Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher will return for a fifth season in State College, he announced on Tuesday afternoon.
“This past year didn’t end the way I had expected, and I look forward to pursuing the goals we have set out as a team, as well as the goals I have for myself,” Mustipher wrote in a Twitter post. “I am excited to get back to school and continue my rehab and [work] with the guys for the upcoming season.”
Mustipher was in the process of putting together a solid senior season prior to a season-ending injury against Iowa at the midway point of the year. At the time he had posted 16-solo tackles, which is a career-high for the talented defensive lineman through just five games. Overall he managed 21 tackles and three tackles for a loss including a sack. That mark was good enough for 14th on the team despite not playing the final eight games of the year.
Assuming he is healthy and stays healthy during the 2022 season, Mustipher will give Penn State’s defense a solid boost in the trenches on the defensive side of the ball after losing a host of players to the NFL Draft. Linebackers Ellis Brooks and Brandon Smith, safety Jaquan Brisker, and defensive end Jesse Luketa have all announced their intentions to enter the draft as well as defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and tackle Derrick Tangelo.
Mustipher will join defensive end Adisa Isaac on the road to recovery. Isaac missed the entirety of the 2021 season with an injury sustained over the summer.
