is the full list of players Penn State will honor during the senior day, as provided by Penn State’s athletics department;
Jaquan Brisker
Ellis Brooks
Journey Brown
Tariq Castro-Fields
Rafael Checa
Max Chizmar
Sean Clifford
Jahan Dotson
Arnold Ebiketie
Winston Eubanks
Henry Fessler
Fred Hansard
Drew Hartlaub
Vlad Hilling
Des Holmes
Bradley King
Will Knutsson
Kaleb Konigus
John Lovett
Jesse Luketa
Jordan Miner
Mike Miranda
PJ Mustipher
Jordan Stout
Cam Sullivan-Brown
Johnathan Sutherland
Derrick Tangelo
Dan Vasey
Justin Weller
Anthony Whigan
Ben Wilson
Eric Wilson
The last game day at Beaver Stadium for 2021 is here and it’s been amazing having our fans back! Don’t miss a thing today and arrive early for our Senior Day recognition presented by @PennStateAlums#WeArepic.twitter.com/tmMtOuPW7q
Penn State football returns soon. Who are the key players to watch for the Nittany Lions in 2021?
Penn State enters the 2021 college football season with a bit of a chip on their shoulders. Following a rare losing season played during a pandemic, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are eager to prove they are better than their 2020 record would indicate. With a challenging schedule right out of the gate, Penn State will have plenty of opportunities to prove itself to the masses this fall.
And they will do so with enough talent on the roster to make some things happen. With experience at quarterback, one of the top wide receivers in the Big Ten, and one of the nation’s top defensive secondaries to rely on, there are a lot of good ingredients for a successful season in Happy Valley. Every position has a chance to play a key role in the fortunes of Penn State this season too.
Here is a look at 21 key players Penn State has on the roster in 2021, listed in no particular order.
