Penn State Football: Top 3 breakout candidates for 2020 season
By Nick Fiore
3. Jayson Oweh, DE
Jayson Oweh is one of the most exciting prospects Penn State has had in awhile. His athleticism is off the charts as he was clocked running a 4.33 40-yard dash last season. For a defensive lineman that’s insane — Montez Sweat set the record for the position in 2019 after running a 4.41.
At 6-foot-5, 257 pounds, his speed coming off the edge is a nightmare for the opposing offensive line. In his first full season, he recorded 21 tackles, five tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles.
Oweh’s physical build and crazy athleticism has led multiple scouts to say that he has “scary upside”. He was a four-star recruit out of New Jersey and only started playing organized football his junior year of high school — he played basketball prior. He was a highly sought-after recruit and chose Penn State over Ohio State.
You could see the talent and potential Oweh has when he was on the field last year. He won Big Ten freshman of the week honors after a dominant performance against Michigan State, posting three tackles, two tackles for loss, two strip sacks and a forced fumble. He was in the back field all afternoon.
With Yetur Gross-Matos in the NFL now, Oweh will be starting on the opposite end of Shaka Toney and will have plenty of opportunities to prove himself.
Everybody knows about Micah Parsons, who might end up being the most dominating defensive player in the country this year, but don’t be surprised if Oweh puts up some equally dominant performances.
Get used to seeing Oweh’s name on plenty of potential breakout lists, there’s a reason for all this excitement.