New York Jets Sign Former Pitt All-American

Jaylen Twyman is getting another chance in the NFL.

Twyman — a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive tackle from Washington, D.C. — signed with the New York Jets Sunday, returning to the NFL after a stint in the UFL. While there’s no guarantee that Twyman latches on with the Jets, he has the chance he’s been craving since his time at Pitt.

He had his most recent opportunity with the San Antonio Brahmas in the UFL.

Twyman was one of the best defensive linemen in recent Pitt history, but he left the Panthers during a rough period in the college-to-professional pipeline.

We have signed DL Jaylen Twyman and placed WR Malik Taylor on Reserve/Injured.

— New York Jets (@nyjets) August 18, 2024

Twyman, who played three seasons at Pitt before opting out of the COVID season in 2020, was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but his NFL career was initially derailed when he was the unintended victim in a June 2021 Washington, D.C. shooting.

He returned to the Vikings for offseason drills the following summer, but he was waived before the season began and assigned to the practice squad. He spent the following offseason with the Miami Dolphins but was cut before the season once again.

Twyman spent time with the Birmingham Stallions in the USFL in 2023 but was released last April.

He signed with the Brahmas in May of 2024, recording five tackles and two sacks in limited action. It was a triumphant return to football Twyman. And he will get a chance to crack the practice squad — at the very least — with the Jets.

Twyman redshirted as a freshman at Pitt in 2017, after arriving as an under-the-radar three-star defensive tackle from H.D. Woodson in D.C., and he was a little-used rotational piece in 2018.

But he broke out as a second-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honoree following a 2019 season in which he recorded 41 tackles (23 solo), 12 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and defended two passes. With a team-high 11 sacks, he was the first Pitt defensive tackle to lead Pitt in sacks since Aaron Donald.

It’s been a long road for Twyman, but at just 25 years old, there could still be a long way to go in his journey.