UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State defensive end Shareef Miller (Philadelphia, Pa.), cornerback Amani Oruwariye (Tampa, Fla.), quarterback Trace McSorley (Ashburn, Va.) and safety Nick Scott (Fairfax, Va.) were chosen on the third day of the 2019 NFL Draft Saturday in Nashville. For the second-straight year, Penn State had six players drafted, marking the first time since 1992 (9 draft picks) and 1993 (8) the Nittany Lions had back-to-back drafts with six or more selections.
Miller was selected in the fourth round with the 138th overall pick by his hometown Philadelphia Eagles, Oruwariye was chosen in the fifth round with the 146th overall pick by the Detroit Lions, McSorley was picked in the sixth round with the 197th overall selection by the Baltimore Ravens and Scott was chosen in the seventh round with the 243rd overall selection by the Los Angeles Rams. Miller is the second Nittany Lion to be drafted by the Eagles in the 2019 Draft, joining running back Miles Sanders.
The quartet joins Miles Sanders (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and offensive lineman Connor McGovern (Larksville, Pa.) as Penn Staters to hear their name called in this year's NFL Draft. Sanders was chosen in the second round with the 53rd overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, while McGovern was selected in the third round and 90th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys Friday night.
A total of 356 Nittany Lions have been selected all-time in the NFL Draft, which ranks eighth among Division I institutions, including 37 in the first round. Penn State has had 39 draft picks since 2010.
Penn State has had five or more players drafted 27 times in the modern draft era. The Nittany Lions have had at least three NFL Draft picks 21 times since starting Big Ten Conference competition in 1993, including seven of the last eight years.
Shareef Miller, DE, 6-5, 260, Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington
With Miller's selection, 12 Penn State defensive linemen have been NFL Draft choices since 2006. Miller is the 18th Nittany Lion defensive end all-time to be drafted and is the 23rd Penn State player to be drafted by Philadelphia.
"Shareef is such an amazing story and we couldn't be happier for him to be drafted by the Eagles and have a chance to play in his hometown," Penn State Head Coach James Franklin said. "He has great speed off the edge, which made him into an all-conference player at Penn State and will help him be successful on the next level. Shareef's motor does not stop. He consistently plays with great effort and pursues the football as well as any player in our program. His burst off the ball and tireless effort put him into position to make lots of stops, but he is also athletic enough to drop into pass coverage. Shareef's maturity and growth, both on and off the field, is something we are very proud of."
"Shareef is a true student of the game," associate head coach and defensive line coach Sean Spencer said. "He is constantly working on his craft every day. Shareef can rush the quarterback and is tough in the run game. He runs to the ball and his effort on every play makes him elite."
Shareef Miller Bio
- Third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media.
- Earns second career all-conference nod after an appearance on the media's third team and coaches' honorable mention squad last season.
- Second on the team with 14.0 tackles for loss and third in sacks with 7.0.
- Had four QB hurries and one forced fumble.
- Recorded three tackles and a tackle for loss against Appalachian State (9/1).
- Made two tackles for loss, including a solo sack, at Pittsburgh (9/8).
- Recorded a career-best three tackles for loss and tied a career high with two sacks against Kent State (9/15).
- Matched a career best with five tackles, including three solo stops, versus Ohio State (9/29).
- Recorded two solo tackles, both for loss, and registered a sack and a QB hurry against Michigan State (10/13).
- Recorded three solo tackles, matched a career high with two sacks and recovered a fumble and returned it 7 yards against Wisconsin (11/10).
- Made a career-best seven tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, including a solo sack at Rutgers (11/17).
Amani Oruwariye, CB, 6-1, 203, Tampa, Fla./Gaither
Oruwariye is the 33rd Nittany Lion defensive back all-time to be drafted and is the 16th Penn State player to be drafted by Detroit.
"We couldn't be more excited for Amani to be selected in the NFL Draft by the Lions," Penn State Head Coach James Franklin said. "I am so proud of the work Amani has put in to position himself as one of the top defensive backs in the country. He overcame a lot in his time at Penn State and was a two-time All-Big Ten performer. Amani has the length and overall size that most NFL teams covet, and he plays to those strengths, as well. He has developed himself as a corner who can play in both zone and man schemes. He was also a standout in the classroom, earning two degrees in broadcast journalism and telecommunications."
"Amani is a corner with great length and elite ball skills," cornerbacks coach Terry Smith. "He is a natural playmaker and an elite man cover corner. He is an unbelievable human being with a great heart."
Amani Oruwariye Bio
- First-team all-conference selection by the coaches and media.
- Earns second All-Big Ten honor of his career with an appearance on the coaches' and media's second team in 2017.
- Is the first Nittany Lion cornerback to earn All-Big Ten first team accolades since Justin King claimed honors in 2007.
- Associated Press All-Big Ten first team honoree.
- Ranked No. 30 in FBS and No. 5 in the Big Ten in passes defended with 1.2 per game.
- Led the team and was tied for No. 8 in the Big Ten in interceptions (3).
- Named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
- Named to the Pro Football Focus Midseason All-Big Ten team.
- Selected to Pro Football Focus National and Big Ten Teams of the Week following the Pittsburgh (9/8) game.
- One of 10 Penn Staters to enter 2018 having already earned a degree having graduated with his degree in telecommunications in December 2017.
- Sealed the game with an interception in overtime, his sixth career pick, his third-straight season opener with a pick against App State (9/1). Also recorded seven tackles and forced the first fumble of his career.
- Picked off a pass in the first quarter, marking the second time in his career he made interceptions in back-to-back games, at Pittsburgh (9/8).
- Collected four tackles and broke up four passes against Michigan State (10/13).
- Recorded a career-best nine tackles at Indiana (10/20).
Trace McSorley, QB, 6-0, 203, Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods
McSorley is the first Penn State quarterback to be selected in the NFL Draft since Christian Hackenberg was selected in the second round (#51 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. McSorley is the 14th Nittany Lion quarterback all-time to be drafted and is the fourth Penn State player to be drafted by Baltimore.
"We are thrilled for Trace to hear his name called during the NFL Draft," Penn State Head Coach James Franklin said. "He will go down as one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in Penn State history, not only for his stats, but for his leadership on and off the field. He has a terrific football IQ and is a winner in every sense of the word and we know he will bring the same mentality to the Ravens. As a quarterback, he is a fast learner, who executed our offense with extreme precision, and he possesses an uncanny ability to elude rushers in the pocket to make him a dangerous runner. For all of his on-field awards, we are more proud of Trace being an National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete and graduating with his degree in accounting last August."
"I'm extremely excited to watch Trace live out his NFL dream," offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ricky Rahne. "He has excelled and been a proven winner at every level of football. I am confident that his talent and work ethic will help continue this trend at the next level."
Trace McSorley Bio
- All-Big Ten second team selection by the coaches and media.
- Earned third-straight all-conference second team honor.
- Is the first Penn State quarterback to earn All-Big Ten honors in three consecutive seasons.
- Associated Press All-Big Ten second team honoree.
- Was a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.
- Named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, the 18th in program history, and was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy.
- Finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
- Selected as a Finalist for the Pop Warner National College Football Award.
- Named to the Pro Football Focus Midseason All-Big Ten team.
- Named Rose Bowl Player of the Week and Senior Bowl Senior of the Week after the Ohio State (9/29) game.
- Named to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week following the Ohio State (9/29) game.
- Selected to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week following the Kent State (9/15) game.
- One of 10 Penn Staters to enter 2018 having already earned a degree, graduating with his degree in accounting in May 2018.
- Ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 31 in the FBS with 13.05 yards per completion.
- Was No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 34 in FBS with 12 rushing touchdowns in 2018.
- Sat No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 25 in FBS in points responsible for (180).
- Ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 30 in FBS in points responsible for per game (13.8).
- Ranked No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 40 in the country with 256.0 total yards per game.
- Finished his career as the Penn State career record holder for passing yards (9,899), completions (720), 300-yard passing games (10), 200-yard passing games (28), rushing yards by a quarterback (1,697), rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (30), passing touchdowns (77), total offense yards (11,596), touchdowns responsible for (107) and wins as a starting quarterback (31).
- Threw at least one touchdown pass in 34-straight games, from the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl until Indiana in 2018, a Penn State record, which was previously held by Kerry Collins at 14-straight games from 1993-94. His streak is the fifth-longest in FBS Autonomy Five history.
- McSorley threw for 2,530 yards and rushed for 798 yards this season, joining Michael Robinson (2005; 2,350 passing, 806 rushing) as the only PSU quarterbacks with 2,000 passing and 700 rushing yards in the same season.
- McSorley was one of five players in FBS this season to have 2,000 passing yards and 700 rushing yards, joining Oklahoma's Kyler Murray, Virginia's Bryce Perkins, Ohio University's Nathan Rourke and Syracuse's Eric Dungy.
- Established a Nittany Lion record with 461 total yards against Ohio State (9/29/18), including 286 passing and 175 rushing.
- Is one of two Penn State quarterbacks with more than 1,000 rushing yards, joining Michael Robinson (1,637; 2002-05)
- Had 22 career games with both a rushing and passing touchdown (seven in 2016, nine in 2017, five in 2018).
- Became the first Penn State player and 11th in Big Ten history to eclipse the 10,000-yard mark in total offense.
Nick Scott, S, 5-11, 200, Fairfax, Va./Fairfax
Scott is the 34th Nittany Lion defensive back all-time to be drafted and is the 17th Penn State player to be drafted by the Los Angeles Rams.
"We are thrilled for Nick to sign with the Los Angeles Rams," Penn State Head Coach James Franklin said. "He did everything that we asked of him during his time at Penn State and was willing to sacrifice for the team. Nick developed into a leader on the field and in the locker room as he became a two-time team captain. He was one of our most versatile players, playing running back as a freshman and sophomore before moving to safety his final two years. He was also a four-year starter on multiple special teams units. Nick played his best football as a senior. He is an aggressive, fearless tackler, who is one of the most explosive athletes in our program. We are also proud of Nick for graduating with his degree in psychology last August."
"Nick Scott embodies everything you look for in a Penn Stater, great attitude and a work ethic to match," safeties coach Tim Banks said. "No matter the obstacle, he was always ready to compete and would do anything for his teammates. The future is bright for Nick!"
Nick Scott Bio
- Honorable-mention all-conference by media.
- Was Penn State's Sportsmanship honoree.
- Was tied for the team lead and ranked No. 8 in the Big Ten with three interceptions.
- Ranked fourth on the team with 65 tackles.
- Was a candidate on the preseason watch list for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
- One of 10 Penn Staters to enter 2018 having already earned a degree, having graduated with his degree in psychology in May 2018.
- Made a career-best nine stops against Appalachian State (9/1). Also notched his first career sack and tied career highs with a full tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
- Recorded four tackles, including a solo stop, against Kent State (9/15).
- Made five stops, including four solo tackles, at Illinois (9/21).
- Collected five tackles, including three solo, against Ohio State (9/29).
- Tallied five tackles against Michigan State (10/13).
- Recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter and added a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter on a punt return at Indiana (10/20). Also collected seven tackles.
- Made a big interception in the fourth quarter, picking it off on the PSU 2 and returning it 7 yards to prevent an Iowa score (10/27). Also registered five tackles.
- Collected five tackles and blocked a 50-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter at Michigan (11/3). The block was Penn State's first blocked field goal since Troy Apke at Iowa in 2017.
- Made five stops and intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter and returned it 8 yards against Wisconsin (11/10).
- Collected six tackles at Rutgers (11/17).
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and reserving new season tickets for the 2019 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
More than 3,600 new season tickets have already been sold for the 2019 campaign.