Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth to skip NFL Draft, return to Nittany Lions in 2020
Penn State sophomore tight end Pat Freiermuth will be back in blue and white for the 2020 season. Freiermuth announced his intention to return to Penn State for his junior year via Twitter shortly after the Nittany Lions earned a 27-6 win over Rutgers in the team’s season finale.
Freiermuth, a true sophomore, was determined to be eligible for the 2020 NFL Draft thanks to a postgraduate year he did in Massachusetts that makes him three years removed from high school. Freiermuth had been generating some draft buzz, but cited several reasons why he made the decision to return.
“The brotherhood and family atmosphere in this program is something that I am not ready to leave,” Freiermuth said in the statement he posted on Twitter. “The culture (Penn State Head) Coach (James) Franklin and the staff have created here is something very special and I love being part of it.”
The true sophomore also cited his academic interests in making the decision to return.
“It is also important for me to achieve my goal of getting my degree from one of the most prestigious universities in the country,” the statement read.
Freiermuth was left off the list of John Mackey Award finalists this season, although he did make the semifinalist list. The Mackey Award is given annually to the nation’s top tight end.
The sophomore finished the regular season with 468 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns on 41 receptions, finishing second on the team in all three receiving categories. He also routinely makes plays in the running game as a blocker.
Freiermuth’s return means at least half of the team’s top two receiving options will return to Penn State in 2020. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver K.J. Hamler, who led the team in receiving yards and receptions with 858 and 54 respectively, has yet to announce whether he will return to Penn State or enter the 2020 NFL Draft.
This story was originally published November 30, 2019 at 8:19 PM.
