11/18/2022 football Edit

Several former Penn State Football players drafted to play in the XFL

Richie O'Leary • Happy Valley Insider

Publisher

The XFL is officially back! After only a five week inaugural season in 2020 that ended with the league filing for bankruptcy shortly after. Now the league is finally back on it's feet as they held the 2022 XFL Draft on Wednesday afternoon as they prepare for kickoff 2023 this spring

With that being said let's see which former Nittany Lions were selected in the draft.

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OFF. SKILL -- ROUND 2 / PICK #12 -- RB JOHN LOVETT

XFL TEAM: Vegas Vipers

COLLEGE STATS: 407 car. for 1,980 yards / 17 TDs || 38 rec. for 219yds / 1TD

LIFE AFTER PENN STATE: Lovett originally started his college career with Baylor before transferring over to Penn State prior to the 2021 season he was featured mostly in a backup running back type of role. Following his lone year with the Nittany Lions, Lovett inked an undrafted free agent deal with the Carolina Panthers who were led by his former college head coach Matt Rhule. He was on and off the practice squad over a couple of weeks, but was finally cut again just before the season started. Now he is hoping to make a name for himself in the XFL in hopes of earning another shot in the NFL.

OFF. SKILL -- ROUND 10 / PICK #76 -- WR SAEED BLACKNALL

XFL TEAM: Vegas Vipers

COLLEGE STATS: 50 rec. for 979yds / 7 TDs

LIFE AFTER PENN STATE: After four years with the Nittany Lions, Blacknall went undrafted in the 2018 draft, but he was picked up by the Oakland Raiders not too long along with former teammate Jason Cabinda. Despite a solid preseason from Blacknall he was waived right before the season and signed to the practice squad, going from back and forth from free agency to practice squad throughout the season. Over the next few years, Blacknall bounced around the league and even spent some time in the XFL previously during their lone season in 2020 with the Los Angeles Wildcats before finding his way to the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to the 2020 season.

OFFENSIVE LINE -- ROUND 2 / PICK #14 -- OL MICHAL MENET

XFL TEAM: Seattle Sea Dragons

COLLEGE STATS: 46 games played (34 starts)

LIFE AFTER PENN STATE: The former top 100 recruit from the 2016 class went on to be selected in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, but was released and re-signed to the team's practice squad in late August. Eventually he was released again a month later only to be picked up[ by the Green Bay Packers in December 2021 and then cut this past August.

OFFENSIVE LINE -- ROUND 3 / PICK #23 -- OL STEVEN GONZALEZ

XFL TEAM: Vegas Vipers

COLLEGE STATS: 50 games played (42 starts)

LIFE AFTER PENN STATE: After five seasons, helping to lead one of the nation's top five rushing attacks, Gonzalez signed with the Arizona Cardinals after not being selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. A few months later he was waived, but would reappear in May 2021 as he signed a deal with the Buffalo Bills, only to be waived a couple months down the road. Now Gonzalez is back again, this time hoping a stint in the XFL can help his chances of getting another shot in the big league.

DEF. FRONT SEVEN -- ROUND 3 / PICK #17 -- DT ROBERT WINDSOR

XFL TEAM: Vegas Vipers

COLLEGE STATS: 120 total tackles (50 solo) | 19.0 TFLS | 13.0 sacks | 3 FRs | 2 FFs

LIFE AFTER PENN STATE: The former three-star recruit out of Wisconsin had a solid career with the Nittany Lions earning himself invites to the 2020 Senior Bowl and the 2020 NFL Combine, along with being selected in sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He would go on to back and forth between the Colts practice squad before retiring from the league back in April of this year due to injuries and delays in rehab. Now he is back, healthy again and looking to prove he still has it in the new XFL.

DEF. FRONT SEVEN -- ROUND 8 / PICK #61 -- LB ELLIS BROOKS

XFL TEAM: Houston Roughnecks

COLLEGE STATS: 230 total tackles (118 solo) | 15 TFLs | 5.5 sacks | 1 INT | 2 PDs | 1 FR | 2FFs

LIFE AFTER PENN STATE: Brooks went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft this past spring, but signed relatively quickly with an NFL team as the Green Bay Packers inked him almost immediately after the draft concluded. He would go on to spend a few months there before being cut in August.