Could a local kid make an impact in the NFL postseason this year?

Stranger things have happened.

At 1 p.m. Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla., Jaguars tight end and Parkersburg High graduate Brenton Strange will make his NFL playoff debut.

The Jags last made the postseason in 2022, when Strange was a redshirt junior at Penn State. Jacksonville selected Strange in the second round of the NFL draft in 2023, and the former PHS star athlete has played a pivotal role in the changing of culture for the 2025 AFC South champions.

Strange, in his third professional season, put up career-highs in receptions (46), receiving yards (540) and touchdowns (3) on 60 targets. That’s with Strange missing five games due to a hip injury — two of Jacksonville’s four losses occurred while Strange was on injured reserve.

Strange returned in week 12 and helped the Jags close the year on an eight-game winning streak. They’re one of the hottest teams in the league as the playoffs begin.

Led by first-year head coach Liam Coen, the Jags will take on the playoff-tested Buffalo Bills Sunday.

The Bills, who are powered by superstar quarterback Josh Allen, are only the 6-seed in the AFC but are not to be taken lightly. Buffalo is in the postseason for the seventh straight year and has won at least one playoff game in five straight seasons. The Jags will need to break that trend to stay alive.

Buffalo ranks seventh in total defense this season, while the Jaguars are 11th in total offense. Individually, Strange presents matchup nightmares for opposing defenses.

At 6-foot-4, 247 pounds, Strange is too big and strong for most defensive backs and too fast and athletic for most linebackers. He’s well respected around the league as an excellent blocker and has been a major factor in Jacksonville’s running game, which is tied for fourth in the NFL with 22 rushing touchdowns.

Overall, Strange is the seventh-highest graded tight end in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. At 25 years old, he’s among the most promising young tight ends in the game.

Following the team’s 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans in the regular season finale, Strange told reporters “It means everything (to host a playoff game). This is the type of stuff you dream of as a kid.”

During a week 14 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Strange was mic’d up and told his teammates “We ain’t the same ole’ Jags, man!”

The former Big Red is a huge reason for that.

Contact Jordan Holland at jholland@newsandsentinel.com.