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KSN Podcast: Breaking down Penn State’s most important players, Nos. 21-25

August 8, 2015

For Penn State to take a sizable leap forward in 2015, coach James Franklin is relying on more than a few key factors. His team is young and still has depth and experience issues, particularly along the offensive line, but the 2015 season brings optimism that a nearly full roster of scholarship players can take a big step toward being a Big Ten title contender. Christian Hackenberg, Austin Johnson and…

KSN Podcast: ‘Tucker’s Tape’ breaks down offensive linemen on the spot in 2015

August 8, 2015

There’s no escaping the importance of progress on Penn State’s offensive line this season. The offense can only go so far as that group takes it, and the hope is that a season of experience and a full year learning coordinator John Donovan’s offense can lead to big breakthroughs for the likes of Brendan Mahon, Brian Gaia and Angelo Mangiro. A number of scenarios exist for the starting lineup this…

KSN Podcast: Penn State news, from the O-line to Big Ten rivals and more

August 7, 2015

Penn State has kicked off its summer training camp this week and hopes to create momentum in a few key areas. The offensive line is the big issue going into the 2015 season after the unit struggled to protect quarterback Christian Hackenberg and create running lanes a year ago. That group is worth watching to see progress in camp, along with linebackers and running backs, to name a few. Fifth-year senior…

KSN Podcast: Penn State football media day recap with Bob Flounders

August 7, 2015

Penn State held its annual media day in Happy Valley this week, which marked an opportunity to catch up with assistant coaches and players, many of whom for the first time since last season. James Franklin talked about a number of topics in his opening news conference, and coordinators Bob Shoop and John Donovan were available to talk about the team’s offensive and defensive units. After that was a free-for-all…

KSN Podcast: Penn State 2016 recruiting overview and key targets

August 3, 2015

Penn State is set to enter summer camp and turn its focus to the current team, but coach James Franklin is far from finished on the recruiting trail. The Nittany Lions are loaded with talent in their 2016 recruiting class and still have a number of high-profile targets within their reach. Penn State could still add big-time prospects to a class that has consensus top-10 rankings. Franklin has 18 verbal…

KSN Podcast: Penn State news and notes on Lavert Hill, Micah Parsons and more

August 2, 2015

Penn State got ominous news on the recruiting front this week when four-star cornerback Lavert Hill made his intentions known to visit Michigan for the BBQ at the Big House recruiting event. Hill, who committed to the Nittany Lions last January, is in line to visit his third school following stops at Michigan State and USC this summer. Hill has been on de-commitment watch for months, with that talk slowing…

KSN Podcast: Previewing Penn State football storylines entering summer camp

August 2, 2015

Penn State comes off a strong finish to a 2014 season that featured its share of trials and tribulations. Coach James Franklin went 7-6 in his Happy Valley debut while working with a deeply flawed offense that featured inexperience at offensive line and wide receiver and little support for sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg. The results were forgettable as Penn State ranked among the worst offenses in the country. Looking ahead…

KSN Podcast: Talking Penn State recruiting with Rivals analyst Adam Friedman

August 2, 2015

Penn State is well on its way to another nationally acclaimed recruiting class under second-year coach James Franklin, with 18 commits in a 2016 class that currently ranks among the top 10 nationally on all four major recruiting services. The Nittany Lions are poised to add another elite collection of talent to a roster that continues to reload in the aftermath of NCAA sanctions. Looking ahead to 2017, the state…

KSN Podcast: The best players Penn State will face in 2015, Nos. 1-5

July 26, 2015

Penn State has perks in its 2015 schedule, namely with a manageable offseason slate and a run of five straight home games, but the Big Ten East division features few weeks off. The Nittany Lions take on two national championship hopefuls in Michigan State and Ohio State, programs that both have multiple candidates for the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. The Spartans and Buckeyes occupied 16 spots on…

KSN Podcast: ‘Tucker’s Tape’ on Penn State recruits Cameron Brown and Shaka Toney

July 26, 2015

Penn State pushed its 2016 recruiting class to 18 commits last week when Cameron Brown and Shaka Toney, both listed as linebacker/defensive ends, pledged during Lasch Bash weekend. The Nittany Lions added two versatile defenders to a top-10 class that addresses virtually every need. Brown and Toney have the potential to help at multiple positions, an approach that coach James Franklin continues to take on the defensive side of the…

KSN Podcast: Breaking down the latest Penn State news, recruiting exploits and more

July 25, 2015

The Penn State football program continued its momentum on the 2016 recruiting front at the Lasch Bash and also laid more framework for 2017 and beyond with a number of elite targets. One of those is based in the Nittany Lions’ backyard in Central Dauphin rising sophomore Micah Parsons, a defensive end who should push for a five-star rating in the 2018 class. In addition to securing commitments from outside…

KSN Podcast: An interview with Penn State beat writer Audrey Snyder

July 25, 2015

Penn State has made a statement at the midway point of the summer, most recently through the removal of player names from uniforms but also by trotting out key players for Lift for Life earlier this month. In returning to the public eye in the weeks leading up to summer camp, a handful of Nittany Lions stood out as making a big leap forward physically. Freshman running back Saquon Barkley…

KSN Podcast: Talking Penn State uniforms, QB recruit Sean Clifford’s commitment, more

July 20, 2015

Penn State has made headlines several times this week with the commitment of four-star quarterback Sean Clifford and the announcement that player names would be removed from uniforms. The jersey decision, which coach James Franklin made as a nod to the program’s tradition, ended a three-year era that former coach Bill O’Brien started prior to the 2012 season. Clifford represents the first verbal commitment in Penn State’s 2017 recruiting class….

KSN Podcast: An interview with 2017 Penn State QB recruit Sean Clifford

July 18, 2015

Penn State got on the board in the 2017 recruiting class this week with a verbal commitment from four-star quarterback Sean Clifford. The St. Xavier (Ohio) High School standout, who rates as the No. 157 player in the ’17 class by Rivals, was eager to commit after camping at Penn State in June and vowed to take on leadership responsibilities in the class. Clifford could go down as the most…

KSN Podcast: An interview with Penn State great Troy Drayton

July 17, 2015

Penn State announced this week that it would do away with player names on the backs of their uniforms, a decision made to honor a 125-year tradition in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions’ jerseys were adorned with player names for three seasons from 2012-’14, in part, as a response to NCAA sanctions and as a gesture toward the players who stuck with the program. But the addition of player names,…

KSN Podcast: Interview with Ohio State beat writer Doug Lesmerises

July 14, 2015

Ohio State has a loaded roster back in 2015 with more experience and arguably better overall talent than the group that won the national championship last season. In a suddenly crowded Big Ten East division, the Buckeyes still reign supreme, and that fact is unlikely to change anytime soon. Some might say coach Urban Meyer has too much depth, at least in one area. Ohio State has three star quarterbacks…

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