KSN Podcast: Reviewing Penn State’s NFL draft picks and undrafted free agents

May 13, 2015

Penn State saw three of its upperclassmen drafted and a handful of others sign as free agents at the conclusion of the 2015 NFL draft. Offensive tackle Donovan Smith, a second-round pick, led the way and was joined by fifth-rounders Adrian Amos and Jesse James. Deion Barnes, Miles Dieffenbach, Sam Ficken, Mike Hull and C.J. Olaniyan are also getting their shots with rookie tryouts. Another big area of debate surrounding…

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KSN Podcast: Talking Penn State football with FOX 43’s Todd Sadowski

May 12, 2015

Penn State has found stability after three full seasons of NCAA sanctions. The road to this point has been bumpy while bridging coaching staffs led by Joe Paterno, Bill O’Brien and James Franklin, and it has included two interim coaches. The roster has almost fully turned over, and NCAA sanctions are in the rearview mirror. Much has changed in Happy Valley, but a new sense of calm and hope has…

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KSN Podcast: Penn State’s place in the Big Ten East division with Tom Dienhart

May 7, 2015

With Urban Meyer and Ohio State leading the charge, the Big Ten East has quickly blossomed into one of the most competitive divisions in college football. Michigan State is firmly in the mix for a division title, while Michigan and Penn State are both on the upswing after brief down periods. Star power in the coaching ranks has reached new levels with Urban Meyer, Mark Dantonio, Jim Harbaugh and James…

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KSN Podcast: Penn State fan questions, from Christian Hackenberg to Donovan Smith and more

May 5, 2015

Penn State has all kinds of questions going into the 2015 season, so it’s only natural that fans have a platform to ask their own. The Keystone Sports Network crew fielded listener questions this week and posed them Bob Flounders and Andrew P. Shay for their expert analysis. They ranged from Christian Hackenberg to Herb Hand to Kyle Carter and plenty more. Flounders and Shay took on eight issues this…

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KSN Podcast: James Franklin’s first pitch, Von Walker’s scholarship and more news

May 4, 2015

Penn State wrapped up its spring practice session last month and shifted its focus to the recruiting trail and other locations as the program heads toward the summer. James Franklin has been spotted at Yankee Stadium and soon kicks off his annual Coaches Caravan tour. Franklin made a splash with a hard first-pitch strike between a Yankees-Rays game, which was surely no accident, given the coach’s attention to every detail….

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KSN Podcast: Talking all things Penn State with Fight On State’s Mark Brennan

April 29, 2015

Penn State has made headlines this month for all kinds of reasons, not the least of which being the Blue-White game and continued success on the recruiting trail. But coach James Franklin is also back in the news as the notion of satellite camps is more scrutinized than ever. With Jim Harbaugh taking his camps show on the road virtually anywhere, coaches from the ACC and SEC have renewed their…

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KSN Podcast: Reviewing Penn State’s Blue-White spring scrimmage

April 28, 2015

Penn State wrapped up its spring practice session on April 18 with its Blue-White spring scrimmage. The Blue team took home a 17-7 win led by a majority of the Nittany Lions’ first-team offense and defense. Christian Hackenberg saw more action than planned and completed 17 of 29 passes for 180 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Wide receiver Saeed Blacknall and running back Nick Scott also garnered attention…

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KSN Podcast: Ross Tucker ranks Penn State’s 2015 recruits

April 28, 2015

Penn State’s 2015 recruiting class is signed and official, and it ranks as one of the best in the nation. Not only that, the Nittany Lions are getting 25 talented players who provide a valuable jolt of depth to a roster that sorely needed it in the wake of NCAA sanctions. That depth from Nos. 1 to 25 is a calling card of the class, but the group isn’t lacking…

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KSN Podcast: Latest on Penn State recruiting, satellite camps and more

April 24, 2015

Penn State is at the root of fresh headlines on satellite camps as grumblings grow louder from coaches and leaders in the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences. The act of guest-coaching in the backyard of SEC and ACC programs is stirring up the likes of Nick Saban, Dibo Swinney and others, particularly as Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh borrows the satellite concept and takes it to brand new levels. But while that…

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KSN Podcast: Rivals analyst Mike Farrell talks Penn State recruiting

April 22, 2015

Penn State is rolling along to another nationally ranked recruiting class in 2016 with verbal commitments from six blue-chip prospects. Coach James Franklin continues to see better and better results on the recruiting trail, a trend that could continue with the Nittany Lions still in the mix for a number of the region’s top prospects. The projected returns in the ’16 class serve to complement a talented ’15 recruiting class…

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KSN Podcast: Interview with 2016 Penn State QB recruit Jake Zembiec

April 19, 2015

Penn State is getting a talented quarterback in its 2016 recruiting class in four-star pro-style passer Jake Zembiec, a 6-2, 205-pound prospect from Aquinas Institute in Rochester, N.Y. Zembiec is pushing forward through spring workouts in advance of a busy summer and a senior season that could help elevate his national recruiting profile. He missed much of his junior season with a broken wrist. Zembiec said he is “110 percent”…

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KSN Podcast: Last-minute preview of Penn State’s Blue-White game

April 18, 2015

Penn State’s Blue-White spring football scrimmage kicks off at 4 p.m. EST today, bringing an official end to the Nittany Lions’ spring practice session. Coach James Franklin has a deeper, more talented roster this time around and gets one more look at key position battles, including defensive end, offensive line, wide receiver and running back. Bob Flounders, Andrew P. Shay and Dustin Hockensmith took a look at key players to…

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KSN Podcast: Penn State football news and notes on Michal Menet, Trace McSorley, more

April 18, 2015

Penn State coach James Franklin is speaking this spring with exponentially more optimism than he did at the same last season, and why not? His team is deeper and more experienced, with bona-fide strengths on both sides of the ball. Franklin spoke this week about his talented secondary and the head-turning play of backup quarterback Trace McSorley in his last public comments before Saturday’s Blue-White scrimmage. The Nittany Lions also got…

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KSN Podcast: Assessing Penn State’s tight ends in 2015 and beyond

April 16, 2015

Penn State has a blend of experience and youth at the tight end position, led by redshirt senior Kyle Carter and redshirt sophomore Adam Breneman. The group also features breakout candidate Mike Gesicki and incoming freshmen Nick Bowers and Jonathan Holland. Even in the absence of Jesse James, coach James Franklin has all the ingredients for a productive unit with significant upside. Franklin has been clear about at least one…

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KSN Podcast: Ross Tucker breaks down Tommy Stevens, Penn State’s future QB competition

April 16, 2015

Penn State has at least one more season with talented junior Christian Hackenberg under center. Coach James Franklin is adding talented signal-callers to the mix with Trace McSorley in the 2014 recruiting class, Tommy Stevens in ’15 and Jake Zembiec currently committed in ’16, but the overlying question remains: will Penn State have a legitimate starter in place when Hackenberg does elect to jump to the NFL, either in 2016…

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KSN Podcast: Latest Penn State football news and notes, plus key position battles

April 14, 2015

Penn State heads into the final week of spring practice with known issues, particularly along its offensive and defensive lines, and key position battles that will linger into summer camp. A handful of Nittany Lions recently shed light on those battles and predicted a breakout season for defensive end Carl Nassib, a possibility that would go a long way toward easing concerns about depth on the D-line. Bob Flounders and…

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