Penn State TE Brenton Strange will be available for the team’s Rose Bowl game against Utah Jan. 2, but that will be the last time he’ll wear a Penn State uniform as a player.
Strange announced via Twitter Tuesday night that he plans to play in the Rose Bowl and then declare for the NFL Draft.
#WeAre Forever 💙 pic.twitter.com/ul2YNsSIta
— Brenton Strange (@BrentonStrange) December 28, 2022
In his statement, Strange told Penn State fans that he “couldn’t be more thankful to have called State College home for the last four years.”
“Since my arrival in 2019,” Strange wrote. “I have grown tremendously on and off the field. I’m truly blessed to be a part of the Penn State community.”
Penn State was happy to have Strange at TE, too, especially this past season. Early on, Strange asserted himself as the best of a talented tight end group that also featured Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren. Strange finished the year third on Penn State in receiving yards (362), third in catches (32) and first in touchdowns (5). Those stats don’t take into account the impact Strange made blocking, either. Penn State will at least have Strange for the Rose Bowl, along with Nick Tarburton and Juice Scruggs, who also will be departing after the season’s last game.
Despite Strange being gone, Penn State should be in good shape at tight end for the 2023 season and beyond. Johnson and Warren are likely to be in the fold, as is Khalil Dinkins, who was the odd man out this season. Penn State also has Jerry Cross, a four-star Class of 2022 signee from Milwaukee, and three tight ends (Andrew Rappleyea, Mega Barnwell, Joey Schlaffer) signed this year’s Class.
