JB #3

Jaquan Brisker

Safety · Penn State

A hard-hitting Pittsburgh native who rose from a junior college to a Big Ten star, Jaquan Brisker has battled through repeated concussions to remain one of the league's most physical safeties.

Jaquan Brisker's path to the NFL wound through Lackawanna College after academic eligibility issues nearly derailed his career, but he turned that detour into a standout run at Penn State and a second-round selection. After four seasons in Chicago marked by both hard-hitting playmaking and a troubling concussion history, he signed with the Steelers, returning to his hometown of Pittsburgh.

★ 2021 first-team All-Big Ten selection at Penn State

★ 2021 second-team All-American

★ 93 tackles and eight pass breakups across a full 17-game season in 2025

Path to the league

A low SAT score made Brisker academically ineligible for major programs out of Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, so he first enrolled at Lackawanna College before landing at Penn State. Over three seasons with the Nittany Lions he totaled 152 tackles, five interceptions and 19 pass breakups, earning first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-American honors in his final year. The Chicago Bears selected him 48th overall in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

Brisker developed into a physical, versatile safety capable of matching up against tight ends while playing all over Chicago's secondary. His career has also been shadowed by a series of concussions, including a serious vestibular concussion in 2024 that required specialist treatment and forced him to miss the final 12 games of that season.

2025 season recap

Brisker returned in 2025 and answered questions about his durability by starting all 17 regular-season games plus both Bears playoff games, finishing with 93 tackles and eight pass breakups. He signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers after the season.