Receiver, Penn State, 2017–⁠19

K.J. Hamler

Number
No. 1
Height
5′9″
Weight
176 lb
Class (2019)
Sophomore
Hometown
Pontiac, MI
Born
Jul 8, 1999

K.J. Hamler played receiver at Penn State (2017–⁠19). The Denver Broncos took Hamler in round 2, No. 46 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
904
Receiving yards, 2019 (Penn State, 11–⁠2)
Drafted
No. 46
Round 2, 2020 NFL Draft (Denver Broncos)

Career highs

7catches, career hightwice; last at Minnesota, 2019138receiving yards, career highvs. Ohio State, 20182receiving touchdowns, career hightwice; last vs. Michigan, 2019

Honors

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2018Penn State4375517.6593
2019Penn State5690416.1858
Career991,65916.81393

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTDPRYdsTD
2018Penn State19506014960
2019Penn State255130251260
Career441,0190392220

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2018Penn State1WRFr.
2019Penn State1WRSo.5′9″176

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2018Penn State770.4434th (n=497)0.5334.19%
2019Penn State1000.4738th (n=499)0.5447.211%

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2019 Penn State 13 games, 56 catches, 904 yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Aug 31vs.IdahoW 79–⁠741152––4
Sep 7vs.BuffaloW 45–⁠133620––1
Sep 14vs.PittsburghW 17–⁠1036803571
Sep 27atMarylandW 59–⁠061081––5
Oct 5vs.PurdueW 35–⁠73411––6
Oct 12atIowaW 17–⁠1276114481
Oct 19vs.MichiganW 28–⁠21610822653
Oct 26atMichigan StateW 28–⁠755712441
Nov 9atMinnesotaL 26–⁠31711905981
Nov 16vs.IndianaW 34–⁠272520360–
Nov 23atOhio StateL 17–⁠2834502391
Nov 30vs.RutgersW 27–⁠652203781
Dec 28 ✦vs.MemphisW 53–⁠392460124–
2018 Penn State 13 games, 43 catches, 755 yards, 5 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDKRYdsPR
Sep 1vs.App StateW 45–⁠384681152–
Sep 8atPittsburghW 51–⁠63401373–
Sep 15vs.Kent StateW 63–⁠1012201521
Sep 21atIllinoisW 63–⁠2424111121
Sep 29vs.Ohio StateL 26–⁠27413813471
Oct 13vs.Michigan StateL 17–⁠2156613571
Oct 20atIndianaW 33–⁠2842702792
Oct 27vs.IowaW 30–⁠2459602823
Nov 3atMichiganL 7–⁠4212001131
Nov 10vs.WisconsinW 22–⁠105350–––
Nov 17atRutgersW 20–⁠757101102
Nov 24vs.MarylandW 38–⁠33900–––
Jan 1 ✦vs.KentuckyL 24–⁠2714101292

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2020
Height5′8⅝″
Weight178 lb
Arm length30¾″
Hand size9⅜″
Wingspan72½″W
Bench press15 reps

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

3 seasons, 21 games with a stat; latest team: Buffalo Bills.

SeasonTeamGRecYdsTD
2020Denver Broncos12303813
2021Denver Broncos35740
2022Denver Broncos671650
NFL career21426203

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

Is this you, or do you know of something wrong or missing here? Suggest a correction. We check each one against a source before changing the page.