Juice Scruggs

Early life

Scruggs was born on January 19, 2000, in Ashtabula, Ohio. He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and was a four-time varsity letter winner in football, playing lineman on both sides of the ball. He helped them compile a 49–3 record in his four years with the team, including consecutive 14–0 seasons. He was named first-team all-state as a defensive lineman in 2016 and as a senior in 2017 was named first-team all-state on the offensive line and was given the Pennsylvania Football New Class 4-A Lineman of the Year award. A consensus four-star recruit, Scruggs was ranked as the fifth-best center nationally. He committed to Penn State over offers from various other schools, including LSU, Ohio State and Michigan.

College career

Scruggs saw limited action in his first year at Penn State, only appearing on three snaps during their game against Maryland. He was named the joint-winner of the team's Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year award.

In early 2019, he was involved in a car accident that caused him serious injuries, including a concussion and fractured vertebrae. Scruggs had to wear a back brace for eight months and missed the entire season due to his injuries. He eventually recovered and made his return to the field against Maryland in November 2020, close to two years after the crash. Scruggs appeared in a total of seven games on the year, none of which he started.

Scruggs posted his first start in the 2021 season, starting all 13 games and earning honorable mention all-conference from the Big Ten's coaches and media, third-team honors from Pro Football Focus (PFF), and being named the winner of Penn State's Dick Maginnis Memorial Award for best offensive lineman. The following year, he was voted team captain and started all 12 games, being named third-team All-Big Ten by the league's coaches. Scruggs declared for the NFL draft after the season, forgoing an extra year of eligibility given to him due to the COVID-19 pandemic.