Penn State's Dvon J-Thomas Signs With Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Former Penn State defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, becoming the latest Nittany Lion to ink a rookie NFL deal. J-Thomas signed after being invited to Buccaneers' rookie minicamp for a tryout.

J-Thomas was the latest Penn State player to earn an undrafted rookie deal in the NFL. He joined cornerback Jalen Kimber (Tennessee Titans), defensive tackle Coziah Izzard (Kansas City Chiefs) and offensive lineman Sal Wormley (Jacksonville Jaguars).

Former Penn State and Ohio State receiver Julian Fleming initially received an offer from the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. But the Packers declined to sign Fleming based on a medical evaluation, according to the News-Item.

J-Thomas spent six years at Penn State, making 24 career starts, including 16 during the Nittany Lions' run to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. The 6-1, 305-pound tackle made 35 tackles, four for losses, as a physical presence on Penn State's interior line. J-Thomas made five tackles for loss in 2023.

Five Nittany Lions were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, including first-rounders Abdul Carter (New York Giants) and Tyler Warren (Indianapolis Colts). Warren recently signed a four-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts worth a guaranteed $20.96 million. Former Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter remains unsigned with the New York Giants, though he did debut a new jersey number at rookie minicamp.

J-Thomas and Carter took a post-game lap around the Beaver Stadium field together last December after the Nittany Lions defeated SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff. J-Thomas called the moment an important closing point of his career at Beaver Stadium.

"I was just thinking about the good, the bad, and the ugly and how I appreciate it all," J-Thomas said. "There's not too many people who get to say they've come into a situation, grown with a program, to the point where you're doing things that the program has never seen before. It's just been so many ups and downs. That's with any college career. Those were the things running through my mind.

"Also getting another opportunity to play 64, 65 plays on average. Those are the things that was kind of running through my mind the entire time. Then I was just embracing it, being appreciative for the time that I had. You look at the league, in the league you play with, what, 60,000, 70,000 people watching? In Beaver Stadium, the average is 100K with 70K for a spring game. I just took that lap, looked around, and appreciated every moment that I had in that stadium one last time."