With the first 25 seasons of college football in the books, Penn State has left an indelible mark.
In this five-part series, I will be ranking the 25 best Penn State football players of the first 25 seasons of the 21st century.ย
You can read Part I that examines 25 to 21 here.
You can read Part II that examines 20 to 16 here.
You can read Part III that examines 15 to 11 here.
Now here is the penultimate quintet here in Part IV, ranking players No. 10 to No. 6.ย
10. Michael Mauti
By no means is my No. 10 player of the 21st Century is the most credentialed or accomplished Penn State player. Sometimes greatness is defined by other ways, and Mauti falls into that category.
In an era now where free agency proliferates the sports of collegiate athletics, Mauti faced those circumstances nearly a decade before it became en vogue.
Grant you, Mautiโs circumstances were vastly different than many see today. But when Penn State needed Mauti, he stepped up.
Florida has Tim Tebowโs Pledge, Penn State has the pledges of Mauti, Michael Zordich, and 25 others. When others fled, they chose to stay.ย
“This program was not built by one man and this program is sure as hell not going to get torn down by one man,โ Mauti said, being the lead flag bearer.
It wasnโt easy, but Mauti and his teammate persevered.
Mauti was the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and a first-team All-American in 2012 racking up 96 tackles (49 solo), four tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions including a 99-yard return against Illinois where Mauti was tackled at the Illini one-yard line.
The ultimate tribute was paid to Mauti on Senior Day 2012. After suffering a torn ACL, the team wore No. 42 on the left side of their helmets to honor their spiritual leader with fellow linebacker Gerald Hodges donning Mautiโs No. 42 that day against Wisconsin.
No one will ever question Mautiโs allegiance to Penn State. When you combine the circumstances he faced, leadership he demonstrated and on-field excellence, Mauti earned his spot in my top 10.
Michael Robinson always said that Joe Paterno knew he would be a long-time fullback in the NFL.
Robinson would go onto to play eight years in the NFL with the 49ers and Seahawks, winning a Super Bowl with Seattle.ย
Robinson was prepared by his time at Penn State where he spent his time at running back, wide receiver, before settling into the starting quarterback position. To me, Robinsonโs journey is why he had the ultimate success at the end of his time at Penn State.ย
When Robinson came in as a highly touted athlete from Varina High School (Henrico, Virginia), Penn State wanted to leverage the versatility he possessed. During the 2002 season, Robinson was the teamโs second leading rusher and would shift into slot back and split end packages.
As Penn State went through tumultuous times in 2003 and 2004, Robinson was used in various roles and was quarterback Zack Mills second favorite target in 2004 with 33 receptions for 485 yards and three touchdowns.
The big break for Robinson came in 2005 when he was named starting quarterback. Robinson being flanked by a youth infusion at wide receiver with Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood coupled with Robinsonโs dual threat ability he led Penn State to an 11-1 season with a Big Ten Championship and Orange Bowl win – Penn Stateโs first New Yearโs Six bowl win in nearly a decade.ย
Despite completing only 52.1 percent of his passes, Robinson threw for 2,350 yards, 17 touchdown passes, and averaged nearly 15 yards per completion. On the ground, Robinson was Penn Stateโs second leading rusher behind running back Tony Hunt with 806 yards (most ever by a Penn State quarterback in a single season) and led the team with 11 rushing touchdowns, a record Robinson held amongst Penn State quarterbacks until Trace McSorley broke it in 2018.
Robinson became the second Penn State player (Kerry Collins – 1994) to be named Big Ten Most Valuable Player and was also the recipient of the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Award.
The story of Tamba Hali, how he and his family fled Liberia, which was engulfed in a civil war, is a story in itself.ย
Hali on the football field was a seminal leader on defenseโ opposite that of Robinson on offense, that was a catalyst for Penn Stateโs resurgent 2005 season.
The development of the former four-star defensive end from Teaneck, New Jersey fully blossomed into a Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and unanimous All-American recognition.ย
Haliโs signature moment came against Ohio State that year with Penn State up 17-10, Hali chased down Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith and forced a fumble that defensive tackle Scott Paxson would recover to seal the win. The image for years was on display in the Lasch Football Building Complex.
During 2005, Hali led the Big Ten in sacks (11) and tackles for loss (17). Amongst Penn State defenders who have played since 1975, Hali is tied at No. 12 for career tackles for loss with Matt Millen at 36.
While Penn State distinguishes itself as โLinebacker U,โ it was Connor who then and still now is trying to uphold that legacy.
In February 2025, Connor was promoted from defensive analyst to the teamโs linebacker coach. His job is to find talent and develop them hopefully into the player he was.
The player Dan Connor was as good as any linebacker pupil โLinebacker Uโ ever had.
Connor set the Penn State record with 419 career tackles, including a record 227 solo tackles.
During Penn Stateโs resurgent 2005 season, Connor demonstrated his pass coverage skills, leading the Big Ten in passes defended with eight. Connor became the 14th Nittany Lion to be named a first-team All-American twice.ย
Connorโs best season came in 2007 where he produced the second-highest season tackles mark at 145, trailing Greg Buttleโs 165 he had in 1974. Connor finished in the top 10 amongst Big Ten defenders averaging 11.2 tackles a game and 15 tackles for loss to earn him the 2007 Chuck Bednarik Award – the fourth time a Penn State defender won the award (LaVar Arrington in 1999, Paul Posluszny 2005, 2006)
The number of feats and records Johnson accomplished makes him a bonafide top 10 player not just in the 21st Century, but of any era in Penn State history.
The only player in Penn State history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season, to have 2,000 or more yards from scrimmage, the first to have 2,000 all-purpose yards in a season (Saquon Barkley matched the feat in 2017) and 5,000 or more in a career (Barkley broke Johnsonโs record of 5,045 all purpose yards with 5,538).ย
When Johnson put it all together in 2002, he bested Curt Warnerโs single game rushing record of 256 yards with games of 257 yards against Northwestern, rushed for 279 yards twice against Illinois and Michigan State, finally setting a program record 327 yards against Indiana.ย
Johnson held the mark for the fewest carries to get to 2,000 yards in a season until the 2014 when Wisconsinโs Melvin Gordon did it in ten fewer carries than Johnson.
After completing the most dominant season ever by a Penn State running back, Johnson swept all the awards (Maxwell, Doak Walker, Jim Brown, Walter Camp, plus unanimous All-American) except the Heisman where he finished runner up to USCโs Carson Palmer.ย
