It was a relatively quiet week for former Nittany Lions in the NFL to close out the preseason slate, with many established players resting before the regular season starts.
Still, former Penn State standouts made impacts on the stat sheet across the league as they looked to refine their skills or battle for roster spots ahead of the 2025-26 NFL season.
Here’s a roundup of the action.
Pat Freiermuth, tight end, Pittsburgh Steelers: Though he’s already the presumed starter and doesn’t have much to prove, Freiermuth got the start for Week 3 of the preseason and caught two passes for six yards.
Kobe King, linebacker, Minnesota Vikings: King continued a strong first preseason, racking up four tackles, including three solo. He had five tackles a week ago and three in his first preseason game, showing consistency in limited playing time.
Amani Oruwariye, cornerback, Tennessee Titans: As an encore to his five-tackle outing a week prior, Oruwariye recorded three tackles in a win over the Vikings, plus a quarterback hit.
Curtis Jacobs, linebacker, Tennessee Titans: Jacobs finished with two tackles, matching his performance from Week 1. He’s battling for a roster spot on his third NFL squad after brief stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots.
Jaquan Brisker, safety, Chicago Bears: As an established starter, Brisker was held out of the Bears’ first two preseason games. It took him less than two quarters to accumulate six total tackles, which led the team in a 29-27 win over the Chiefs.
Jordan Stout, punter, Baltimore Ravens: Though he wasn’t booming punts, Stout finished with four boots averaging 43.8 yards, all of which landed inside the 20-yard line. It concludes a strong preseason showing from the former Nittany Lion as he enters his fourth year as the Ravens’ starter.
Sean Clifford, quarterback, Green Bay Packers: Clifford didn’t see much action in the final preseason game, earning some snaps in the first half. Jordan Love didn’t play and Clifford came into the game after Malik Willis, meaning he likely sits third on the depth chart heading into 53-man roster cuts due on Tuesday.
Kalen King, cornerback, Green Bay Packers: On the other side of the ball, King recorded a solo tackle and recovered a fumble, capping off a strong preseason showing. King is also battling for a roster spot ahead of cuts.
Chop Robinson, defensive end, Miami Dolphins: Robinson got the start and sacked Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback John Wolford on the first play from scrimmage for a 9-yard loss. That ended up as his only action of the game, serving as one last tune up before his second NFL season.
KJ Hamler, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills: Hamler got some burn in the Bills’ final preseason game, recording three catches on three targets for 33 yards, with 30 coming on one play. Hamler isn’t expected to start, but with a solid preseason he may make the 53-man roster.
Dvon J-Thomas, defensive tackle, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: J-Thomas saw action in the second half and recorded a solo tackle, his second of the preseason. After being signed as an undrafted free agent and seeing little preseason action, he’s at risk of being cut by Tuesday.
Ji’Ayir Brown, safety, San Francisco 49ers: Brown was in to start the game and recorded two tackles before being pulled. Brown is expected to retain his starting spot this season.
PJ Mustipher, defensive tackle, Arizona Cardinals: Mustipher started the game and tallied three tackles across the Las Vegas Raiders’ first three drives, making his presence known.
Blake Gilikin, punter, Arizona Cardinals: Gilikin closed out the preseason slate by staying busy, booming seven punts for an average of 51.2 yards, including four punts inside the 20-yard line.
