Penn State football reports: Yetur Gross-Matos, Journey Brown suspended for summer

Rising Penn State defensive star Yetur Gross-Matos and running back Journey Brown were suspended from the team for summer workouts, according to head coach James Franklin and media reports.

The suspensions are for unspecified violation of team rules, and Franklin would not comment further about incident details during Friday's Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. He said both suspensions began after April's Blue-White Game and expire on Aug. 1, just before the beginning of preseason camp.

How the suspensions could affect camp or the 2019 season for either has not yet been determined, Franklin said.

Gross-Matos was a Big Ten breakout star last season as a sophomore and was just named to the preseason watch list for the Bednarik Award (nation's top defensive player) and one of the Big Ten's top 10 players to watch for the coming season.

He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference’s media last season. The junior finished second in the Big Ten and No. 12 nationally with 1.5 tackles for loss per game in 2018. 

Gross-Matos became the 11th Nittany Lion to record at least 20 tackles for loss in a season. He posted a career-high 10 tackles last year at Indiana, the most for a Penn State defensive end since Carl Nassib had 10 at Temple in 2015.

Brown is an intriguing sprint champion from Meadville who saw limited reps as a freshman in 2018. He reportedly has added weight and strength and has received positive reviews from staff members in the off-season.

He will battle with incoming freshmen Devyn Ford and Noah Cain to become the primary backup to sophomore tailback Ricky Slade in the season-opener against Idaho on Aug. 31.