Penn State's Jayson Oweh Declares for NFL Draft
Penn State defensive end Jayson Oweh, perhaps the team's most athletic player, will enter the 2021 NFL Draft after becoming an All-Big Ten selection in his first full season as a starter.
Oweh made the announcement on Twitter.
“All my life I’ve taken the hidden route,” Oweh said in his statement. "The route that isn’t always the easiest. The route of many unknowns. The path not taken. I thank God for the discernment in my heart that always believes I can and I will. I’ve always had faith in God and his plan. Every move I’ve made has been directed by him. God continues to bless me with such great opportunities, and I can only use such blessing to help me make this decision."
Oweh is in a unique spot as a redshirt sophomore who would have had three seasons of eligibility remaining, according to NCAA rules. He's still relatively new to the game, having seriously begun his career at age 16 at New Jersey's Blair Academy, but made his mark at each level.
Oweh joined fellow defensive end Shaka Toney as a first-team All-Big Ten selection and was a grading favorite of Pro Football Focus' College analysts. The site projects Oweh as a first-round pick in its latest 2021 NFL mock draft.
Oweh, 22, projects so highly in part due to his athletic skills, which The Athletic's Bruce Feldman twice highlighted in his annual college football "Freaks List." At 6-5, 250 pounds, he runs a sub-4.4 time in the 40-yard dash and is among the team's strongest players.
A first-year starter, Oweh did not play the season's final two games for what coach James Franklin called medical reasons. Still, Oweh proved to be a disruptive player, especially in the backfield.
He finished with 6.5 tackles for loss and generated a significant pass rush, though he did not finish with a sack. He averaged 5.4 tackles per game, which ranked eighth nationally among defensive linemen who played at least seven games.
“Jayson has grown so much as a football player, student, leader and man since he set foot on campus in 2018,” Franklin said in a statement. "His growth and development demonstrate the level of his character and buy into our program’s core values. On the field, his hard work and dedication led him to a first-team All-Big Ten selection this season. We couldn’t be more proud of Jayson and appreciate everything he has done in our program.
"As I’ve always said, one of my responsibilities as head coach is to ensure all our players maximize their potential and fulfill their dreams. I am excited to see Jayson chase his professional dreams and I am confident he will succeed in the NFL and whatever else in his bright future he sets his mind on!”
Oweh is the second Penn State player to declare for the NFL Draft, joining tight end Pat Freiermuth.
