UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A total of 47 Penn State Football alumni (36 active) are populating the rosters of 24 National Football League organizations. The Nittany Lions annually rank among the top 20 programs nationally in producing players in the NFL.
The 2024 NFL slate is scheduled to begin Thursday night with a matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. Four Nittany Lions will be in action on the NFL’s opening night, including two rookies, Adisa Isaac (Baltimore Ravens) and Hunter Nourzad (Kansas City Chiefs).
An additional four Nittany Lions that heard their names called during the 2024 NFL Draft are on active rosters ahead of the league’s opening weekend, a rookie class headlined by first round picks Olumuyiwa Fashanu (New York Jets) and Chop Robinson (Miami Dolphins). Although he went undrafted, Curtis Jacobs was also named to the New England Patriots 53-man active roster.
Fashanu and Robinson became Penn State’s 41st and 42nd all-time first round draft picks. It marks the first time Penn State had multiple first round draft picks since Micah Parsons (12th overall, Dallas Cowboys) and Odafe Oweh (31st overall, Baltimore Ravens) in 2021. It is the 10th time Penn State has had multiple first round picks in the same draft.
Saquon Barkley (free agency) and Jahan Dotson (via trade), both recently joined the Philadelphia Eagles, highlight a number of Nittany Lions that will play for new teams this year. That group also includes Ryan Bates (Chicago Bears), Mike Gesicki (Cincinnati Bengals), and Yetur Gross-Matos (San Francisco 49ers). Parsons (Dallas Cowboys), Jaquan Brisker (Chicago Bears), Oweh (Baltimore Ravens), and Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers) front the group of Nittany Lions returning to play for their 2023 squads.
With the retirement of all-time great kicker Robbie Gould following the 2023 campaign, DaQuan Jones takes up the mantle as Penn State’s longest-tenured NFL player, now entering his 11th professional campaign.
Here’s how these former Nittany Lion greats are set to line up in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.
Saquon Barkley (2015-17) RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Ryan Bates (2016-18) OL, Chicago Bears
Jaquan Brisker (2019-21) S, Chicago Bears
Cam Brown (2016-19) LB, Miami Dolphins
- Brown is on Miami’s practice squad.
Ji’Ayir Brown (2020-22) S, San Francisco 49ers
Tariq Castro-Fields (2017-21) CB, Carolina Panthers
Dan Chisena (2015-19) WR, Arizona Cardinals
- Chisena is on Arizona’s practice squad.
Sean…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Penn State – Official Athletics Website…