Story by
Penn State adds kickoff specialist in portal
- Story by
- Penn State adds kickoff specialist in portal
Next year, Penn State 's kickoff duties will look a bit different.
Instead of the 6-6, 297 pound Gabe Nwosu kicking the ball off, it will now be Cristiano Rosa, a recent portal addition for the Nittany Lions . He spent the last two seasons of his career with James Madison . He is not yet listed on the team roster, but Penn State have acknowledged the transfer.
Advertisement
Rosa announced his portal entry in December and will have either one or two years of eligibility remaining.
Rosa's background actually started as a placekicker, as he started his career as a redshirt freshman at Central Connecticut . However, he only saw the field once, being able to retain his redshirt, but going only 1-for-3 in his only game with them. During the 2023 season, he decided he did not want to continue his career there, and transferred to JMU ahead of the 2024 campaign.
While with the Dukes, Rosa found a new role as a kickoff specialist. Unlike as a placekicker, he immediately thrived, kicking off 69 times and recording 52 touchbacks. Most importantly, he played in every game for James Madison that season.
Last season, he had continued success along the Dukes' unexpected path to a CFP appearance. He kicked the ball off an astounding 90 times, with 62 of them going for touchbacks. He had a season high nine in a game against Old Dominion in December.
Advertisement
With this addition, there are seven kicking specialists on the squad for next season. Four players have been retained, including current place kicker Ryan Barker and redshirt freshman Matthew Parker. Rosa now joins a group of incoming players that include Australian punter Nathan Tiyce , acquired from Mississippi State and incoming freshman commit Lucas Tenbrock.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State adds kickoff specialist in portal
