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 Clifford (2017-22) QB, Green Bay Packers
- Clifford is on Green Bay’s practice squad.
Jahan Dotson (2018-21) WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Arnold Ebiketie (2021) LB, Atlanta Falcons
Olumuyiwa Fashanu (2020-23) OL, New York Jets
Pat Freiermuth (2018-20) TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Will Fries (2017-20) OL, Indianapolis Colts
Mike Gesicki (2014-17) TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Blake Gillikin (2016-19) P, Arizona Cardinals
Kevin Givens (2016-18) DT, San Francisco 49ers
Chris Godwin (2014-16) WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yetur Gross-Matos (2017-19) DE, San Francisco 49ers
KJ Hamler (2017-2019) WR, Buffalo Bills
- Hamler is on Buffalo’s practice squad.
Daequan Hardy (2019-23) CB, Buffalo Bills
- Hardy is on Buffalo’s practice squad.
Adisa Isaac (2019-23) LB, Baltimore Ravens
Curtis Jacobs (2020-23) LB, New England Patriots
Austin Johnson (2013-15) DT, Buffalo Bills
Theo Johnson (2020-23) TE, New York Giants
DaQuan Jones (2010-13) DL, Buffalo Bills
Kalen King (2021-23) CB, Green Bay Packers
- King is on Green Bay’s practice squad.
Jesse Luketa (2018-21) LB, Arizona Cardinals
Connor McGovern (2016-18) OL, Buffalo Bills
PJ Mustipher (2018-22) DL, Arizona Cardinals.
- Mustipher is on Arizona’s practice squad.
Hunter Nourzad (2022-23) OL, Kansas City Chiefs
Amani Oruwariye (2015-18) CB, Dallas Cowboys
- Oruwariye is on Dallas’ practice squad.
Odafe Oweh (2019-20) LB, Baltimore Ravens
Micah Parsons (2018-19) LB, Dallas Cowboys
Joey Porter Jr. (2019-22) CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Chop Robinson (2022-23) LB, Miami Dolphins
Allen Robinson II (2011-13) WR, Detroit Lions
- Robinson is on Detroit’s practice squad.
Miles Sanders (2016-18) RB, Carolina Panthers
Nick Scott (2015-18) S, Carolina Panthers
Juice Scruggs (2018-22) OL, Houston Texans
Brandon Smith (2019-21) LB, Philadelphia Eagles
- Smith is on Philadelphia's practice squad.
Chris Stoll (2017-22) LS, Seattle Seahawks
Jordan Stout (2019-21) P, Baltimore Ravens
Brenton Strange (2019-22) TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Mitchell Tinsley (2022) WR, Washington Commanders
- Tinsley is on Washington’s practice squad.
Rasheed Walker (2019-21) OL, Green Bay Packers
Caedan Wallace (2019-23) OL, New England Patriots
Parker Washington (2020-22) WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
The 2024 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.