Penn State football has added former James Madison kickoff specialist Cristiano Rosa, he announced on X on Wednesday.

Rosa played the last two seasons at JMU, playing in all 27 games during that span. In 2025, he took 90 kickoffs for 5,670 yards, averaging 63 yards per kick. He finished the season with 62 touchbacks, including five or more in six games.

Before playing for the Dukes, the Shelton, Connecticut native, played for Central Connecticut in the Northeast Conference in FCS. He only played in one game during to seasons with Blue Devils, though, before transferring.

Rosa is the likely replacement as the starting kickoff specialist for the Nittany Lions after Gabe Nwosu declared for the NFL Draft. Nwosu was also the punter for Penn State in 2025.

About the Author

Collin Ward

Collin is a fourth-year majoring in digital/print journalism. He lives in Basking Ridge, New Jersey and enjoys TAYLOR HAM, egg, and cheese. As a New York Giants and Chelsea FC fan you can normally find him yelling at his TV screen on the weekends. Please follow him on X(formerly Twitter) @wardcollinz for Penn State football stuff. You can email him at collin@onwardstate.com.

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