Penn State got contributions from eight true freshmen in James Franklin’s first season and managed to redshirt 16 others from a 2014 recruiting class that ranked No. 25 nationally, according to Rivals.com. While Grant Haley, Marcus Allen and others made an impact right away, twice as many will enter the mix in 2015 and add valuable reinforcements to the roster. Among the names to watch are wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins;…
KSN Podcast: Turning the page to Penn State’s 2016 recruiting with Greg Pickel
Penn State put the finishing touches on its 2015 recruiting class yesterday, a 25-member haul that positions the Nittany Lions one step closer to a full, balanced roster. Coach James Franklin got the class off to a hot start with seven verbal commitments by the end of February and three more in March. The same formula with a Junior Day this month and more aggressive strategy. Coach James Franklin had…
KSN Podcast: Handing out superlatives in Penn State’s 2015 recruiting class
Penn State today puts the finishing touches on its 2015 recruiting class, inking its full 25-member class to financial aid agreements on National Signing Day. The class is strong from top to bottom and enters the day ranked among the top 15 in the country by 247 Sports, ESPN, Rivals and Scout. The science of recruiting is inexact and star ratings are often proven laughably wrong. Dustin Hockensmith and Andrew…
KSN Podcast: Super Bowl XLIX preview with Ross Tucker, Jon Ritchie and Bob Flounders
The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks clash in Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Ariz., in a highly anticipated matchup of arguably the NFL’s two best franchises. The Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl title, while the Patriots will play for a championship for the sixth time in 14 years. The Keystone Sports Network has a “correspondent” in the field in former NFL lineman Ross Tucker, who checked in…
KSN Podcast: Super Bowl 49 craziness, ‘DeflateGate’ and more with correspondent Ross Tucker
Super Bowl correspondent Ross Tucker checks in live with the Keystone Sports Network from Glendale, Ariz., where media attention is picking up, DeflateGate won’t go away and Super Bowl 49 is set to be played on Sunday. The carnival-like atmosphere is moving in, and media events bring “minutia” for the players involved. “One game in my whole life I felt nervous before, and it was the Super Bowl,” Jon Ritchie…
KSN Podcast: An interview with Penn State recruit Kamonte Carter
Penn State is getting a strong, versatile athlete in Kamonte Carter, a four-star defensive end from Gaithersburg (Md.) High School who checks in at a stout 6-4 and 250 pounds. Carter has played virtually all over the field during a standout prep career, but has settled at defensive end, where he can add depth to a position in need. Carter has had a unique high school career as a do-it-all…
KSN Podcast: An interview with Penn State recruit Ryan Buchholz
Penn State recruit Ryan Buchholz is a long, powerful defensive end who could be ready to hit the ground running as soon as he arrives on campus this summer. He stands at 6-6 and 240 pounds and has a potent combination of power and speed, a set of skills that could put him in the mix for early playing time at a position that is suddenly shallow after the departures…
KSN Podcast: Looking ahead to Penn State’s 2016 recruiting class with Sean Fitz
Penn State is putting the finishing touches on its 2015 recruiting class and turning more of its attention to the 2016 cycle, which will officially begin following National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 4. After getting off to a scorching start last February, coach James Franklin could again surge when the recruiting calendar flips. The Nittany Lions already have commitments from three top prospects in quarterback Jake Zembiec, defensive end…
KSN Podcast: Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award
Scott Shirley and Andy Shay talk about the history of the Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award, discuss the past winners, and run through the 6 finalists for 2015: Sammie Coates (Auburn), Quinterrius Eatmon (USF), Greg Evans (Eastern Illinois), Levi Norwood (Baylor), Dan O’Brien (Minnesota), and Marcus Rios (UCLA). Follow @UpliftingAth on Twitter and visit upliftingathletes.org for more coverage of the nonprofit organization that aligns college football with rare diseases.
KSN Podcast: Impact of Nick Bowers to Penn State, plus Pitt-PSU rivalry notes with Sean Fitz
Penn State picked up its third verbal commitment two days when three-star tight end Nick Bowers flipped his pledge from Pittsburgh in favor of the Nittany Lions. James Franklin, Bob Shoop and Terry Smith visited Bowers at his Kittanning home to seal the deal after the 6-4, 250-pounder was on campus for an official visit last weekend. Bowers represented the 23rd commitment in Penn State’s 2015 recruiting class, and his…
KSN Podcast: Assessing Penn State’s future in the loaded Big Ten East division
Penn State has its hands full competing in a Big Ten East division that is loaded with potential and features coaching heavyweights Urban Meyer, Mark Dantonio, Jim Harbaugh and James Franklin. Ohio State is coming off a national championship run and has a tremendous base of talent to remain a national factor in 2015 and beyond. The Nittany Lions are re-establishing themselves as a force on the recruiting trail, adding…
KSN Podcast: An interview with Penn State grad and Seattle Seahawk Garry Gilliam
Garry Gilliam helped swing momentum back into the Seattle Seahawks’ favor when they needed it most in the NFC championship. The offensive tackle hauled in an improbable 19-yard touchdown on a fake field goal to help cut into a 16-0 deficit in an eventual 28-22 overtime Seahawks win over the Green Bay Packers. Gilliam plowed through all types of adversity to earn a spot on the Seahawks’ roster as an…
KSN Podcast: ‘DeflateGate’ and the Patriots’ AFC Championship blowout win over Indianapolis
The New England Patriots pummeled the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship, a thorough 45-7 beatdown that would eventually be overshadowed by “Deflategate” and the topic of air pressure in the home team’s footballs. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were grilled about PSI after the NFL found 11 of New England’s 12 footballs were under-inflated. While there’s still no official word on possible penalties handed down by the NFL, the…
KSN Podcast: Assigning credit, blame in Seahawks’ comeback win over Packers
The Seattle Seahawks punched their ticket to Super Bowl 49 in dramatic fashion with a 28-22 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field. Seattle needed an onside kick and a fake field goal touchdown to overcome a 16-0 deficit and return to the Super Bowl for a second straight season. The Seahawks’ offense overcame five turnovers and capped the game with a winning 36-yard strike from Russell…
KSN Podcast: Penn State, the NCAA and what’s next in fight over sanctions
The NCAA last week reached a settlement agreement with state senator Jake Corman and state treasurer Robert McCord that brought an end to a lawsuit challenging the validity of the consent decree Penn State signed in July 2012. As a result, 112 wins were restored, and there was resolution on how Penn State’s $60 million fine would be distributed. The settlement brought finality to the crippling sanctions the NCAA levied…
KSN Podcast: Breaking down Patriots-Colts in the AFC championship game
The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts are on to the AFC championship game after impressive wins in their respective divisional-round matchups. Young Andrew Luck unseated Peyton Manning and the Broncos, an outcome that Keystone Sports Network analyst Jon Ritchie predicted, while the Patriots fended off the Ravens in a matchup that generated controversy over coach Bill Belichick’s deceptive substitution practices. Tom Brady and the Patriots are again heavy favorites…