Penn State category, Page 36
Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen make up a dynamic duo, but what about the rest of Penn State’s running backs?
Penn State has seen three running backs leave in the last 12 months. Caziah Holmes, Devyn Ford and Keyvone Lee transferred — and all three exits were tied, at least in part, to the rise of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Singleton and Allen burst onto the scene as freshmen...
Penn State football names 6 team captains
Much was made of Penn State’s youth movement last year, and rightfully so. Nick Singleton, Abdul Carter and the 2022 recruiting class played a major role in the Nittany Lions’ 11-win campaign. But Penn State also was buoyed by veteran leadership. Sean Clifford and Jonathan Sutherland were fourth-year captains. Ji’Ayir...
‘Explosive’ freshman King Mack impressing in camp, pushing for immediate impact at Penn State
Penn State relied heavily on its 2022 recruiting class last season. From Nick Singleton to Abdul Carter, 10 freshmen burned their redshirts. That’s unlikely to be the case this fall. Tony Rojas, the name on everyone’s lips during the spring, will have a role in the linebacker rotation. Elliot Washington...
Penn Hills grad Daequan Hardy playing key role in Penn State’s deep cornerback room
When Penn State’s defense forces opponents into long-yardage situations this season, the spotlight will fall on veteran corners Kalen King and Johnny Dixon. King is a potential first-round pick next year, and Dixon intercepted two passes and was credited with 10 pass breakups in 2022. PSU corners coach Terry Smith...
Penn State OT Caedan Wallace focused on winning over starting
Right tackle was a question mark entering training camp, and it still is for Penn State. Less than three weeks to go until the 2023 season opener against West Virginia, James Franklin has yet to name a starter on the right side of the offensive line. The competition is down...
‘I want to do damage’: What Penn State RB Kaytron Allen has in store for the 2023 season
STATE COLLEGE — Nick Singleton became a household name in college football after his Rose Bowl heroics. He enters the 2023 campaign on watch lists for the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards, given at the end of the year to the top player in the country. And to be fair,...
Georgia begins quest for 3rd straight championship as No. 1 in AP Top 25; Penn State starts at No. 7
Georgia will begin its drive for an unprecedented college football championship three-peat as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press preseason Top 25. The Bulldogs received 60 of 63 first-place votes in the poll released Monday to easily outpoint No. 2 Michigan, which received two first-place votes and has...
Penn State’s Jaylen Reed on his approach, PSU tight ends, more
Penn State’s top four safeties will play meaningful snaps in the fall. The Nittany Lions return one veteran starter at the position: Keaton Ellis. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter could use the diverse skills of Zakee Wheatley, Jaylen Reed and Kevin Winston Jr. to compensate for...
Penn State WR Kaden Saunders standing out in camp after disappointing 1st season
KeAndre Lambert-Smith separated himself in Penn State’s wide receiver room during spring camp. He and Harrison Wallace III figure to be two of the top targets this fall, something coach James Franklin made clear after camp and over the summer. Franklin also emphasized the need for a third wide receiver...
‘He’s on a mission’: Penn State’s Chop Robinson ready to take the next step toward greatness
Chop Robinson is one of the top defensive players in college football. As we sit here a few weeks away from the start of the season, that’s not up for debate. Robinson has been a mainstay in the first round of way-too-early 2024 NFL mock drafts. Pro Football Focus ranked...
Penn State waiting for wide receiver to emerge as top option for 2023 season
UNIVERSITY PARK — There was joy in the way KeAndre Lambert-Smith carried himself Sunday at Penn State’s local media day. The junior wide receiver happily showed a reporter the tattoos he has on his arms, describing each as he went before remarking on the ones he saw on a reporter...
Spring injury still leads to improvement for Penn State’s Tyler ElsdonVideo
STATE COLLEGE — The closer Penn State gets to playing a football game, the nearer to being himself Tyler Elsdon feels. Often, it’s that way for linebackers who grow up on the football field. The routine becomes part of them. The contact wakes them up. A third-down stop short of...
Tim Benz: Like him or not, Rick Pitino is right about the state of college sports’ conference meltdowns
Here’s a classic case of “listen to the message, even if you don’t like the messenger.” Rick Pitino has certainly done a lot to make many college basketball fans dislike him during his highly successful yet highly checkered coaching career. But on the topic of nonstop conference realignment chaos, Pitino...
Greensburg native Loren Byers building pro ranking points as he works toward goal of big time
For the past 14 years, Greensburg native Loren Byers has been polishing his tennis game. His goal — has been since he was 7 years old — is to play with the big boys on the ATP. Over the past 12 months, Byers, who will be 22 in November, has...
What Penn State QB Drew Allar learned as a freshman: ‘Just be yourself’
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State has yet to name its starting quarterback, and that’s OK with Drew Allar. He isn’t worried about that label. Not yet at least. Allar, the favorite to take the reins, is focused on the start of preseason camp. The Nittany Lions are only a few...
Penn State’s James Franklin reacts to Oregon, Washington joining the Big Ten
STATE COLLEGE — Oregon and Washington leaving the Pac-12 and joining the Big Ten seemed to happen in a blink of an eye, surprising some fans. But James Franklin wasn’t caught off guard when the news became official on Friday. Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi and athletic director Pat Kraft...
Former Penn State star sidelined with heart condition ahead of NFL training camp
KJ Hamler hasn’t participated in the Denver Broncos’ training camp so far this year, and with most believing the absence to be because of an injury, the speedy wide receiver took to Instagram to reveal the real reason for his absence. Hamler, who starred at Penn State from 2017-2019, announced...
What James Franklin wants to see from Penn State’s WRs in training camp: ‘We need to take a big step’
Entering spring camp, wide receiver was a position of interest for Penn State. James Franklin was asked about it frequently in post-practice media sessions, and he made his stance abundantly clear after the Blue-White spring game. “As you guys know, we’ve talked about it a lot,” Franklin said April 15....
From ‘self-doubt’ to top NFL prospect, how Penn State’s Olu Fashanu became a star
INDIANAPOLIS — Olu Fashanu has a legitimate chance to be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Penn State’s stalwart left tackle has the tape. He has the size at 6-foot-6, 319 pounds. At only 20 years old, his ceiling is sky high. So it’s hard to picture...
Penn State notebook: James Franklin OK with new Big Ten scheduling
INDIANAPOLIS — The last time James Franklin spoke to a group of media members was the afternoon of June 8. A couple of hours later, the new Big Ten scheduling model was released and generated plenty of reaction. Perhaps the biggest piece of news from that June announcement, at least...
New captain Keaton Ellis brings versatility, experience to Penn State’s safety room
INDIANAPOLIS – Penn State’s safety room once again will be led by a veteran player. But the Nittany Lions have needed to move on from Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown in recent years, and it will be difficult to replace that kind of production. Brisker became a key player in...
Penn State’s James Franklin excited to watch QBs Drew Allar, Beau Pribula compete
INDIANAPOLIS — James Franklin knew he would get asked about Drew Allar and Penn State’s quarterback situation. Might as well get out in front of it. Franklin, standing at the Lucas Oil Stadium podium, said the Nittany Lions are still in the “competition phase” of the battle between Allar and...
Penn State AD Pat Kraft addresses new Big Ten scheduling model, NIL, Beaver Stadium
INDIANAPOLIS — You’re not alone, Penn State fans. James Franklin and athletic director Pat Kraft also cracked the same joke many used when the new Big Ten scheduling model was announced last month. “James and I laughed,” Kraft said. “Well, we really are unrivaled.” Kraft spoke with a small group...
How Penn State football has changed from the Rose Bowl to Big Ten media days
Penn State football fans, we’ve (almost) made it. The 2022 season is in the rearview mirror. Spring camp came and went. So did the NFL draft and a pair of transfer portal windows. June and July afforded players and coaches down time, to some extent. But now the 2023 campaign...
Carolina RB Miles Sanders stays connected to area with football camp at Woodland Hills
Miles Sanders has traveled well beyond his Woodland Hills roots, but his home base always was the Keystone State. Until now. After attending Penn State and spending the first four years of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Sanders signed a four-year, $25 million free-agent contract with the Carolina...
