Penn State Football edge rusher accepts invite to Reese’s Senior Bowl

Penn State Football senior Jesse Luketa has accepted an invite to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Penn State Football edge rusher Jesse Luketa has accepted an invite to one of the nation’s premier NFL Draft showcases, the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The Senior Bowl will take place on February 5th at Hancock Whitney Stadium, home of the University of South Alabama Jaguars.

Luketa has transitioned nicely this season from a full-time linebacker to more of a hybrid defensive end. He has produced 47 total tackles so far this season, including half a sack and six tackles for loss.

Undoubtedly his signature moment on the season was his one-handed pick-six against Ball State.

The senior has played in 35 career games in his Penn State Football career, tallying 137 tackles along the way.

Luketa is one of many players for the Nittany Lions, especially on defense, whose futures in the program are uncertain.

While Luketa was not redshirted and this is his fourth season, he does still have the opportunity to come back for one more season due to the extra year of granted eligibility by the NCAA for the 2020 season that was affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Accepting this invite does not guarantee that he is down to his final few games in a Penn State Football uniform, as teammates Jaquan Brisker and Tariq Castro-Fields accepted Senior Bowl invites last season but ultimately returned for one last ride.

Perhaps Luketa himself does not even know at the moment if he will pursue the NFL this offseason or remain in Happy Valley, but he wanted to accept the invite just in case he does decide that this is the end of his collegiate career.

Arguably, Luketa could greatly benefit from another season in college, where he could continue to develop as a defensive end and pass rusher and propel himself into a high-round draft pick in the 2023 draft.

Luketa has a lot of raw athleticism, and with some refined technique, could really be a tackle for loss machine in the future.

Additionally, with the new NIL deals in place and the opportunity to earn some money in college, it could provide more incentive to stay in school one more year.

Only time will tell what the future holds for the senior from Ottawa, Canada, but regardless, it is a great achievement for him to have the opportunity to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where many current NFL stars played their final college football game.