Barracuda sign Penn State defenseman Jarod Crespo to amateur tryout agreement

San Jose used the end of Penn State’s season to add a defenseman who already knows how to handle heavy minutes, block shots and chip in offense. The Barracuda signed Jarod Crespo to an amateur tryout agreement on April 14, giving the organization a first look at a 23-year-old right-shot blue-liner as college hockey doors open and AHL depth charts start to shift.

Crespo came out of Penn State after a senior season that looked a lot like a pro defenseman’s résumé entry. He produced 17 points in 37 games, finishing with five goals and 12 assists while earning All-Big Ten honorable mention status. He also scored a hat trick against RIT on Senior Day in January, a rare burst of offense from a player whose game has been built as much on reliability as on flash.

The bigger number is the one that explains why San Jose wanted him in the building now. Crespo played 141 games over four seasons in University Park, recorded 42 points and piled up 91 penalty minutes. He finished tied for fifth all-time among Penn State defensemen with 12 goals and ranked fourth all-time with 193 blocked shots. That is the profile of a player who spent his college career in the middle of the action, not floating around the edges of it.

Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky did not hide how much Crespo meant to the program. He said Crespo had a “great career” and a “tremendous senior year,” and praised the way he improved into a leader. Crespo was also part of three NCAA Tournament teams and the program’s first Frozen Four in 2025, part of a senior class that helped Penn State stay in the national picture in Hockey Valley. He majored in communication arts and sciences and earned B1G Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honors, which only adds to the appeal of a player who checked every box on and off the ice.

For the Barracuda, this is more than a paperwork move. It is a look at whether Crespo can be a real part of the San Jose blue-line pipeline, not just a body for April. General manager Joe Will has now added Crespo after the club signed Clarkson forward Erik Bargholtz to an ATO on March 25, Clarkson defenseman Tristan Sarsland to an ATO on March 26 and defenseman Thomas Messineo to a PTO on April 14. That is a clear pattern: San Jose is fishing in the college market for players who can step into the pro environment quickly.

Crespo’s two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL from 2020 to 2022 gave him a junior foundation before Penn State sharpened the rest. The question now is whether the Barracuda see him as depth insurance or as a defenseman whose track record of minutes, blocks and leadership earns him a longer stay. Based on the way San Jose is stocking its late-season pipeline, Crespo has at least put himself on the board for more than a cameo.