Penn State category, Page 23
Deep group of defensive tackles looks promising for Penn State
Penn State should have strength in numbers at the defensive tackle position in the fall. At the very least. The Nittany Lions’ top edge rushers, led by Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, are the headliners and deservedly so. Both players, should they leave PSU after 2024, are projected to be...
Penn State’s battle at right tackle taking shape
With Penn State fully underway in fall camp now, position battles will be key to watch before the Nittany Lions travel to Morgantown, W.Va., at the end of the month. Coach James Franklin provided an update at an important spot Thursday night. Redshirt freshman Anthony Donkoh and redshirt junior Nolan...
How will QB Beau Pribula’s ‘elite athleticism’ be utilized in Penn State’s new offense?
There’s strong belief within the Lasch Building that Andy Kotelnicki and his creative scheme will reinvigorate a Penn State offense that became stale and, at times, ineffective last year. Drew Allar had a “good, but not good enough” first season as the starting quarterback. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen weren’t...
Greensburg Central Catholic baseball player Anthony Grippo commits to Penn State
A new NCAA recruiting rule kicked in earlier this month. It prevents college coaches from communicating with prospects until Aug. 1 of their junior year. When that day rolled around for Anthony Grippo, his cellphone “blew up.” The rising junior from Greensburg Central Catholic had more than 20 calls or...
Penn State coaches, teammates continue to praise Zakee Wheatley, who has been the talk of the offseason
Penn State’s coaching staff identified Zakee Wheatley as a potential playmaker prior to the 2022 season. The reserve safety intercepted a pair of passes and forced a fumble that year, but his opportunities were minimal last season. This year is different. The breakout opportunity is real for the fourth-year Nittany...
‘It’s been a lot more efficient’: Penn State coaches, players share reaction to in-helmet communication
College football teams’ spring games are typically defined by motifs relating to new things, whether it’s new players, coaching staffs, stadiums, etc. One of this year’s new things came in the form of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s voice buzzing through a tiny speaker in the helmet of his quarterbacks —...
Ex-Penn State cornerback, agent of iconic 2016 play, retires from footballVideo
An orchestrator of one of the biggest upsets in Penn State history has hung up his cleats. Former Lions defensive back Grant Haley announced his retirement from football Monday evening with a heartfelt Instagram post. Haley went on to play five seasons in the NFL, bouncing around practice squads with...
Anchored by Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming, Penn State WRs have something to prove
Penn State’s offense was far from one-dimensional last season, but its effectiveness through the air left plenty of room for improvement. Drew Allar proved capable in his first season as starting quarterback, yet by year’s end, Penn State’s shortcomings in the passing game were apparent. The Nittany Lions ranked 77th...
Penn State ranked 9th in preseason USA Today Coaches Poll; Georgia 1stVideo
NEW YORK — Penn State will open the season ninth in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll, which was released Monday. Georgia is No. 1, a year after its two-year run as national champion ended. The Bulldogs received 46 of the 55 first-place votes from college football coaches. Preseason No....
Mt. Lebanon’s JB Nelson looks to help stabilize Penn State’s new-look offensive line
STATE COLLEGE — From the outside looking in, replacing three starters on the offensive line, all of whom were NFL Draft picks in April, is among the most pressing to-do items on Penn State’s camp agenda. Losing Olu Fashanu, Caedan Wallace and Hunter Nourzad opened up spots at both tackle...
Debuts of 3 new coordinators to weigh heavily in Penn State’s success
STATE COLLEGE — It’s a testament to Penn State’s returning players that the Nittany Lions are considered to be a strong contender for the 12-team College Football Playoff this season, the first year of expansion from the four-team field. During the CFP’s four-team era (2014-23), making the cut proved elusive...
McKeesport sophomore Kemon Spell gives Penn State 1st commitment from 2027 class
McKeesport sophomore Kemon Spell can’t sign with for two more years, but the highly recruited running back and defensive back has already picked his college. Spell committed Friday to Penn State, making him the school’s first commitment in the 2027 class. The 5-foot-9, 195-pounder had a growing list of Division...
Penn State’s Jaylen Reed destined for bigger role in defensive backfield this year
Penn State liked Jaylen Reed right away. The Nittany Lions’ defensive coaches played the young safety in eight games during his true freshman season of 2021. Starting? Not an option with Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown on that roster. Reed played in all 13 games in 2022 and emerged as...
2 Penn State football players placed on interim suspension
Weeks before the start of the new season, two Penn State football players were placed on interim suspension, a program spokesperson said Wednesday. Defensive end Jameial Lyons and linebacker Kaveion Keys are on interim suspension to “deal with a personal matter,” spokesperson Greg Kincaid said. The program will have no...
Penn State receives commitments from 2 defensive line prospects
Make it two more commitments for Penn State and a huge hot streak for the Nittany Lions on the trail. Daniel Jennings, a four-star defensive end in the Class of 2026 from Princeton, W.Va., committed to Penn State over hometown West Virginia on Wednesday. He followed the afternoon commitment of...
Penn State alum Stephen Nedoroscik waited his whole life for one routine, and the U.S. pommel horse specialist nailed it
PARIS — Sam Mikulak pulled Stephen Nedoroscik close and tasked the American pommel horse specialist with the impossible. The U.S. men’s gymnastics team’s first Olympic medal in 16 years a solitary routine away, Mikulak — a Penn State alumnus — told the pommel horse specialist that he didn’t need to...
Harrisburg junior lineman Kevin Brown, state’s top prospect, commits to Penn State
Harrisburg junior offensive tackle Kevin Brown holds an offer from just about every major college football program in the country. So what was it that set Penn State apart from the rest of his deep and decorated list of offering schools? It was simple: trust. That trust and belief in...
Penn State WR Julian Fleming enters camp with ‘huge chip on his shoulder’
Julian Fleming is an older receiver in a new position. The former five-star recruit is back in his home state, and the expectations for the Southern Columbia grad are great. Fleming, who transferred from Ohio State to Penn State after the 2023 season, impressed the Nittany Lions coaching staff and...
Whether at linebacker or defensive end, Penn State expects Abdul Carter to make an impact
INDIANAPOLIS — Abdul Carter certainly looks like a Big Ten defensive end. The former first-team All-Big Ten linebacker made the move to edge rusher prior to spring drills, and Carter is listed at 6-foot-3, 249 pounds on the Penn State roster. But new defensive coordinator Tom Allen is a fan...
Several Penn State defenders set to play bigger roles this fall
INDIANAPOLIS — Jaylen Reed and Dvon J-Thomas are representing the Penn State defense at Big Ten Media Days inside Lucas Oil Stadium this week. The veteran Lions will also play significant roles in new coordinator Tom Allen’s defense. It’s a unit that should be led by an edge group featuring...
Big Ten media days provide formal welcome to USC, UCLA and other former Pac-12 schools
INDIANAPOLIS — Southern California coach Lincoln Riley strolled across the Lucas Oil Stadium stage for the first time Wednesday, greeted by a familiar tune — “Fight On.” He was nowhere near the only newcomer to this week’s Big Ten Media Days. Riley’s remarks were preceded by those of first-year UCLA...
Kirk Ferentz still committed to Iowa after watching friends Bill Belichick, Nick Saban move on
INDIANAPOLIS — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz watched two of his best coaching friends, Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, leave football after last season. So, naturally, college football’s longest-tenured coach smiles and nods as he reflects on his own potential exit. “All of us have to do that,” the 68-year-old Ferentz...
Zoo Crew suffers tough loss to Happy Valley Hoopers in The Basketball Tournament
The disappointment will linger with Nelly Cummings after he and his Zoo Crew teammates lost to the Happy Valley Hoopers, 85-82, on Wednesday night in the Sweet 16 of The Basketball Tournament at Petersen Events Center. After all, a team composed largely of former Pitt players led their Penn State...
James Franklin, Penn State embrace high expectations for 2024
James Franklin understands that this year is a little different. Franklin, entering his 11th season as Penn State’s head coach, took the podium at Big Ten media days on Wednesday and answered questions from a crowd of national reporters at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The final question he fielded...
Penn State’s Abdul Carter joins Michigan, Ohio State stars in earning Big Ten’s preseason position honors
INDIANAPOLIS — Players from defending national champion Michigan and Ohio State claimed seven of the Big Ten’s 12 positional honors on Tuesday. They were selected by a media panel on the first of three conference media days in Indianapolis. The Buckeyes had four selections — safety Caleb Downs, receiver Emeka...
