Nwosu Leads Special Teams in Multiple Roles
Penn State's versatile kicking specialist has found consistency in 2025 season.
Gabriel Nwosu earned the starting punter job over Riley Thompson ahead of a highly-anticipated 2025 campaign. The redshirt senior is now more than just a kickoff specialist. Now in his final ride in Happy Valley, he’s ready to finish strong.
Making The Transition
Nwosu started off his collegiate career having redshirted his true freshman season in 2021, playing behind Jake Pinegar and Jordan Stout as well as eight other specialists.
The following year, however, he was able to split time on kickoffs with Jake Pinegar and Sander Sahaydak, notching 18 of the team’s 85.
For 2023 and 2024, Nwosu stepped up, taking over the role as the main kickoff specialist, hitting 111 touchbacks on 174 kickoffs.
This year, he has made the transition to the starting punter role while also maintaining the kickoff specialist job.
“It's been good, you know, coming here, mainly as a kickoff guy,” Nwosu said. “And then obviously, [I’ve] just been learning a lot punting through Jordan Stout, Barney [Amor], even Riley [Thompson].”