Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514597
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 6 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Chisena appeared in four games after being signed by Arizona in November and finished with 2 tackles. Sean Clifford (2017-22), QB, Green Bay Packers: Clifford attempted his first career pass in Week 17 against Minnesota, hitting receiver Bo Melton for a 37-yard gain. He played in two regular-season games and briefly saw action in the Packers' 48-32 upset of Dallas in the wild card round of the playoffs. Jahan Dotson (2019-2021), WR, Washington Com- manders: Dotson finished as Washington's third- leading receiver with 49 catches for 518 yards. He tied for the team lead with 4 touchdown receptions. Arnold Ebiketie (2021), DE, Atlanta Falcons: Ebiketie ranked third on the Falcons with 6 sacks. He played in all 17 games and totaled 25 tackles. Pat Freiermuth (2018-20), TE, Pittsburgh Steel- ers: Freiermuth had 5 catches for 76 yards in the Steelers' 31-17 loss to Buffalo in the wild card round. Both were team highs. He finished the 2023 season with 32 receptions for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns after earning a total of nine starts. Will Fries (2016-20), OL, Indianapolis Colts: Fries had the second-most snaps (1,125) of any Colts of- fensive lineman, earning an overall blocking grade of 65.4 from Pro Football Focus. Mike Gesicki (2014-17), TE, New England Patri- ots: Gesicki played in all 17 games and made 10 starts, completing his first season in New England with 29 catches for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was his least-productive season since he was a rookie in 2018. Gesicki is a free agent, and it is unclear whether he will return to the Patriots for Year 1 of the Jerod Mayo coaching era. Blake Gillikin (2016-19), P, Arizona Cardinals: Signed by the Cardinals in October, Gillikin made 13 game appearances and averaged 50.6 yards on 51 punts. Kevin Givens (2016-18), DT, San Francisco 49ers: A backup defensive tackle for the top-seeded team in the NFC playoffs, Givens finished the regular season with 23 tackles including 1.5 sacks. Chris Godwin (2014-16), WR, Tampa Bay Bucca- neers: Godwin caught the game-icing touchdown, a 24-yard lob from Tampa Bay quarterback Baker May- field, in the Bucs' 32-9 demolition of the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round. Godwin finished with 4 catches for 45 yards after having 83 catches for 1,024 yards and 2 scores in the regular season. Yetur Gross-Matos (2017-19), DE, Carolina Pan- thers: Gross-Matos missed time with a hamstring injury. He played in only 12 games but still finished third on the team with 4.5 sacks. KJ Hamler (2018-19), WR, Indianapolis Colts: Signed to the Colts' practice squad in late Septem- ber, Hamler did not see any game action in 2023. Austin Johnson (2012-15), DT, Los Angeles Char- gers: A starter at nose tackle, Johnson played in 17 games and totaled 46 stops for the Chargers. DaQuan Jones (2010-13), DL, Buffalo Bills: Jones assisted on 2 tackles in the Bills' 31-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card round. During the regular season, the defensive tackle had 2.5 sacks, 16 tackles, and 5 quarterback hits over seven games. Jesse Luketa (2018-21), LB, Arizona Cardinals: Luketa appeared in 14 games and made 11 tackles, including 1 for loss. Connor McGovern (2016-18), G, Buffalo Bills: McGovern started every game so far this season for Buffalo at guard. He was the team's best pass blocker during the regular season, per Pro Football Focus. Trace McSorley (2014-18), QB, Pittsburgh Steel- ers: After signing him to their practice squad in De- cember following an injury to starting quarterback Kenny Pickett, the Steelers cut McSorley on Jan. 9. PJ Mustipher (2018-22), DT, New Orleans Saints: After starting out on Denver 's practice squad, Mustipher was signed to the Saints' active roster on Dec. 6. The rookie defensive tackle played in four games and made 4 tackles. Amani Oruwariye (2014-18), CB, Jacksonville Jag- uars: Oruwariye joined the Jaguars' practice squad in October but did not see any game action in 2023. Odafe Oweh (2018-20), DE, Baltimore Ravens: Despite being slowed by an ankle injury that forced him to miss four games early in the season, Oweh totaled 5 sacks to rank third on the Ravens heading into the AFC playoffs. Micah Parsons (2018-19), LB, Dallas Cowboys: Parsons was the lone Penn State alum named to the Pro Bowl, and he'll have ample time to prepare after the Cowboys' stunning elimination in the wild card round of the playoffs. He finished the regular season with 14 sacks (tied for seventh in the league) and 18 tackles for loss (sixth). He was held to 2 tackles in Dallas' season-ending loss to Green Bay. Allen Robinson II (2011-2013), WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: Robinson had a limited role in the Steel- ers' 31-17 loss to Buffalo in the wild card round. He caught 2 passes for 12 yards after hauling in 34 for 280 yards during the 2023 regular season. Miles Sanders (2016-18), RB, Carolina Panthers: Sanders carried 129 times for 432 yards (3.3 yards per carry) and scored 1 touchdown for a Panthers team that averaged a league-worst 265.3 yards per game and finished 2-15. Nick Scott (2014-18), S, Cincinnati Bengals: Scott ranked seventh on the Bengals' defense with 57 tackles. Juice Scruggs (2018-22), IOL, Houston Texans: Following a hamstring injury that delayed his NFL debut, Scruggs has been starting at left guard for the Texans. He was their best blocker in the first round of the playoffs, earning a 78.7 grade from Pro Foot- ball Focus for his performance against Cleveland. Brandon Smith (2019-21), LB, Philadelphia Ea- gles: After starting out his NFL career with Caro- lina, Smith joined the Eagles' practice squad in October. He was elevated for the team's regular- season finale against the New York Giants and had 1 tackle but was demoted again before the loss to Tampa Bay in the wild card round. Donovan Smith (2011-14), OT, Kansas City Chiefs: Smith has been a fixture at left tackle for the Chiefs. His 73.7 blocking grade from PFF was the team's third-best in its 26-7 win over Miami in the wild card round of the playoffs. Chris Stoll (2017-22), LS, Seattle Seahawks: Stoll played in all 17 games as the Seahawks' long snapper. Jordan Stout (2019-21), P, Baltimore Ravens: Stout averaged 47.8 yards on 66 punts during the regular season, helping the Ravens claim the top seed in the AFC playoffs. Brenton Strange (2019-22), TE, Jacksonville Jaguars: Strange played in 14 games and had 5 catches for 35 yards and 1 touchdown. Jonathan Sutherland (2017-22), S, Seattle Se- ahawks: Sutherland was signed to the Seahawks' practice squad on Oct. 31. He did not see any game action in 2023. Mitchell Tinsley (2022), WR, Washington Com- manders: Tinsley played in only one game and did not catch a pass during the 2023 season. Rasheed Walker (2018-21), OT, Green Bay Pack- ers: Walker has been a pleasant surprise for the Packers. A second-year pro, he's been the team's starting left tackle for much of the year and com- piled a 74.1 pass-blocking grade from PFF during the regular season. Parker Washington (2020-22), WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Despite missing time with a knee injury, Washington flashed potential both on offense and special teams. In nine games, he caught 16 passes for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns while also averag- ing 10.5 yards on 12 punt returns. ■ Nittany Lion Quintet Drafted Into NWSL Five Penn State players were selected in the National Women's Soccer League Draft on Jan. 12, the most in program history. Defender Kate Wiesner and forward Payton Linnehan both were chosen in the first round, with Wiesner selected seventh overall by the Washington Spirit and Linnehan going 11th to the Portland Thorns. Defender Ellie Wheeler (Kansas City Current) and midfielder Cori Dyke (Orlando Pride) followed in the second round. Goalkeeper Katherine Asman was the final PSU player to hear her name called, going in the third round to the Thorns. Penn State was one of two college programs to have five players chosen, the other being BYU. North Carolina had the most draftees with six. — Matt Herb