The fantasy football waiver wire doesn’t yield a ton of big names for Week 15, when the playoff stakes are high in most leagues and matchups count more than ever. This past week had its standouts, but also a number of under-performers that, surprisingly, featured star quarterbacks Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. Sticking with quarterbacks, help could be hard to find as popular waiver wire targets such as Colt McCoy…
KSN Podcast: Interview with 4-star Penn State OL recruit Steven Gonzalez
Penn State has just one interior lineman in its lauded 2015 recruiting class in Steven Gonzalez, a four-star guard from Union City (N.J.) High School. The 6-3, 305-pound prospect said he is 100 percent committed to the Nittany Lions and doing his part to lure other big-time offensive linemen from both the 2015 and 2016 recruiting classes. Gonzalez said James Franklin made all the difference when he gave his verbal…
KSN Podcast: Recruiting breakdown: How Garrett Taylor can impact the cornerback depth chart
Penn State landed four-star cornerback Garrett Taylor over the weekend, as he committed the day after taking an official visit for the Michigan State game. While still considering LSU, Ohio State and Virginia Tech, Taylor swiftly pledged to James Franklin and gave him a big, versatile cornerback who is both talented and aggressive. Taylor’s winding recruitment ended in Happy Valley after first beginning with a commitment to Brady Hoke and…
KSN Podcast: Fantasy football waiver wire targets: Isaiah Crowell, Daniel Herron, Johnny Manziel, more
The fantasy football playoffs are looming in a huge number of league formats, so the pressure is mounting to make late improvements to rosters with the hopes of building depth for a postseason run. And while the Week 14 waiver wire pool doesn’t feature a ton of immediate help, there are promising prospects available at all positions ranging from Johnny Manziel to Isaiah Crowell to Daniel “Boom” Herron and plenty…
KSN Podcast: Penn State recruiting update: Garrett Taylor and Jake Zembiec commitments
Penn State’s recruiting efforts are picking up this week after the team wrapped up its 2014 season with a 34-10 loss to Michigan State. Scholarship offers are being extended, and commits are entering the fold, most recently from four-star cornerback Garrett Taylor and four-star 2016 quarterback Jake Zembiec. Commitments from both players carry extra significance for James Franklin, who got the big cornerback he desires in Taylor and a potential…
KSN Podcast: Philadelphia Eagles make NFC East statement with win over Dallas Cowboys
The Philadelphia Eagles dominated their much-anticipated Thanksgiving day matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, taking a one-game lead in the NFC East while making a big statement with a 33-10 victory. Philadelphia scored twice in the opening 11 minutes and was never threatened, despite settling for field goals on four of its five red-zone trips. Turnovers and missed red-zone chances continue to be major storylines for the Eagles this season, but…
KSN Podcast: Penn State-Michigan State review: Spartans set early tone, dominate Nittany Lions
Penn State got off to an ominous start in its regular season finale against Michigan State and trailed throughout in a 34-10 setback at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions surrendered a 90-yard return touchdown to. R.J. Shelton on the opening kickoff and did little to reverse the early momentum before eventually being worn down by the 10th-ranked Spartans. Given its offensive struggles and the inevitability of Michigan State’s high-powered offense…
KSN Podcast: Uplifting Athletes Chapter Highlights – Week 14
Scott Shirley and Andy Shay Discuss the end of the college football regular season, the upcoming College Football Playoff, the rivalry Touchdown Pledge Drive between Clemson and South Carolina in their Palmetto Bowl matchup, and the fundraising done throughout the season by the Uplifting Athletes chapter network. Visit upliftingathletes.org for more coverage of the nonprofit organization that aligns college football with rare diseases.
KSN Podcast: Penn State-Michigan State preview: Can the Nittany Lions make season-ending statement?
Penn State wraps up its regular season and gets its last shot at a signature win when Michigan State comes to Beaver Stadium on Saturday. The Nittany Lions (6-5, 2-5) are 11.5-point underdogs for a Senior Day clash against a Spartans team that had national title aspirations shot down by Ohio State three weeks ago. Penn State has trudged through the middle part of the season with losses in five…
KSN Podcast: Uplifting Athletes Chapter Highlights – Week 13
Scott Shirley and Andy Shay talk about their trip to Philadelphia to see former Brett Brackett, the former leader of the Uplifting Athletes Chapter at Penn State. They also discuss the Stony Brook, Colgate, and Penn State Touchdown Pledge Drives, the upcoming Maryland Touchdown Pledge Drive, the Palmetto Bowl Touchdown Pledge Drive matchup between South Carolina and Clemson, and a roundup of the week in the Uplifting Athletes Chapter network.
KSN Podcast: Penn State recruiting news and notes with Scout.com analyst Brian Dohn
Penn State saw its third de-commitment in the 2015 recruiting cycle last week, this time in four-star defensive tackle Adam McLean. Coach James Franklin is left with no interior defensive linemen in the class with less than 10 weeks before National Signing Day. Scout.com national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn joined Dustin Hockensmith and Andrew P. Shay on the Keystone Sports Network podcast this week to talk about McLean, Jarvis Miller,…
KSN Podcast: Penn State recruiting: James Franklin’s next moves after Adam McLean de-commits
Penn State is down to just one interior lineman — offensive guard Steven Gonzalez — in its nationally acclaimed 2015 recruiting class, which presents an interesting storyline to watch between now and National Signing Day. James Franklin suffered another setback on the recruiting trail last week when four-star defensive tackle Adam McLean announced his de-commitment from the program. On the heels of McLean’s de-commitment, Franklin extended a scholarship offer to…
KSN Podcast: Odell Beckham’s catch, Latavius Murray’s upside and more fantasy football notes
The fantasy football playoffs are looming in most leagues, and valuable help can still be found on the waiver wire. Latavius Murray and Isaiah Crowell are both gems to be found in free agency, rising to the top of a running back class that often features more questions than answers. Of course, before getting into any football-related topics, the catch made by New York Giants rookie Odell Beckham Jr. in…
KSN Podcast: Eagles-Titans review: Philadelphia wins big, sets up Thanksgiving showdown with Dallas
The Philadelphia Eagles bounced back from an ugly 53-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers with a big offensive effort in a 43-24 home win over the Tennessee Titans. Josh Huff set the tone with a 107-yard return touchdown on the opening kickoff, and the Eagles churned out 462 total yards on 83 plays to improve to 8-3 with a big Thanksgiving Day contest at Dallas looming on Thursday. “Obviously,…
KSN Podcast: Penn State-Illinois review: Same issues linger in Nittany Lions’ ugly 16-14 loss
Penn State’s season sunk to a new low on the road at Illinois, suffering a 16-14 setback that again showed glaring offensive issues surrounding Christian Hackenberg and the Nittany Lions’ passing attack. The offense generated just 265 total yards against an Illini defense that entered the weekend having the Big Ten’s worst scoring defense. Penn State took a 14-10 lead early in the fourth quarter but surrendered a pair of…
KSN Podcast: What to expect from the PIAA football championships
The first round of the PIAA football championships kicks off in locales all across the state this weekend, and plenty more surprises could be expected. Four WPIAL champions will be determined at Heinz Field tomorrow, with state favorites likely emerging in the Class A and AA matchups.