Penn State is sending five players to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, Ind., this week, where physical and mental testing await and could mean the difference between being drafted and battling long odds as a free agent. Adrian Amos, Sam Ficken, Mike Hull, Jesse James and Donovan Smith will all look to elevate their NFL draft stocks this week. Smith is likely the most highly regarded prospect in the group,…
KSN Podcast: A look at Penn State recruiting and more with Mark Brennan
Penn State got the right young pieces at the right time in the 2015 recruiting class, with 25 players who all checked in as either three of four-star prospects. Coach James Franklin attracted quality and, perhaps just as importantly, quantity in a push to get the Nittany Lions back to their full allotment of 85 overall scholarship players. That depth impressed FightOnState.com’s Mark Brennan more than anything, even in the presence…
KSN Podcast: An interview with Penn State recruit Andre Robinson
Penn State landed a gem in four-star running back Andre Robinson, a compact runner and one of the most accomplished players in Bishop McDevitt High School history. He is one of two talented running backs in the Nittany Lions’ 2015 recruiting class, along with Saquon Barkley, and he arrives at Penn State as a proven winner and physical, elusive runner. Robinson joined Dustin Hockensmith and Andrew P. Shay on the…
KSN Podcast: Bishop McDevitt’s Jeff Weachter talks Penn State, Andre Robinson
Bishop McDevitt High School is sending a recruit to Penn State for the first time in a decade in four-star running back Andre Robinson. McDevitt coach Jeff Weachter doesn’t see much reason to celebrate the fact, other than in Penn State getting a talented, hard-working player in Robinson who is in “rare air” as a productive four-year starter for the Crusaders. Weachter joined Dustin Hockensmith and Andrew P. Shay on…
KSN podcast: Breaking down Penn State’s 2016 early recruiting strategy
The recruiting calendar has officially turned to 2016, and Penn State’s coaching staff is pouring all its resources into adding to a class of four commitments in cornerback Lavert Hill, running back Miles Sanders, defensive end Shane Simmons and quarterback Jake Zembiec. Coach James Franklin will take a big step in those efforts later this month when Penn State hosts top recruits for Junior Day. The same event helped to…
KSN Podcast: Penn State’s redshirt freshmen and how they’ll fare in 2015
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…