Week 5 turned into a showcase for former Penn State players across the NFL, with Parker Washington and Pat Freiermuth both finding the end zone twice and a Penn State reunion unfolding in Pittsburgh.
The biggest Penn State head-to-head of the week came at Acrisure Stadium, where the Steelers beat the Colts 34-22 with four Nittany Lions on the field. Pat Freiermuth gave Aaron Rodgers a steady target all afternoon, catching five passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns. His first score came early in the second quarter on a 1-yard stutter-step route into the end zone, and Rodgers hit him again in the fourth quarter on a 17-yard touchdown with Freiermuth essentially uncovered.
Tyler Warren had a strong day of his own for Indianapolis. He finished with seven catches for 83 yards and added a 1-yard rushing touchdown.
Lined up in a fullback spot behind Daniel Jones, Warren took the handoff from just inches out and leapt forward for the score. It was familiar territory for him, too - he had six rushing touchdowns at Penn State.
Pittsburgh safety Jaquan Brisker also made his presence felt, finishing with seven tackles and two passes defended in the win.
Washington had one of the most explosive outings of the week in London, where the Jaguars edged the Eagles 19-17. The former Penn State receiver posted six catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
His first came on a 1-yard throw from Trevor Lawrence, then he turned that into 50 yards after the catch by slipping past multiple defenders. Later, with minutes left in the fourth quarter, he pulled in a 27-yard one-handed touchdown and fell backward into the end zone.
Through five weeks, Washington has 22 receptions for 352 yards and four touchdowns. That yardage total ranks 14th among receivers, and his four scores are tied for fourth in the league.
There was bad injury news for a pair of former Nittany Lions as well. Saquon Barkley missed a majority of the Eagles’ Week 2 game with an injury, returned the next week, and is now out again after suffering a hamstring injury on Oct. 4 against the Los Angeles Rams.
He left after one quarter, did not practice before Sunday morning’s game, and was ruled out for the first time this season. There is no update on his return.
Micah Parsons has also been sidelined since tearing his ACL on Dec. 14, 2025. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Parsons is unlikely to return to practice this week, though the Packers are hoping he can begin football activities sometime this month.
Mike Gesicki, meanwhile, had a quieter line for the Bengals but still made one catch matter. His lone reception covered four yards and came in the back of the end zone against his former team, the Dolphins, helping Cincinnati to a 31-24 win. The touchdown was his fourth of the season and gave him a score for the third straight week.
Penn State’s reputation for producing pass rushers showed up again Sunday, too. Packers defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton picked up the first solo sack of his career against the Bears, blowing through the B-gap past left tackle Theo Benedet before wrapping up Case Keenum. And Giants linebacker Abdul Carter added a sack of his own, chasing Jayden Daniels out of the pocket for a loss of yards.
In Other News...
Penn State Still Feels The Fallout From One Costly Decision
Penn States coaching change in October 2025 set off a stretch of uncertainty that still shapes how the program is being judged today. James Franklin was dismissed after a third straight Big Ten loss, and what followed was a 54-day search that eventually landed on Matt Campbell. The move gave the Nittany Lions a fresh start on the sideline, but it also came with the kind of scrutiny that never really disappears once a high-profile job opens up.
The process drew plenty of attention along the way, including interest in Bob Chesney and Kalani Sitake, and it has only sharpened the conversation around athletic director Pat Krafts decisions. Penn State opened the next season 3-0, but the losses that followed knocked the team out of College Football Playoff contention and left the program dealing with the bigger question of whether the right call was made when the search finally ended. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Used White Out Weekend To Turn Up Recruiting Pressure
White Out weekend has long been Penn States best stage for making a first impression, and this years recruiting version leaned hard into that advantage. More than 100 prospects came through campus, giving the staff a chance to showcase the atmosphere to a group that included most of the 2027 class and several highly regarded 2028 players. Eighteen of the 22 committed players in that 2027 group were on hand, a useful sign for a class that is currently ranked No. 20 nationally.
The event also gave Penn State a chance to keep pushing ahead while the calendar still has room to shift. Along with hosting the visitors, the program handed out new offers to players in the 2028, 2029 and 2030 classes, widening the board while the buzz from the weekend was still fresh. For a staff that knows how much the White Out setting can matter, the message was clear: the pressure is on now, long before these recruiting battles reach the finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Suddenly Has A Defensive Problem It Cant Ignore
Penn States defense hit a rough patch in Week 6, and Marcus Neal Jr. ended up at the center of it. The Iowa State transfer safety was benched after struggling in coverage during Big Ten play, a reminder that the Lions portal-heavy approach does not always come with instant answers, especially when the schedule tightens and the margins get smaller.
Neal is not the only former Cyclone who has had trouble settling in. Linebackers Kooper Ebel and Jeremiah Cooper have also underperformed, with tackling and coverage issues becoming part of the conversation. For a defense that wants to stay dependable deep into conference play, the question now is whether Penn State needs to lean less on some of those Iowa State transfers and give younger options a bigger look. [Read more 🡒]