Brent Wilkerson Dismissed from Penn State Football Team

Penn State redshirt senior tight end Brent Wilkerson has been dismissed from the team due to a violation of team rules, the program announced today. Wilkerson had been suspended indefinitely since mid-March after an arrest for indecent assault and harassment. According to reports that emerged not long after the suspension was announced, Wilkerson admitted to the assault after questioning by police. The details were disturbing, and while Wilkerson admitted that he was in the wrong, it never seemed likely that he would return for his final year of eligibility.

Wilkerson led the team in snaps at the tight end position last season, though he was primarily used as a blocker and was only targeted for passes seven times. Wilkerson's dismissal and the graduation of Kyle Carter mean that junior Mike Gesicki and walk-on Tom Pancoast are the only tight ends on the roster with any experience. Redshirt freshmen Nick Bowers and Jonathan Holland are expected to see some playing time this season, but it will likely be limited.

With the brief football analysis out of the way, it should be stated that this is 100 percent the right move on the part of the Penn State program. There is an ugly reality in college culture when it comes to the treatment of women, and a no-tolerance policy for this sort of thing should be considered standard operating procedure for the athletic department moving forward.