Tyseer Denmark and Braz Thomas chose not to celebrate the Pinstripe Bowl with the rest of their Penn State teammates. They left the field early after the final college football game of 2025.
I would expect both players to enter the transfer portal in the coming days but maybe a discussion with incoming head coach Matt Campbell will change their tune. We’ll see.
Either way, their behavior on Saturday rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. A vast majority of college football fans in Happy Valley did not appreciate how they acted.
Penn State won the Pinstripe Bowl!
The season obviously did not go as planned for the Nittany Lions. Not only did they miss out on the College Football Playoff as the No. 2-ranked team during the preseason, they finished with six losses and James Franklin was fired.
It was a disaster.
However, Penn State was able to pull things together down the stretch and won its last three games of the season against Rutgers, Nebraska and Michigan State to reach bowl eligibility. Interim head coach Terry Smith also led his team to a 12-point win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday.
The win meant a lot to a guy who has been on staff at his alma mater for more than a decade.
His players fought hard for him. He deserves the utmost praise for how he was able to keep things together when it looked like there was no hope.
Tyseer Denmark and Braz Thomas still weren’t happy.
The postgame celebration at Yankee Stadium was a joyous moment to cap a disappointing year. There was reason to celebrate— even if it wasn’t a national championship!
Denmark and Thomas disagreed.
Tyseer Denmark, a redshirt freshman wide receiver, was the first player to leave the field. He finished the season with only two catches for 17 yards and did not play in the Pinstripe Bowl.
His body language made it abundantly clear how he was feeling.
Tyseer Denmark is the first Penn State player to leave the field, walking off by himself. Tosses his helmet on the way out. pic.twitter.com/5JTt4CWs9U
— Lyle Alenstein (@LAlenstein) December 27, 2025
Braz Thomas, a true freshman safety, was the second player to leave the field. He also did not play in the Pinstripe Bowl and failed to record a single stat all season. His body language was equally as telling.
As Penn State celebrated its Pinstripe Bowl win, Tyseer Denmark and Jaxon Smolik departed the field of play. pic.twitter.com/fu6VOsUdIH
— Avery Hill (@official_aveee) December 27, 2025
Even if this year did not go how either player had hoped, this is a bad look. It is okay to be frustrated. It is okay to be upset. To storm off of the field and pout does not do any good for anyone.
I expect them both to enter the transfer portal in three… two… one…