ALTOONA, Pa. -- Jake Pinegar could have returned to Penn State for one more season -- which would have been his sixth in college -- but the veteran place-kicker decided to forgo his final year of eligibility.
"I have decided to chase a childhood dream of mine of playing in the NFL," Pinegar announced on social media Saturday.
— Jake Pinegar (@jpinegar10) January 14, 2023
Pinegar had a wild ride, to say the least, during his Penn State career.
He began his career in 2018 and was the starting place-kicker as a freshman, leading the Big Ten in total points (101) and ranking second in the conference in scoring average (7.8). He then played in all 13 games in 2019, making 11 of 12 field-goal attempts, and was honorable mention all-Big Ten. He also was the starting kicker for all nine games in 2020.
But things didn't go smoothly for Pinegar in 2021, as he lost the starting place-kicker job to Jordan Stout. Pinegar appeared in just two games in 2021 and took a redshirt.
He returned to Penn State this past season and won back the place-kicking job, but got off to a slow start, going 3 for 5 through four games. Pinegar was terrific for a stretch after that, making nine field goals in a row, but he ended the regular season missing both of his attempts against Michigan State.
Pinegar wound up making 12 of 16 field goals and 57 of 59 PATs this season. For his career, he was 49 for 67 on field goals. He's Penn State's career leader in PATs made with 195, plus ranks fourth in field goals made and attempted.
James Franklin spoke highly of Pinegar throughout the season, praising the kicker for sticking things out when times got tough during his career.
With Pinegar moving on, the place-kicker job will be one to watch throughout the spring and summer.
One strong possibility could be Alex Felkins, a transfer from Columbia who just joined the team this past week as a walk-on. Felkins was a two-time all-Ivy League selection (2019 and '21), although he was inconsistent during his career there. He made 36 out of 54 field goals during three seasons, with a long of 53 yards. He was 11 of 16 this past season.
Sander Sahaydak made one of his two field-goal attempts this season for the Lions, from 20 yards, serving as Pinegar's backup.
Penn State will have to replace Pinegar and also punter Barney Amor next season. Transfer Riley Thompson from Florida Atlantic would seem to be the favorite for the punting job.