Penn State has dismissed outside linebacker Manny Bowen and wide receiver Irv Bowen, the program announced Tuesday. The purposely-vague “violation of team rules” was the reasoning.
“Manny Bowen and Irvin Charles are no longer members of the Penn State football team due to a violation of team rules,” the program said in a statement to PennLive. “We appreciate their contributions to the program and wish them success in the future.”
Lions247 was the first outlet to report the pair were not with the rest of the club in Phoenix.
Bowen, a junior, started the first nine games of the season before he was suspended for the final quarter of the regular season. He finished the year with 51 tackles, good for fifth on the team, with 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Senior Brandon Smith is expected to start for Bowen in the Fiesta Bowl, as he did over the final three games of the season.
Charles caught just one pass for four yards this season, but the sophomore carved out a niche on special teams, forcing a fumble that Nick Scott returned for a 13-yard touchdown in a 45-14 win over Indiana on Sept. 30.
The ninth-ranked Nittany Lions will meet No. 11 Washington on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN).