Penn State football starting safety Jaquan Brisker will return for 2021 season
Penn State will return another key piece in the secondary next season. Senior safety Jaquan Brisker will return to the Nittany Lions for the 2021 season. He announced the decision Monday afternoon with a video via his personal Twitter account.
Brisker joins fellow defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields as seniors in the secondary planning to use their final year of eligibility. The senior pair will be able to return for a fifth year after the NCAA ruled that the 2020 fall sports season would not count toward student-athletes’ eligibility clock.
The 2021 season will be Brisker’s third at Penn State after he transferred from Lackawanna College following his sophomore season. He made an instant impact as a junior, appearing in all 13 games and getting named to the Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten third team. His senior year saw even more success with eight starts and a spot on the third team All-Big Ten by the coaches and an honorable mention by the media.
Brisker has tallied 89 total tackles, 12 passes defended and three interceptions in his two years as a Nittany Lion. He made his biggest impact down the stretch of the 2020 season, including an impressive performance against Michigan State in Week 8. He racked up nine tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and an interception in the game.
His return is the second important piece the Nittany Lions have brought back in the last week, after junior wide receiver Jahan Dotson announced Thursday evening he would return for the 2021 season.
Penn State is currently scheduled to open the 2021 season on the road in a Big Ten matchup with Wisconsin on Sept. 4.
This story was originally published January 11, 2021 at 12:43 PM.
