Tag: A.J. Harris

Best Penn State football photos from the Illinois game

Check out some of the best photos from Penn State’s win over Illinois.

Penn State played its first night game of the season on Saturday night, and what better setting to do so than at home in an electric Beaver Stadium? Although this was not an officially scheduled white-out game, the fans packed the stadium dressed for the occasion and later celebrated a 21-7 victory over Illinois as Penn State improved to 4-0 overall and opened Big Ten play with a win.

Penn State’s running game and defense led the way in what turned out to be a competitive defensive slugfest between two programs known for their hard-nosed defensive styles. Penn State eventually proved to have the upper hand with a stronger and more consistent running attack and the defense came up with seven sacks and a couple of turnovers to help put a cap on the first Big Ten win of the season in front of the home crowd.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s primetime win over the Illini in Week 5.

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Penn State defense and running game power past Illinois in Big Ten opener

Penn State’s defense and running game powered the Nittany Lions to a win over Illinois.

After lighting up the scoreboard a week ago in an easy win, Penn State had to find a way to win a defensive battle in its Big Ten opener on Saturday night. After Illinois marched right down the field in surgical fashion on the game’s opening possession for a touchdown, Penn State’s defense locked down for the rest of the night. Penn State’s offense didn’t have the explosiveness they have displayed at times early this season, but there was just enough offense to score a 21-7 victory on Saturday night in Beaver Stadium.

[autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag]’s five-yard touchdown right up the middle coming out of the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter gave Penn State the elusive breathing room it had been looking for. Allen’s touchdown run put him at 102 rushing yards on the night on 18 rushing attempts. His partner [autotag]Nicholas Singleton[/autotag] had a solid night as well with 94 rushing yards on 16 carries. Singleton also scored a touchdown on a run on Penn State’s first offensive series of the night, answering the opening drive by Illinois. Singleton also caught two passes for 25 yards for over 100 all-purpose yards.

[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] was not able to get too many deep balls to go his way, and he was off the mark on a few passes in the first half, but he did play a turnover-free game and passed for 135 yards. Allar also picked up some yards with his legs in key spots.

Penn State’s defense was the story of the night for the Nittany Lions. Jayden Reed led the defense with 9 tackles and the team combined for seven sacks of Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer. Altmyer also tossed his first interception of the year, courtesy of Georgia transfer [autotag]A.J. Harris[/autotag]. Harris would have scored a touchdown on his return if not for a block in the back penalty on Penn State.

If there is one thing Penn State head coach James Franklin will be displeased with, it may be his team’s penalties. After harping on the discipline in recent weeks, Penn State was flagged for six penalties for 63 penalty yards, many coming at critical times on defense, including a block in the back on an interception return in the fourth quarter that wiped a defensive touchdown off the board.

But Franklin’s bigger concern may be the status of his special teams. Penn State kicker [autotag]Sander Sahaydak[/autotag] missed two field goals, one from 40 yards and another from 41. The kicking woes did not hurt Penn State in this game, but this will have to be discussed as a potential problem moving forward.

Penn State will be home next week for another Big Ten matchup with new conference member UCLA. Penn State has not played UCLA since 1968 and UCLA has not played in Beaver Stadium since 1967. Kickoff is set for noon Eastern as part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff programming. Fox will bring its pregame show to Happy Valley as well.

Illinois will be off next week and will host Purdue in Week 7.

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CBS Sports predicts breakout year from Penn State transfer addition A.J. Harris

CBS Sports writer thinks this Penn State transfer addition could be prepping for a breakout season.

Penn State has had many talented defensive backs come through the program in recent years, and one of their newest additions in the secondary is getting love as a potential breakout star. [autotag]A.J. Harris[/autotag] joined the Nittany Lions after one year at Georgia where he could not get consistent playing time. Georgia’s secondary is one of the deepest in the country, so failing to find a role as a true freshman isn’t surprising.

Despite the lack of snaps during his freshman season, CBS’s Will Backus pegged Harris as one of his second-year breakout stars, citing his physical play style as a perfect fit in the Big Ten. He has seemingly earned a starting spot as Penn State looks to replace three departing corners from last year’s team. He was a five-star recruit for a reason, and now he should get a full season of reps to prove his worth.

Penn State will need Harris and fellow SEC transfer Jalen Kimber to pair with Cam Miller as a dynamic trio in the secondary this season. With passing games like USC, Ohio State, and Washington on the schedule, they can’t afford to have any exploits in the secondary.

Luckily, Penn State has one of the best safety duos in the country with Kevin Winston Jr. and Jaylen Reed. Their ability to keep the top on the defense should allow Harris in particular to play his physical brand of coverage. I believe Harris could have a similar impact to what Kalen King had in his sophomore season in 2022, and he played so well that many thought he was a better NFL prospect than Joey Porter Jr.

That is high expectations for a first-year starter, but that’s the kind of impact Penn State needs from him as they chase a College Football Playoff berth. If he does indeed break out as a second-year star, he could be looking at a potential NFL future and will live up to his five-star hype.

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Penn State transfer CB A.J. Harris is impressing teammates early

The early indications are sounding positive for Penn State transfer cornerback A.J. Harris this spring.

Penn State’s secondary is going to look a whole lot different in 2024-25 after they lost three of their starting cornerbacks to the NFL draft.

There will be internal candidates who get opportunities to replace the departures, but [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff recognized the unit might be a bit thin if they don’t hit the transfer portal for immediate help.

They were able to get some very high-profile names by landing two players leaving SEC schools.

[autotag]A.J. Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] were major additions for the Nittany Lions after they decided to leave Georgia and Florida.

Early returns from both players have been positive with Kimber likely factoring in for playing time more this season because of his age and experience, but that’s not stopping the hype from building around Harris.

The former five-star recruit and No. 2 cornerback in his class decided to transfer to Penn State after doing tons of research on the team and program.

“When we got on the phone with him, he had done his homework. He knew our roster. He knew the coaches. He had watched our film, studied our film, looked at the data, where we were ranked, how we played defense,” Franklin said according to Daniel Gallen of 247Sports.

While that impressed the coaching staff, Harris is also turning heads of his teammates with his play on the field.

“I feel like, personally, A.J. Harris is one of them ones, you know? I feel like A.J. Harris, he’s a stud, man. He’s a great player,” safety [autotag]Jaylen Reed[/autotag] told Gallen. “Just the way he plays the game of football and … his preparation is insane.”

That is about as good of news as the Nittany Lions could have hoped for when landing the former coveted recruit.

Harris will be part of Penn State for the next couple years based on eligibility remaining, and he could become an important part of this secondary.

There’s a chance he could even factor in during this upcoming season.

“I feel like he’s gonna do great things for us this year,” Reed added.

It will be interesting to see how everything sits coming out of spring practice, but the feedback on Harris has been great so far and it looks like the Nittany Lions might have found themselves a gem in the portal.

Penn State transfer cornerback already showcasing talent

A.J. Harris is making a great first impression at Penn State after transferring from Georgia.

Penn State got one of the biggest wins for the program when they landed Georgia cornerback transfer [autotag]A.J. Harris[/autotag].

With the Nittany Lions needing to replace their top three corners in [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] and [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] who declared for the NFL draft, landing the former five-star high school recruit was important.

Harris primarily was in a reserve role with the Bulldogs, but did account for eight tackles last season while appearing in seven games.

While his tenure with Georgia might not have gone as expected, the 6’1″ corner was seen as an elite talent while playing high school football in Alabama.

247Sports had him rated as the second-best cornerback in the country and No. 27 overall player in the class of 2023.

Now, he’ll be bringing that talent to Happy Valley with three more years of eligibility.

During winter workouts, it seems like Harris has impressed his new coaching staff as he was recognized by cornerbacks coach, Terry Smith, as being one of top competitors.

Competition is huge in a [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] program and getting someone from outside their original recruiting sphere who comes in and quickly acclimates to the culture is a major positive step this early on.

Harris will likely have a big role for the Nittany Lions as they try to replace all the talent that has departed the secondary room.

If he’s able to tap into the talent profile that he has and put it all together on the field, then Penn State was able to get one of the best prospects in the country onto their roster for multiple years.

Penn State football transfer portal tracker

The transfer portal is open. Stay on top of every Penn State transfer coming and going with our updated tracker.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Sure, the holiday season is in full swing, but the transfer portal for college football is officially open, and Penn State will once again look to be active in the portal activity in an attempt to bolster a couple of positions in need of improvement.

Of course, a number of players on the football roster will take this opportunity to explore some other opportunities to find a new environment that will allow them to embrace a fresh start, pursue more playing time with another program, or simply just move closer to home.

The first day of the transfer portal being open led to a couple of Penn State players entering their names in the transfer portal. And we are ready to keep track of all of the transfer portal activity this month.

The transfer portal opened on Dec. 4, 2023 and closes on Jan. 2, 2024. Here is a look at the latest developments with the portal and Penn State with a review of what players are currently in the transfer portal, who has committed elsewhere, and what players are coming to Penn State out of the portal.

Penn State players in transfer portal: 3

Penn State players who have committed elsewhere from the portal: 4

Players coming to Penn State from the transfer portal: 6

Penn State gets another addition with Florida transfer cornerback

Penn State adds defensive back from SEC school out of transfer portal.

Penn State has things absolutely rolling in the transfer portal during the early cycle.

Wide receiver was the biggest need they had to address and they were able to land [autotag]Julian Fleming[/autotag]. Then two players from Wisconsin decided to come to Happy Valley with offensive tackle [autotag]Nolan Rucci[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Jordan Mayer[/autotag] transferring to Penn State.

The good news continued to come when former five-star cornerback and Georgia Bulldog, [autotag]A.J. Harris[/autotag], committed to the Nittany Lions.

Now, [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] has landed another defensive piece by getting Florida cornerback transfer [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] to flip his commitment from Louisville to Penn State on Thursday.

The 6’0″ 185-pound corner initially enrolled at Georgia coming out of high school as a four-star rated prospect and the No. 105 player in the 2020 class.

He then transferred to Florida in 2022 and spent two seasons there, playing in 25 games and recording 36 tackles with one interception.

Kimber will spend his final year of eligibility with Penn State and could become an immediate starter with only one upperclassman in the cornerback room.

Initially, it looked like he was headed to Louisville after he committed to them early on in his process without ever visiting their campus.

Kimber still decided to see Penn State and that’s where his thought process started to change after meeting with the coaching staff and developing a relationship with cornerbacks coach [autotag]Terry Smith[/autotag].

The next steps will move quickly for the Nittany Lions.

Greg Pickel of BlueWhiteIlustrated reports, “Kimber is likely to enroll for the spring semester and start classes next week. That, of course, will allow him to participate in spring practice.”

Getting him involved in spring practices will be an important step to ensuring he can be a starter on this team heading into next season as he’ll get a full offseason of work with new defensive coordinator [autotag]Tom Allen[/autotag].

It’s been a great transfer season so far for Penn State and it doesn’t seem like they are done adding yet.

Top talent flocking to Tiger Town for Clemson’s ‘spring elite day’

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023. Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix …

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023.

Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix City, Ala.) five-star A.J. Harris, the nation’s No. 2 cornerback and No. 17 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder has made multiple trips to Tiger Town and is a priority target for the Tigers. Last September, he released a top seven comprised of Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio State.

Harris will be joined on campus by a host of other talented defensive backs, including Harris’ teammate at Central, cornerback Quintavious Billingsley; Lake Mary (Fla.) four-star cornerback Braedan Marshall; Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) three-star cornerback Colton Hood; Daniel (Central, S.C.) cornerback Misun Kelley; North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) cornerback Khalil Barnes; Loachapoka (Auburn, Ala.) cornerback Jacorious Hart; Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) three-star safety Robert Billings; and A.C. Reynolds (Asheville, N.C.) safety Dashawn Stone.

Another headliner slated to be on hand for the spring elite day is Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) four-star offensive lineman Monroe Freeling.

It will mark his first visit to Clemson since attending the Florida State game in late October of last year. He was also on campus last June to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp, after which he picked up an offer from the Tigers.

Freeling said during a recent interview with The Clemson Insider that the Tigers “stand highly” in his recruitment heading into today’s visit.

“I really loved the culture there when I first went up and I’ve been maintaining a good relationship with (offensive line) coach (Thomas) Austin,” he said, “and I’m just looking forward to growing it some more when I get out there.”

Along with Clemson, which is heavily pursuing Freeling, he named Miami and Notre Dame as a couple of schools that have been recruiting him the hardest.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Freeling is the No. 1 prospect in South Carolina, No. 9 offensive tackle nationally and No. 82 overall prospect for the 2023 class.

South Point (Belmont, N.C.) four-star offensive lineman Sullivan Absher will also return to Clemson after picking up an offer from the Tigers in February – an offer that he told TCI he “had been working for, for a very long time.”  He previously traveled to Clemson twice during this past season – first for the Boston College game in October and then for the Wake Forest game in November.

Another big-time offensive lineman will be on campus today as well in Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star tackle Zechariah Owens.

As for the defensive linemen expected to be among the junior day visitors, there are several prominent prospects, namely St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) four-star David Ojiegbe, Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.) four-star Hunter Osborne, Rome (Ga.) four-star Stephiylan Green, Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Ga.) four-star T.J. Searcy and Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star A.J. Hoffler.

A bunch of other standout class of 2023 prospects are on the expected guest list for the spring elite day, as well, including Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, N.C.) four-star wide receiver Christian Hamilton; Bridgeland (Cypress, Texas) four-star tight end Reid Mikeska; Denmark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Dee Crayton; Fairfax (Va.) four-star linebacker Tony Rojas; F.W. Buchholz (Gainesville, Fla.) three-star wide receiver Creed Whittemore; Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star wide receiver Chris Culliver; Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) three-star athlete Jordan Bass; Sumter (S.C.) athlete Zyeir Gamble; and Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) running back Jarvis Green.

A few notable 2024 prospects are planning to visit Clemson today, too, in Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.) four-star defensive back Tavoy Feagin, Weddington (Matthews, N.C.) tight end Brooks Mauk and Towers (Decatur, Ga.) wide receiver/cornerback Keshawn Weathers.

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Swinney, Eason stop by Alabama high school Tuesday

Dabo Swinney hit the recruiting trail with his new defensive tackles coach and run game coordinator on Tuesday. Swinney was accompanied by Eason and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall as the trio traveled to Gardendale (Ala.) High School to meet …

Dabo Swinney hit the recruiting trail with his new defensive tackles coach and run game coordinator on Tuesday.

Swinney was accompanied by Eason and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall as the trio traveled to Gardendale (Ala.) High School to meet with the program’s head coach, Chad Eads.

Clemson, of course, has been heavily recruiting a four-star defensive end out of Gardendale by the name of Kelby Collins.

“I know Kelby has been up to Clemson quite a few times,” Eads told The Clemson Insider Tuesday night. “Todd Bates was recruiting him the most, of course, he’s gone to Oklahoma, but I know he really likes Coach Swinney.”

This visit comes off the heels of a December visit to Collins’ school, in which Bates and Brent Venables paid him a visit. Whiles Bates and Collins built a solid rapport, it’s worth mentioning that Auburn is among his top schools and Eason served as a lead recruiter.

Collins plans to attend Clemson’s Elite Junior Day on Jan. 29 and told The Clemson Insider as much last month.

“I know he’s got that planned, he hasn’t told me any different,” Eads said. “I know he really likes being up there. I don’t know that he’s made his mind up about what he wants to do yet.”

Collins received an offer from Clemson on June 1 and participated in the Dabo Swinney Camp the same week. He returned to campus in October as an unofficial visitor for the Tigers’ 30-20 win over Florida State at Death Valley.

“I enjoyed the game when I went up there,” Collins later told TCI. “The atmosphere was crazy.”

Collins (6-5, 257) is ranked as high as the No. 32 overall prospect in the country for the 2023 class by Rivals.

“I’ve coached, this is my 29th year and he’s the first one I’ve been around that’s this heavily recruited,” Eads said. “I was at Hoover when Marlon Humphrey was there, but everyone knew he was going to Alabama and nobody else really recruited him. But this one, they’re coming for all over.

“He wants to be really good. He enjoys the weight room. The difference in him is just how explosive he is in such a big body. That’s what stands out to me and what I think people notice about him.”

Extra Points: While in the Yellowhammer State, Swinney also stopped by a familiar high school in Central (Phenix City, Ala.) on Tuesday. Swinney, along with cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator Mike Reed met with the head coach of a priority cornerback prospect in 2023 five-star A.J. Harris.

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Clemson coaches stop by school of Alabama 5-star

The Clemson Insider has learned that multiple Clemson coaches stopped by a Yellowhammer State high school to visit with a highly-touted five-star prospect Friday. Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall visited …

The Clemson Insider has learned that multiple Clemson coaches stopped by a Yellowhammer State high school to visit with a highly-touted five-star prospect Friday.

Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed and defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall visited Central High School (Phenix City, Ala.) to see one of the nation’s top cornerback prospects in A.J. Harris.

Harris transferred to Central, which has Clemson connections, after spending time at The Glenwood School. Central, of course, is where Clemson receivers Justyn Ross and E.J. Williams both went to high school.

The elite cornerback prospect elected to back off his original Jan. 11 commitment date in the wake of all the coaching changes this offseason. Harris is not re-opening his recruitment but wants to continue to weigh his options as the coaching landscape in college football has certainly changed.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior is ranked as the No. 3 corner and No. 18 overall prospect in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports Composite.

Clemson extended an offer to Harris this past June when he was on campus for a visit.

“I loved the way Clemson is set up,” Harris told The Clemson Insider after the visit. “It’s a very discreet location. There’s not too much going on all-around it. I’m a homebody, I don’t really like doing too much. That’s kind of right up my alley and it’s just making sure that you get your education and playing football at a high level. That’s just something that’s big for me. I’m not really a big city type of guy. I definitely like the setup of the whole campus.”

Harris returned to Clemson in July and was a guest of the Tigers for the season-opening matchup against Georgia at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. He was also in attendance for Clemson’s 30-20 win over Florida State at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 30, 2021.

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