Penn State football players in Super Bowl LIX ft. Saquon Barkley and more

Penn State had a strong 2024 season, reaching the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Now some of their alumni have a chance to taste gold in the NFL. Three former Nittany Lions are set to participate in the Super Bowl on Sunday. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles have at least one Penn State alumni on their roster.

Most Nittany Lions fans will likely be cheering for the Eagles because arguably the biggest star in the game is on their roster, running back Saquon Barkley. However, he is not the only former Nittany Lion on the roster.

Let's take a look at the three former Nittany Lions players participating in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Former Penn State players playing in Super Bowl LIX

#1 Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

While most fans will agree that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the Super Bowl, there is no denying that Saquon Barkley had a better statistical 2024 season than any other player in the Super Bowl.

In his first season with the Eagles, Barkley exploded offensively with 345 carries for 2005 yards and 13 touchdowns.

If the Eagles are going to win the Super Bowl, they will need Barkley to be as dominant as he has been all season. In three postseason games, he has 66 carries for 442 yards.

Before joining the Eagles, Barkley spent six seasons with the Giants after being drafted with the second pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He entered the draft after three seasons with the Nittany Lions where he had over 1,000 rushing yards each season.

#2 Jahan Dotson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Jahan Dotson has not enjoyed the start to his NFL career that many expected. After being selected 16th overall by Washington in 2022, he was dealt for a bundle of late-round draft picks last summer. In his debut season with the Eagles, he failed to establish a role, with only one reception in the playoffs.

His college career with Penn State was the complete opposite. He spent four years with the Nittany Lions, improving each year. In his final season, he had 91 receptions for 1182 yards and 12 TDs.

#3 Hunter Nourzad, OL, Kansas City Chiefs

Hunter Nourzad is the backup center for the Chiefs behind Creed Humphrey. He is also one of the youngest players on the Chiefs roster. After a five-year NCAA career that included spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Penn State, he was drafted in the fifth round in 2024.