It’s time for our annual season top 10! Each summer, the staff votes on its top 10 players ahead of the upcoming season. A first place vote is worth 10 points, second place is worth nine points, and so on. Because of a tie in voting, there is no number seven in this year’s countdown.
How He Got Here
Pat Freiermuth arrived in Happy Valley in 2018, with Mike Gesicki having just moved on to the NFL, leaving a huge void in the starting spot at tight end. After scoring his first collegiate touchdown at Illinois a few games into his freshman season (in which he tripped after catching a pass wide open at the goal line and barely reached the end zone), Freiermuth grabbed the starting job by the horns and never let go, having a breakout performance against Ohio State the following week, catching three passes for 44 yards and a TD.