Although college football doesn’t have a preseason, that doesn’t mean fans have to sit idle for the entire month of August while they wait for their favorite school to return. The first week of the NFL preseason that features an entire slate of games begins tonight and there are hundreds of rookies and undrafted free agents battling for roster spots, while veteran players fight for a bigger role on their teams.
For Penn State, everyone knows about the superstars like running back Saquon Barkley or edge rusher Micah Parsons, but preseason means very little to them aside from building conditioning or gaining familiarity with their scheme. Today, we’ll focus on the lesser-known players whose roles and futures in the NFL are up in the air. Here is every former Nittany Lions player taking the field this weekend looking to make a name for themselves and find a home in this league.
Philadelphia Eagles
EDGE Arnold Ebiketie and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields will fight for their spots on the depth chart this Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Baltimore Ravens.
Washington Commanders
Running back Kaytron Allen’s battle to make Washington’s roster will start on Friday at 7 p.m. against the Miami Dolphins.
Green Bay Packers
EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton begins his NFL journey tonight at 7 p.m. against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Indianapolis Colts
Offensive tackle Nolan Rucci tries to make the Colts’ roster starting tonight at 7:30 p.m. vs. the New England Patriots.
Dallas Cowboys
Offensive tackle Drew Shelton stakes his claim for the starting job against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Chicago Bears
Wide receiver Kyren Hudson will fight for a roster spot on Saturday at 1 p.m. against the Cleveland Browns.
Detroit Lions
Offensive lineman Juice Scruggs battles for positioning on the depth chart tonight against the Cincinnati Bengals at 7 p.m.
Atlanta Falcons
Wide receiver Jahan Dotson tries to impress his new team on Friday at 7 p.m. against the Denver Broncos.
Carolina Panthers
Safety Zakee Wheatley continues his quest for a roster spot in Carolina on Saturday at 1 p.m. against the Buffalo Bills.
Arizona Cardinals
Cornerback Kalen King will attempt to bolster his status in Arizona vs. the Las Vegas Raiders tonight at 8 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers
Tight end Khalil Dinkins begins his pursuit of making the 49ers tonight at 9 p.m. against the Tennessee Titans.
Buffalo Bills
Defensive tackle Zane Durant looks to make a name for himself against the Panthers on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Miami Dolphins
EDGE Chop Robinson will try to regain his form on Friday at 7 p.m. vs. the Commanders.
New England Patriots
Linebacker Jesse Luketa takes the field against the Colts tonight at 7:30 p.m.
New York Jets
Linebacker Kobe King aims to remain on the Jets’ roster, beginning his journey on Friday at 7 p.m. against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baltimore Ravens
Center Nick Dawkins, linebacker Dominic DeLuca, guard Olaivavega Ioane, linebacker Adisa Isaac, and cornerback Amani Oruwariye will all compete in different capacities on Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Eagles.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback Drew Allar and defensive back Daequan Hardy don the Yellow and Black for the first time tonight against the Packers at 7 p.m.
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback Sean Clifford, cornerback Jalen Kimber and wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley will all compete for roster spots starting tonight at 7 p.m in Detroit.
Houston Texans
Safety Jaylen Reed tries to prove he can stay healthy and maintain his production tonight at 8 p.m. against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Wide receiver Trebor Peña will begin his quest to make the team on Saturday against the New Orleans Saints at 4 p.m.
Tennessee Titans
Running back Nick Singleton is looking to climb the depth chart vs. the 49ers tonight at 9 p.m.
Kansas City Chiefs
Offensively lineman Hunter Nourzad aims to bolster his position on Kansas City’s roster on Saturday at 4 p.m. against the Los Angeles Rams.
Los Angeles Chargers
Wide receiver Devonte Ross will try to make the team tonight against the Texans at 8 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State players to watch in Week 1 of NFL preseason