Penn State category, Page 36
James Franklin declines to name starting quarterback for Penn State’s season opener
Days before Penn State’s season opener against West Virginia, the big question — the one most people know the answer to — has yet to be answered formally. Despite all signs pointing to Drew Allar leading the Nittany Lions on Saturday night, James Franklin didn’t name a starting quarterback at...
Here’s why RB Nick Singleton is poised to lead Penn State to new heights
Microphones were out. Cameras were on, their lights shining bright. A narrow hallway in the depths of the Rose Bowl echoed with questions flying from every which way. Nick Singleton was the main attraction. Penn State’s star freshman stole the show at “The Granddaddy of Them All.” His 87-yard touchdown...
After breaking out as freshman, Penn State star LB Abdul Carter poised for big year
This time last year, Abdul Carter was a relative unknown. Everyone at La Salle College High School outside Philly knew what kind of prospect he was. There was buzz around the freshman linebacker inheriting the No. 11 jersey. But few could predict the kind of season Carter would go on...
With fewer questions than usual, Penn State enters Franklin’s 10th season confident as ever
STATE COLLEGE — James Franklin has plenty of reasons to be optimistic entering his 10th season at Penn State. He knows the Nittany Lions have depth across the board, experience to match and a certain swagger that follows an 11-win season capped by a Rose Bowl win. Nearly everyone is...
Why Penn State QB Drew Allar might be college football’s most important player
The expectations for Drew Allar are even bigger than the Penn State quarterback himself — which is saying something about a guy who sees eye-to-eye with the star offensive tackle who protects his blindside. Allar’s pregame warm-ups have made grown men swoon. He played one series in a competitive game...
Penn State football’s academics rank at the bottom of Big Ten after worst score in a decade
This story first appeared in Talk of the Town, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA’s State College regional bureau featuring the most important news and happenings in north-central Pennsylvania. STATE COLLEGE — Penn State’s football team’s academic rating plummeted to its lowest point in more than a decade, placing the...
How Penn State star’s ‘special bond’ with disabled siblings drives him to greatness
The first thing Penn State football’s Adisa Isaac does when he takes the field at Beaver Stadium is look around. Isaac is one of the best defensive ends in college football, a nightmare for Big Ten quarterbacks when the ball is snapped. But before the game is underway — before...
USC’s Caleb Williams leads AP preseason All-Americans; 2 PSU players on 1st team
Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of USC, Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michigan running back Blake Corum are among the returning first-team players who were selected to the Associated Press preseason All-America team announced Monday. Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt and Miami safety Kam Kinchens also followed...
Penn State middle linebacker Kobe King making his case to start: ‘He’s got command of the defense’
The accolades have piled up for Kalen King. Penn State’s star cornerback, who ranked second in the FBS with 18 pass breakups in 2022, was named an ESPN preseason All-American and has been a staple on preseason awards watch lists. He will play a major role on a defense expected...
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...
