Tag: Caedan Wallace

Kalen King officially declares for 2024 NFL draft

Penn State’s Kalen King confirmed his plans for the NFL draft in 2024.

A day after opting out of the Peach Bowl, Penn State defensive back [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] made his intentions official. King declared early for the 2024 NFL draft, forgoing his remaining eligibility in college football and with Penn State.

King is expected to be a potential first-round draft pick as one of the top cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL draft, so his decision to turn pro is far from surprising. When King did not play in the Peach Bowl, his declaration for the draft was seemingly inevitable. King made the decision official with a released statement on social media on Sunday afternoon.

“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to forego my final year of eligibility to pursue my dream of playing in the NFL,” King said in his released statement on his social media account.

“My success, especially these last three seasons, would not have been possible without the support from Coach Franklin, Coach Terry, my Penn State teammates and my entire family,” King said. “I never could have imagined receiving this amount of support and guidance from this remarkable coaching and support staff this football program has.”

King was a four-star recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2021 and he made an immediate impact upon his arrival in the spring of 2021. King dazzled from the start with his debut in his first spring scrimmage in 2021. He eventually went on to be recognized as one of the top defensive backs in the Big Ten and the nation by earning multiple all-American honors and All-Big Ten honors the past couple of seasons.

King appeared in 34 total games for Penn State since his freshman season in 2021. In that span, King recorded 58 solo tackles and 80 total tackles with 3 interceptions (all 3 coming in 2022).

King is the latest Penn State player to declare for the draft with eligibility remaining. He joins defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag], and cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] from the defensive side of the roster and offensive linemen [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag], and tight end [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag] in declaring early.

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One OL transfer portal target for Penn State withdraws from portal

Penn State was among the many schools who reached out to the top offensive lineman in the transfer portal, but he is now staying put.

As Penn State is set to begin signing its Class of 2024, it is also keeping tabs on players in the transfer portal. One particular area the Nittany Lions have been watching in the transfer portal has been the offensive line, and one of the nation’s top offensive linemen in the transfer portal has reportedly withdrawn his name from the database.

Chase Bisontis, a New Jersey native, has reportedly taken his name out of the transfer portal and decided to stay at Texas A&M. When Bisontis initially entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month, Penn State was among the many schools reaching out to try bringing him to their program.

Penn State’s offensive line will be looking to replace [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] and, in all likelihood, will have to replace [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag]. Wallace has declared his intent to enter the 2024 NFL draft following the Peach Bowl. Fashanu, a projected top-10 draft pick, is expected to turn pro as well but he has yet to make an official announcement about his future a year after putting the NFL draft on hold despite being a projected first-round draft pick.

Penn State has added to the offensive line depth chart through the transfer portal with the commitment of Alan Herron from Shorter University, a Division 2 program. Herron drew interest from a number of Power 5 conference programs, and he is expected to jump right into the mix for a key role on the offensive line in 2024.

Penn State has also added kicker Chase Meyer from Tulsa through the transfer portal. At this point in time, there are just three Penn State players from the 2023 roster sitting in the transfer portal; Alex Bacchetta, Cristian Driver, Jace Tutty.

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Penn State OL Caedan Wallace declares for NFL Draft and confirms status for Peach Bowl

Penn State offensive lineman announces his NFL and Peach Bowl plans

Penn State will be looking to fill some massive shoes on the offensive line following the likely departure of [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] to the NFL draft in 2024. And it turns out the Nittany Lions will have another big spot to fill in the trenches next season. [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] has decided he will also be taking his next steps toward the NFL by declaring his intent to enter the 2024 NFL draft, but he will play one more game with the Nittany Lions.

Wallace announced his future plans with a post on his social media account on Saturday, confirming he will head off to the NFL but will suit up to play in the Peach Bowl as Penn State takes on Ole Miss on Dec. 30.

“After much consideration, I have made the decision to declare for the 2024 NFL Dradrt following our upcoming competition on the 2023 Peach Bowl,” Wallace said in his released statement. “This decision comes with a mix of excitement and nostalgia as I leave behind the memories of Happy Valley, the 107,000 passionate fans and the unique spirit that defines this community.”

Wallace is wrapping up his fifth season with the program. He could have added an extra year of eligibility due to the NCAA’s decision on how to handle the 2020 COVID season. Wallace has been an anchor at right tackle with 39 career starts for the Nittany Lions. He is coming off his best season as a lineman and received honorable All-Big Ten honors from the conference’s coaches and media this season.

Wallace is the fourth Nittany Lion to declare for the 2024 NFL draft while leaving behind NCAA eligibility. He joins defensive end Chop Robinson, tight end Theo Johnson, and linebacker Curtis Jacobs. Fashanu is projected to be a possible top-10 pick but has not formally announced his plans for his future at this time. Fashanu has said he will practice with the team and make the trip to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl, but he has not officially ruled out one more season with Penn State, although many expect he will head to the NFL after turning down a potential first-round draft pick a year ago to return to Penn State.

Penn State will face Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 30. The game kicks off at 12 pm ET.

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Olu Fashanu named Big Ten offensive lineman of the year

The return of Olu Fashanu paid off for Penn State in 2023. Now he’s adding some hardware to his collection.

When offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] announced he would be returning for another year at Penn State, it was a bit of a shock. Expected to be a potential first-round draft pick had he declared for the 2023 NFL draft, Fashanu gambled on a return for one more season of college football before turning pro. It seems that gamble has been paying off quite nicely.

On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced Fashanu had been named the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was also a consensus first-team All-Big Ten player according to Big Ten coaches and media.

Fashanu is the second Penn State player to win the Big Ten’s top offensive lineman award. [autotag]A.Q. Shipley[/autotag] received the award in 2008. Fashanu remains a clear first-round draft pick prospect, and he could be one of the earlier picks in the draft after his performance this season.

Here is a look at how the Big Ten coaches voted for the conference’s top players on the football field in 2023. Penn State was well-represented across the board this year.

All-Big Ten selections by Big Ten coaches

  • OT Olu Fashanu (first-team)
  • DE [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] (first team)
  • LB [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] (first team)
  • DE [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] (second team)
  • RB [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] (second team offense, honorable mention special teams)
  • DB [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] (second team)
  • C [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag] (second team)
  • DL [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] (third team)
  • DB [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] (third team)
  • DB [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] (third team defense; second team special teams)
  • RB [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] (third team)
  • TE [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] (third team)
  • K [autotag]Alex Felkins[/autotag] (third team)
  • OL [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • OL [autotag]JB Nelson[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • OL [autotag]Sal Wormley[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • TE [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • WR [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • QB [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • P [autotag]Riley Thompson[/autotag] (honorable mention)

 

Best photos from Penn State’s Week 3 win at Illinois

Best photos from Penn State’s Week 3 win at Illinois.

It sure looked like a beautiful mid-September afternoon for some college football in Week 3, and the Penn State defense looked absolutely stunning. Penn State improved to 3-0 in the 2023 college football season with a 30-13 victory at Illinois, the Big Ten opener for both schools. Penn State’s defense forced five turnovers in the win, and each one of them was as pretty as could be for those watching with blue and white glasses on.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s third game of the season, its first road test of the season.

What will Penn State’s offensive line look like following retirement of Landon Tengwall?

Penn State’s offensive line took a hit with Landon Tengwall’s retirement, but it still looks to be a strength in 2023.

One of the biggest strengths Penn State had to look forward to entering the 2023 season was the offensive line. In the 10 years with James Franklin as the head coach, this is expected to be the best offensive line the program has had after years of rebuilding the quality depth for the line through recruiting efforts and continued development. That outlook took a little bit of a hit just days before the start of the regular season with the news of the sudden retirement of Landon Tengwall.

Tengwall announced his retirement from playing football due to a result of an injury he described as one that would prevent him from continuing to play safely. Tengwall was projected by many to be a starter at left guard alongside returning starting left tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and center [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag]. Now, a new opportunity to start is up for grabs.

Who will start at left guard now?

The most likely name to move into a starting role will be [autotag]JB Nelson[/autotag]. Nelson is a redshirt junior and one of the many players to come through the Penn State program as a JUCO transfer from Lackawanna College in Scranton. Penn State has had success with their Lackawanna College transfer additions with players like Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown on the defensive side of the football. Nelson has been praised for his development and was expected to be the first name on the depth chart behind Tengwall. Moving him into a starting role seems like the most natural move for James Franklin and offensive line coach [autotag]Phil Trautwein[/autotag].

Franklin’s comments in his Wednesday post-practice media availability suggested fans should see Nelson getting the starting nod this Saturday as the Nittany Lions host West Virginia in the season opener.

If Nelson is going to be the new starting left guard, the entire offensive line is still looking to be in good shape across the line. Here’s how it may look:

  • LT Olu Fashanu
  • LG JB Nelson
  • C Hunter Nourzad
  • RG [autotag]Sal Wormley[/autotag]
  • RT [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag]

By moving Nelson up to the starting job, Penn State will be slightly more vulnerable with guard depth. [autotag]Vega Ioane[/autotag] is the top backup as a redshirt freshman, but Penn State did just add [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag] in the Class of 2023. Birchmeier was among the top offensive line recruits in the class and is expected to be a big piece of the future offensive line. Whether he is ready to be a top backup option at the start of the season remains to be seen.

Penn State also added [autotag]Anthony Donkoh[/autotag] in the Class of 2023, and he would be another backup option at guard if needed. With Tengwall retiring and Nelson likely moving into the starting job, Donkoh’s position on the depth chart may have been boosted up faster than Birchmeier as he has been working the left guard position since his arrival (Birchmeier has played on the right side).

Penn State still has what appears to be the best offensive line of Franklin’s career despite losing Tengwall. And the efforts on the recruiting trail in recent years have ensured the Nittany Lions have quality backup options in play, even if a couple are considered raw and untested to start the season.

Penn State opens the 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2 with a primetime matchup on NBC against West Virginia.

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2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 73 Caedan Wallace

Caedan Wallace anchors the line for what might be the best offensive line under James Franklin

Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] this season.

Today we’re looking at one of the veterans on the offensive line who will anchor possibly one of the best Penn State has had under Franklin. [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] will bookend the line on the other side of Olumuyiwa Fashanu. Wallace is getting some NFL Draft buzz himself and could become the second person on the offensive line selected in 2024. Here is a snapshot look at Wallace heading into the 2023 football season.

PFF’s preseason All-Big Ten team includes three Penn State players

Here is every Penn State player to appear on the PFF preseason All-Big Ten team for 2023

With Big Ten media days quickly approaching, the preseason preview blitz is on everywhere you look. On Tuesday, Pro Football Focus released a handful of preseason all-conference selections for the 2023 college football season. Among the teams shared by PFF was the Big Ten, with three Nittany Lions making the cut.

Just one Penn State player appeared on PFF’s 2023 preseason All-Big Ten first team. It should come as no surprise it was offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu, whom many consider to be a first-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Fashanu’s decision to return for another year of college football stunned draft analysts as he could have potentially been a first-round draft pick this year.

Perhaps the biggest offensive player not making the first team cut may be sophomore running back Nick Singleton, but the Big Ten preseason list would have been tough to make with Braelon Allen of Wisconsin and Blake Corum of Michigan in the mix. However, Singleton did make the second-team cut.

Penn State landed two defensive players on the PFF preseason All-Big Ten first team roster. Defensive end Chop Robinson and cornerback Kalen King each made the list. Like Fashanu, Robinson and King could be potential first-round draft picks in 2024, so their inclusions on the preseason All-Big Ten list are not surprising.

The biggest first team snub here may have been for linebacker Abdul Carter, one of the top linebackers in the Big Ten in 2023. Carter did make the second team from PFF, and if a third linebacker spot was included, then maybe he would have been on the first team.

Penn State players on PFF’s preseason all-Big Ten third team included quarterback Drew Allar, wide receiver Dante Cephas, tight end Theo Johnson, offensive tackle Caedan Wallace, linebacker Curtis Jacobs, and cornerback Johnny Dixon. Singleton was also included on the third team as a return specialist for good measure.

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Athlon Sports: Penn State football has 13 on preseason All-Big Ten for 2023

Penn State had the third-most players appearing on the preseason All-Big Ten list from Athlon Sports.

It’s that time of the year again when the preseason college football previews start making the rounds. Athlon Sports has not sent its annual preseason publication to the magazine racks just yet, but it has shared its preseason all-conference teams for the upcoming 2023 college football season.

The preseason All-Big Ten list from Athlon Sports was published earlier this week, and it included 13 players from Penn State’s roster scattered throughout its four-deep all-conference team. Yes, four-deep, because it is likely the best way to spread the word with school press releases and social media impressions. Only Michigan and Ohio State had more players listed than the Nittany Lions among Big Ten teams, which may be something that has come to be expected.

Here are all of the Penn State football players to make the Athlon Sports preseason All-Big Ten team.

Penn State’s Class of 2023 recognized for offensive line strength

247Sports says Penn State’s offensive line effort paid off in the Class of 2023

Penn State made a concentrated effort to beef things up on the offensive line in the Class of 2023. After locking down commitments from three four-star linemen in the early signing period, the Nittany Lions capped the recruiting class with one more four-star player for the offensive line on the traditional national signing day this week with the addition of Chimdy Onoh. As the recruiting classes around the country settle as it looks like Penn State’s class is now complete barring any potential transfer portal adjustments moving forward, the effort made with the offensive line is being recognized in the recruiting roundup summaries.

247Sports took a look at a number of the recruiting classes that best improved their school’s rosters, with the idea that not every recruiting class needed to attack the same positions in order to improve the roster. For instance, Penn State got the help it needed at some skill positions in the Class of 2022 with players like running backs [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and quarterback [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag], so the focus on those positions in 2023 was not nearly as pressing. Instead, Penn State worked on the offensive line that will allow those players to continue to shine in 2023 and beyond.

Penn State’s offensive line was the key area of improvement highlighted by 247Sports, and it is understandable why. With [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] deciding to return next season, along with [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag] and [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag], the Nittany Lions have the look of a solid offensive line going into the 2023 season, but the Class of 2023 will help keep things stabilized for big offensive line play after the 2023 season.

Here’s what 247Sports had to say about Penn State’s offensive line focus in the Class of 2023;

Penn State solidified its future along the offensive line with four bluechip signees, including two interior players and two offensive tackles. The Nittany Lions grabbed two of the top six tackles, with Alex Birchmeier (6-5, 285) leading the pack as the nation’s No. 2 player at the position. Fast riser Chimdy Onoh, a four-star tackle, picked Penn State over Michigan State on National Signing Day, providing yet another boost to an impressive class. Onoh’s meteoric rise through the 247Sports rankings in December was somewhat surprising. He went from an Old Dominion commitment in mid-December to garnering multiple Power Five offers in a matter of days as a four-star prospect. Most of the attention he generated was from the Big Ten and SEC. He entered National Signing Day as the nation’s No. 13 offensive tackle prospect.

The 247Sports summary goes on to highlight the idea that the new additions to the offensive line will not feel the pressure of being thrown into the mix right away. The returning linemen for Penn State will allow the Class of 2023 signees to take some time to develop and being fully prepared for their roles on the line, but knowing that any one of them could step in early if needed is a luxury as well.

Penn State signed the top-rated player in Pennsylvania with [autotag]J’ven Williams[/autotag] at offensive tackle, the top-rated player in Virginia with [autotag]Alex Birchmeier[/autotag], and another top 10 player from Virginia with [autotag]Anthony Donkoh[/autotag] in the early signing period. Onoh joined the class this week on the traditional signing day.

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