Youngstown State Professional Athletes

For most of his NFL career, Jaleel McLaughlin has been the answer to a trivia question — the undrafted Youngstown State product quietly holding a roster spot in Denver and now Cleveland. In Week 6, he gets to be the story.

With Browns starting running back Quinshon Judkins dealing with an ankle injury, McLaughlin is trending toward the RB1 role in Cleveland heading into the Oct. 12–17 window. It's a genuine opportunity for a former Penguin who has spent his professional life on the margins of depth charts, waiting for exactly this kind of crack.

The Injury Situation

Judkins dodged a major bullet — early reports suggested a potentially serious ankle issue, but updated assessments indicate he escaped the worst of it. Still, his availability for Week 6 is uncertain enough that the Browns figure to lean on McLaughlin. Dylan Sampson, meanwhile, is working his way back from IR, adding another layer of uncertainty to the Cleveland backfield. That murky picture makes McLaughlin the clearest option to carry the load, at least in the short term.

The Browns' backfield-by-committee approach hasn't changed overnight, but injury attrition has a way of forcing clarity. McLaughlin, a compact and shifty runner who made his name on big-play ability at the FCS level before grinding through the NFL's lower rungs, now has a chance to make a case for sustained usage.

Around the League

McLaughlin wasn't the only Penguin on the field in Week 6. Andrew Ogletree suited up for the Colts in their loss to Pittsburgh on Oct. 11, pulling in one catch for four yards. The former YSU tight end has carved out a roster spot in Indianapolis, though his role remains limited in a crowded Colts passing attack.

The rest of the active Youngstown State alumni contingent — Keyon Martin (Ravens), Mike McAllister (Rams), Bryce Oliver (Texans), Kevin Rader (Saints), and Derek Rivers (Colts) — were not featured in notable statistical activity during the period.

The Bigger Picture

McLaughlin's moment is the kind of story YSU fans know well: a Penguin who wasn't handed anything, didn't get drafted, and is now one injury away from being somebody's league-winner — in fantasy football and, more importantly, in his own career. Whether he can hold onto the role once Judkins and Sampson return is the real question. But for at least one week, the spotlight points squarely at Youngstown.

Youngstown State is putting players on NFL rosters, and this week the headline belonged to wide receiver Bryce Oliver — who turned a bidding war into a 53-man spot.

Oliver Earns His Shot in Houston

Oliver's path to Houston's active roster is the kind of story that doesn't get told often enough. After spending a stretch on the Texans' practice squad in September, the 6-foot-1, 214-pound wideout drew interest from the Indianapolis Colts — a signal that his stock was rising league-wide. Houston moved quickly, signing Oliver to their active roster before the Colts could make a formal move. It's a meaningful step for the Youngstown State product: practice squads are holding patterns; 53-man rosters are where NFL careers actually begin.

Oliver's promotion reflects both his development and the Texans' willingness to act on it. Getting elevated once is luck. Getting coveted by a second team and still landing with your original club is leverage — and Oliver used it.

McLaughlin Contributes in Cleveland

Oliver wasn't the only Penguin making noise in the league this week. Running back Jaleel McLaughlin chipped in for the Cleveland Browns during their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, contributing as a role player in an offense that needed production from multiple sources. McLaughlin has carved out a niche as a complementary back at the NFL level — the Browns leaned on that depth in a divisional matchup that matters.

Ogletree Stays Active in Indianapolis

Over in Indianapolis, tight end Drew Ogletree was on the field as the Colts handled the Washington Commanders 30–13 on Sunday, October 4th. The Colts' tight end room — which also includes fellow Penguin alumni Andrew Ogletree — continues to carry a notable Youngstown State presence. It's worth noting that the same Colts organization that pursued Oliver also carries multiple former Penguins on its roster, underscoring just how thoroughly YSU has embedded itself in NFL personnel circles.

The Bigger Picture

Three Youngstown State alumni made the NFL news cycle in a single week — a promoted wide receiver, a contributing running back in a divisional win, and a tight end active in a blowout victory. Throw in Keyon Martin with Baltimore, Mike McAllister in Los Angeles, Kevin Rader in New Orleans, and Derek Rivers in Indianapolis, and the Penguins' footprint across the league is quietly substantial.

For a program out of Youngstown, Ohio, that's not an accident. It's a pipeline.

Youngstown State in the NFL | Week of Sept. 27–Oct. 3, 2026

Jaleel McLaughlin gave Youngstown State fans something to cheer about Thursday night, scoring a rushing touchdown as the Cleveland Browns held off the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27–24, in a divisional showdown.

The Browns running back carried for 28 yards on the evening, with his TD proving pivotal in a three-point win over a bitter rival. For McLaughlin, a product of YSU's program in Youngstown, Ohio, the score was a reminder of what he can deliver in a backfield that demands versatility and toughness — two traits that defined his Penguins career before he made the jump to the pros.

The Browns–Steelers rivalry rarely produces comfortable margins, and Thursday's finish was no exception. Cleveland needed every point, making McLaughlin's contribution more than a box-score footnote. It was the kind of situational, physical run game performance that keeps an RB in a coaching staff's good graces — and keeps Penguin alumni networks buzzing on a Thursday night.

No other Youngstown State alumni posted tracked stat lines during the period. The school's NFL contingent also includes CB Keyon Martin (Ravens), LB Mike McAllister (Rams), TE Andrew Ogletree and DE Derek Rivers (both Colts), WR Bryce Oliver (Texans), and TE Kevin Rader (Saints) — a quietly broad footprint across the league for a mid-major FCS program.

McLaughlin's moment is the headline, but the depth of that alumni list is its own story. Youngstown State continues to produce pro-caliber talent at multiple positions, and with a Browns team fighting for relevance in the AFC North, every McLaughlin carry comes on a meaningful stage. Week after week, that's a platform most FCS programs can only dream of.