Youngstown State Professional Athletes

A bittersweet week for Youngstown State's NFL contingent: one Penguin's early-season dreams were derailed, while another got the call he'd been waiting for.

From Practice Squad to IR — and One Step Forward

Dylan Sampson's rookie campaign in Cleveland hit a wall this week when the Browns placed the running back on injured reserve, cutting short what had been a promising start to his NFL career. The move came just weeks into the 2026 season, leaving the former Youngstown State standout sidelined for the foreseeable future.

The silver lining — at least for Penguin Nation — is who benefited. The Browns responded to Sampson's IR designation by signing Jaleel McLaughlin to the active 53-man roster, giving Cleveland another Youngstown State product in their backfield. McLaughlin, a shifty pass-catching back who has bounced between rosters and practice squads, now has a genuine opportunity to carve out a role on a team suddenly shorthanded at the position.

The two YSU alumni find themselves linked in an unexpected way: one's misfortune creating the other's opening. It's a dynamic that underscores just how thin the margin is in the NFL, and how quickly a roster spot can change hands.

Elsewhere in the League

The YSU footprint extends beyond Cleveland. Drew Ogletree remained on the Colts' roster heading into their Week 1 matchup against the Ravens on September 13 — a 23-41 Indianapolis loss to Baltimore — though the tight end did not log notable receiving stats in the contest. Ogletree, like several Penguin alumni, continues to fight for a defined role on a team working through its own early-season growing pains.

The broader YSU alumni group across the league — including CB Keyon Martin with the Ravens, LB Mike McAllister with the Rams, WR Bryce Oliver with the Texans, TE Kevin Rader with the Saints, and DE Derek Rivers with the Colts — rounds out a quietly significant Youngstown State presence in the NFL entering the second week of the season.

The Bigger Picture

Sampson's injury is a reminder of the brutal randomness that defines NFL roster life, particularly for young players still trying to establish themselves. He now faces the challenge every rookie dreads: watching a season slip by from the sideline while working to come back stronger. McLaughlin, meanwhile, has earned his shot — and Youngstown State fans will be watching closely to see what he does with it.

Jaleel McLaughlin's NFL journey took a sharp turn this week — and then quickly righted itself.

The Youngstown State product was among the Denver Broncos' final cuts as the team trimmed its roster to 53 men on Sunday, ending a stretch in which the undrafted free agent appeared in 41 games and made nine starts. Broncos GM George Paton explained the decision plainly: the team opted to keep Tyler Badie at running back over McLaughlin, choosing depth that better fit the current roster construction.

What happened next was a mild surprise. McLaughlin cleared the waiver wire unclaimed — a notable outcome for a back with his production history — before landing on the Cleveland Browns' practice squad. The Browns, who also count Youngstown State wide receiver Bryce Oliver on their roster, now have a pair of Penguins in their building.

McLaughlin's path has always been the kind of story that resonates in the Mahoning Valley. He arrived in Denver without a draft slot to his name, carved out a role through standout preseason performances, and grew into a legitimate contributor in the Broncos' backfield. Losing a waiver claim on him suggests around the league either saw him as a practice squad-caliber player at this stage or simply had no roster need at the position. Cleveland, apparently, had both the need and the interest.

Practice squad spots don't guarantee active-roster elevation, but they do keep a player in the system, in weekly game-prep, and one injury call-away from suiting up on Sundays. For McLaughlin, staying in the AFC and landing close to home — Cleveland sits roughly an hour from Youngstown — adds a storyline that'll resonate with the Penguin faithful.

Beyond McLaughlin, the broader Youngstown State alumni footprint across the NFL remains steady. Andrew Ogletree and Derek Rivers are with the Indianapolis Colts, Mike McAllister is on the Los Angeles Rams' linebacker corps, and Kevin Rader is with the New Orleans Saints at tight end.

But this week belongs to McLaughlin. Cut, unclaimed, and re-signed within days — it's a fitting chapter for a player who has never had anything handed to him.