Penn State Football: Defensive Tackle PJ Mustipher Out for Rest of Season with Injury

Senior defensive tackle PJ Mustipher will miss the remainder of the 2021 season James Franklin confirmed following practice on Wednesday. The longtime starter left Penn State’s clash against Iowa this past weekend during the Hawkeyes’ first drive and did not return. Mustipher was later seen walking the sideline on crutches wearing street clothes.

“PJ will be out for the season,” Franklin said during a post practice media scrum . “I thought the guys that went in behind did some good things. Obviously PJ, we think, is an elite-level player, so they still got work to do. But I thought overall those guys did some good things.”

In his absence Penn State will likely look to D’Von Ellies who replaced Mustipher on Saturday, briefly leaving the game with an injury of his own before returning. Franklin and defensive line coach John Scott Jr will also lean on the services of Coziah Izzard and Fatorma Mulbah alongside Duke transfer Derrick Tangelo.

Mustipher’s injury is the latest in a growing list of ailments along the defensive front and the third situation resulting in a lack availability for the rest of the year. The senior joins defensive end Adisa Isaac who suffered an injury before the year in addition to defensive tackle Hakeem Beamon who has not played this season and is not available this year according to a previous announcement by Franklin.

All told Mustipher has started in 15-straight games for the Nittany Lions and had made 21 tackles and a sack so far during the 2021 campaign.