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Penn State Has a New Starting Punter — and He's a 'Freak'

Gabriel Nwosu, Penn Sate's 6-foot-6 specialist, is the new starting punter. James Franklin compared him to All-American Jordan Stout.
Chase Fisher|
Penn State Nittany Lions kicker Gabriel Nwosu against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.
Penn State Nittany Lions kicker Gabriel Nwosu against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Penn State didn’t punt in its season-opening win over Nevada, which delayed the debut of its new starter. The Nittany Lions now have a "freak" punting the ball. In a special teams twist, kickoff specialist Gabriel Nwosu earned the job over Riley Thompson, who has been Penn State’s punter for the past two seasons. 

Nwosu (6-6, 297 pounds) already was one of college football's most unique specialists. He made Bruce Feldman’s 2024 “College Football Freaks List” for his absurd combination of size and athleticism. But then Monday, Penn State coach James Franklin compared Nwosu to Nittany Lions great Jordan Stout, who was an All-American and Ray Guy Award finalist and a fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2022 NFL Draft. 

“You know, we've been very, very happy with Riley, and [we’ve] got a ton of respect for him, and he's going to end up playing for us this year and playing well,” Franklin said. “But Gabe, you know, he's special. He's the closest thing to Jordan Stout that we've had here.”

The comparison to Stout is striking. A three-year starting specialist, Stout is Penn State’s leader in single-season punting average (46 yards per attempt in 2021) and ranks second in career average. He served as the team’s placekicker as well.

But Nwosu, a fifth-year senior, apparently had a terrific preseason to unseat Thompson, who entered the season as Penn State’s career-leader, above Stout, in punting average at 45.8 yards per attempt (albeit with 50 fewer attempts than Stout). For Nwosu, the difference this year has been consistency.

“His A ball … may be as good as we’ve ever had here,” Franklin said. “But like a lot of these guys, he just wasn't consistent enough. And he just had a phenomenal camp, not only in kickoffs and punting, but also field goals.

"… He’s always had a big, strong leg, and he just put it all together this summer and was consistent. And it was pretty obvious to everybody. I think Riley had a really good camp. It’s just, Gabe was more consistent with his A ball, and his A ball is as good as anybody in the country.”

Nwosu, who joined the program in 2020, is one Penn State’s most intriguing players. According to Franklin, he will complete three degrees at Penn State, including an MBA, and was named to the National Football Foundation’s Hampshire Honor Society. Nwosu organized students from Maryland’s Bullis School, where he kicked in high school, to collect soccer balls for kids in Nigeria. He also plays the cello.

Because of his size, he's also one of the most intriguing specialists in the country. Nwosu was among the nation’s top-ranked high school kickers, according to the Kohl’s Kicking service. He put his strength to use over the past two seasons as Penn State’s kickoff specialist, sending 64 percent of his attempts into the end zone for touchbacks.

The strength is notable. Nwosu landed at No. 91 on the 2024 “Freaks List” because of what he can do in the weight room. Nwosu has benched 390 pounds, squatted 525 and cleaned 330. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.86 seconds.

“He is definitely not your average kicker-punter," Feldman wrote in 2024.

Penn State special teams coordinator Justin Lustig foreshadowed the competition in early August, when he said that Nwosu had been challenging Thompson early in camp. Still, the idea that Nwosu was in contention for all three kicking positions is eye-catching. 

Franklin said Monday that Nwosu also challenged kicker Ryan Barker for his position but hasn’t won that spot yet. Barker made four field goals against Nevada, but Nwosu could see opportunities from long range this season.

“He made a 62-yarder in practice in the stadium with the whole team around him watching,” Franklin said. “And probably would have been good from 65 or 66 [yards].”

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Chase Fisher
CHASE FISHER

Chase Fisher is a student at Penn State University who has covered men's hockey and baseball for The Daily Collegian. He is covering football for Penn State on SI. Follow him on X @chase_fisher4.

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