Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth announced that he would return for his junior season on Twitter shortly after Penn State’s 27-6 win over Rutgers Saturday.

“The brotherhood and family atmosphere in this program is something I am not ready to leave,” he said in a letter to Nittany Nation. “The culture Coach Franklin and his staff have created here is very special, and I love being a part of it. It’s also important to me to achieve my goal of getting my degree from one of most prestigious universities in the country.”

This comes after recent speculation that Freiermuth would declare for the NFL Draft and turn pro after this season. Even though he’s a true sophomore, the tight end is eligible because he did a year of prep school after graduating high school and before enrolling at Penn State.

When he was asked about entering the draft last week, Freiermuth said he hadn’t even thought or talked about it with his family and coaches yet.

In two seasons with the Nittany Lions, Freiermuth has 67 receptions for 836 yards and 15 touchdowns. To this point, he has never missed a game.

Although Freiermuth has played very well this season, he was not a finalist for the John Mackey Award, which is given to the best tight end in the country. Just last week, while peopled wondered about his draft status, Freiermuth hinted at a return and said that he planned to win the award at Penn State.

“Obviously it’s not going to be this year, it’s going to be next year or the year after that,” he said.

About the Author

Owen Abbey

Owen Abbey was a Secondary Education major before he graduated from the wonderful institution known as Penn State. When he was not writing for the blog, he enjoyed rooting for the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens, supporting Penn State basketball and softball, dreaming of all of the ways he would win the TV show "Survivor," and yes mom, actually doing school work. All of this work prepared him to teach his own class of students, which was always his true passion. He still can be found on Twitter @theowenabbey and can be reached for questions and comments at coabbey22@gmail.com

How Centre County Voted In The 2026 Midterm Elections

Centre County saw a 55.32% voter turnout rate in the general election.

Man Accused of Stealing Vehicle From State College Hotel & Driving Drunk

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 12.

‘Blood In The Water’: Penn State Football Cornerback Audavion Collins & Secondary Elevating Surrounding Units

“He does a good job of making everyone else around him better because he’s the hardest-working guy on the field at all times.”