Penn State wide receiver Peter Gonzalez has sustained a “long-term injury” and will be out for “a little bit,” James Franklin said after practice Tuesday. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound Gonzalez joined the program as a true freshman this offseason.
Gonzalez, the son of the former Pitt and NFL quarterback of the same name, earned high praise from Franklin last week.
“Peter’s been kind of steady Eddie. Really smart, understands how to prepare,” Franklin said on Thursday. “I think having a dad who played major college football and had some time in the NFL has taken a very mature approach. Very smart, Very consistent.”
The specifics of his injury are unclear, but Gonzalez is no stranger to long-term absences. After his sophomore at Pittsburgh’s Central Catholic High School, Gonzalez tore his ACL, rehabbing for months before returning in time for his junior season.
Gonzalez was one of three receivers the Nittany Lions welcomed this offseason. Tyseer Denmark and Josiah Brown were the other two.
Brown, the team’s highest-rated receiver recruit in 2024, has also experienced some time off since joining the program.
“JB has missed a lot of time, so he’s still kind of working through that,” Franklin said. “And I know he feels really good, but he’s still working back a lot of time to miss, both physically and emotionally.”
Denmark, however, has appeared healthy through all three of Penn State’s practice viewing sessions, and should contend for playing time this fall.
“Tyseer’s really flashed and done some really nice things. This is very, very different, so there’s still an adjustment period going on, but there’s a pretty significant buzz in the program about him. … Really pleased with all three of them. Tyseer is probably the guy that, right now, is the closest maybe to helping us,” Franklin said.
