Penn State category, Page 27

ATLANTA — On Wednesday night, Adisa Isaac declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. On Thursday morning, the star Penn State defensive end explained why. “There’s been a lot of thoughts with family and with coaches. I felt like it was time,” Isaac said, two days before the Peach Bowl. “I...

This time last year, Ethan Grunkemeyer had one FBS offer: Miami (Ohio). On Wednesday, he signed with Penn State as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 recruiting class. It’s been a rapid rise for Grunkemeyer, the Olentangy (Ohio) standout who committed to Penn State in May as a...

Olu Fashanu, one of Penn State’s top prospects in recent memory, is off to the NFL. Fashanu, arguably the best lineman in the class, has declared for the 2024 NFL draft, he announced Friday. The star left tackle wrote in a statement that he will be “spending time with my...

Quinton Martin is entering a stacked running back room at Penn State. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen confirmed they will be back for their junior seasons, avoiding the temptation of the transfer portal. Allen and Singleton, who have amassed 4,057 scrimmage yards and 40 touchdowns in two seasons, will remain...

UNIVERSITY PARK — Kanye Clary scored 20 points as Penn State bounced back its one-point loss to Georgia Tech in overtime by cruising to a 72-55 win over Le Moyne, a first-year Division I member of the Northeast Conference, on Thursday night. The Nittany Lions needed to stage big second-half...

Penn State will have to replace a longtime staple in its secondary. Daequan Hardy (Penn Hills), a cornerback and electric punt returner for the Nittany Lions, has declared for the NFL Draft. He will play in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Hardy, a five-year contributor at...

STATE COLLEGE — The best follow-up question is often the simplest one. Why? On Tuesday, Penn State hired former Indiana head coach Tom Allen to be its next defensive coordinator. Allen, who replaces Manny Diaz, was formally introduced Wednesday. But why was Allen the choice? And why was Allen so...

Xxavier Thomas says he was ready to commit to Penn State since visiting the campus a year ago, but the Central Catholic junior first needed an offer from the Nittany Lions. That arrived Wednesday. After school, he and his parents joined a video conference call with Penn State coaches James...

A good summer playing baseball for Flood City Elite helped Hempfield junior Dylan Firmstone get seen and receive a scholarship offer from Penn State. Firmstone turned that offer into a commitment Wednesday. He cannot officially sign until his senior season. “I liked the new coaches and the direction they want...

STATE COLLEGE — James Franklin was in a jovial mood Wednesday, joking that he might get more than five hours of sleep per night now. And it’s easy to understand why. A lot of big-picture questions have been answered for Penn State this month. A few weeks ago, the Nittany...

Penn State has found its Manny Diaz replacement. Former Indiana coach Tom Allen was hired to be the Nittany Lions’ new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The program announced the news Tuesday. It first was reported Sunday that Penn State was targeting Allen to replace Diaz, who left to become...

National signing day is almost here for Penn State and the rest of college football. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions don’t expect much drama, if any, on Wednesday with 25 prospects set to make their verbal commitments official during the early signing period. Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class is...

Penn State is working to complete a deal to make former Indiana coach Tom Allen its new defensive coordinator, two people with knowledge of the negotiations told the Associated Press on Sunday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because contract details and school approval were still being finalized. ESPN...

Drew Allar is focused on Ole Miss. The sophomore quarterback has a chance to end his first year as Penn State’s starter on a high note in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Allar is embracing that opportunity as he prepares for the No. 11-ranked Rebels. But...

NEW YORK — Miles Kelly made two free throws with 2.1 seconds left in overtime after a controversial foul call, and Georgia Tech beat Penn State, 82-81, with a frantic finish in a Holiday Festival matchup Saturday at Madison Square Garden. On the Yellow Jackets’ last possession and down 81-80,...

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State will have co-offensive coordinators and co-defensive coordinators for the Nittany Lions’ Peach Bowl game with Ole Miss on Dec. 30 in Atlanta. Co-offensive coordinators Ty Howle and Ja’Juan Seider, were elevated to coordinator status shortly after Penn State coach James Franklin fired OC Mike Yurcich...

STATE COLLEGE — Andy Kotelnicki started by telling a story about growing up in a small town in Minnesota. Penn State’s new offensive coordinator was a kid when he was given a football helmet by his mom. It was the classic white Penn State helmet with a stripe down the...

Perhaps Trace McSorley genuinely never made the connection. Or maybe he was just trying to be polite to his new teammate. But per McSorley, he hadn’t recalled that he had played a game — in the very venue now called Acrisure Stadium, no less — against another member of the...

A significant number of Penn State players still have decisions to make in the time leading up to the 10th-ranked Nittany Lions’ Dec. 30 Peach bowl date with No. 11 Ole Miss in Atlanta. A couple of players have already made theirs. Stay in college, or leave early for the...

Penn State has its first transfer portal addition of the offseason. Alan Herron, a sought-after offensive tackle from Division II Shorter University, verbally committed to the Nittany Lions on Monday. He announced his decision on social media. Herron committed to Penn State after visiting campus over the weekend. He visited...

STATE COLLEGE — Gary Stokan’s relationship with Penn State head coach James Franklin goes back more than 20 years. Stokan, the 68-year-old CEO of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, was in town Monday morning to officially invite Penn State to the game. The No. 10 Nittany Lions (10-2) will face No....

Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels from LSU was one of seven players in either their fifth or sixth season of college football selected to The Associated Press All-America team announced Monday. Daniels, a fifth-year quarterback, won the Heisman and AP player of the year honors last week after accounting for...

Manny Diaz is gone, leaving James Franklin in the market for a new defensive coordinator. Diaz was officially named Duke’s new head coach Thursday night after two stellar seasons as Penn State’s defensive coordinator. The former Miami head coach wanted to run his own program again and will now have...