Tag: Jaquan Brisker

Maxwell Football Club names pair of Nittany Lions to watch lists

Penn State’s top two players were named to a pair of top college football award watch lists by the Maxwell Football Club.

Watch list season stepped into full swing on Monday with the release of watch lists for two of the top individual awards in college football. The Maxwell Football Club released its watch lists for the Maxwell Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award, and a pair of Penn State players made the initial cut.

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson was among those named to the Maxwell Award watch list. The Maxwell Award is awarded to the nation’s top college football player by the Maxwell Football Club.

Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker was included among those named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. The Bednarik Award is awarded to the nation’s top defensive player in college football.

Penn State has a storied history of Maxwell Award winners. Penn State is tied with Notre Dame for the most all-time Maxwell Award winners. Former Penn State running back Larry Johnson is the most recent recipient of the award from Penn State in 2002. Other former Penn State Maxwell Award winners include Kerry Collins (1994), Chuck Fusina (1978), John Cappelletti (1973), Mike Reid (1969), Glenn Ressler (1964), and Richie Liucas (1959).

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith won the Maxwell Award for the 2020 season.

Penn State has also seen a handful of Bednarik Award winners since first being awarded in 1995. Former linebacker LaVar Arrington was the first Bednarik Award winner from Happy Valley in 1999. Paul Posluszny won the award in back-to-back seasons in 2005 and 2006. He remains one of two back-to-back winners of the award, joining current Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald (Fitzgerald won the award each of its first two seasons of being awarded in 1995 and 1996). Dan Connor won the award in 2007 to make it three consecutive years for a Penn State player winning the Bednarik Award. No school has matched that feat.

Tulsa’s Zaven Collins won the Bednarik Award for the 2020 season.

Dotson and Brisker will get their first chances to make some noteworthy highlights on September 4 when Penn State opens the 2021 season at Wisconsin in a Big Ten opener.

Penn State football returns in 8 weeks

Recapping the week that was for Penn State football news and headlines, including a Twitter beef with Ohio State recruits

What will you be doing in two months? Watching Penn State football. That’s what.

The countdown to kickoff for Penn State continues as we are now just eight Saturdays away from seeing the Nittany Lions kickoff the 2021 season on the road in a challenging Big Ten opener in Madison, Wisconsin against the Wisconsin Badgers. And if the summer momentum is any indication, Penn State could be preparing for a big bounceback season in 2021.

Penn State’s recruiting has been cruising its way up the national recruiting rankings lately. This week saw Penn State climb as high as No. 2 in the national recruiting rankings. That’s in large part to having a brilliant July 4th weekend with commitment after commitment after commitment after commitment. That was followed by a key in-state commitment from running back Nicholas Singleton. The commitment frenzy led one member of Penn State’s loaded Class of 2022 to brag about Penn State’s recruiting efforts and jab the beats that is Ohio State just a bit.

Penn State commit takes aim at Buckeyes

It’s all in good fun though, right?

Penn State’s top players being recognized

It’s preseason time in college football, with all-conference lists and top player lists turning out left and right. Sporting News recognized wide receiver Jahan Dotson as a first-team All-American, and Pro Football Focus listed safety Jaquan Brisker among their top 50 players in college football entering the 2021 season.

Micah Parsons is gonna be a star

Former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons is getting settled in with his new team, the Dallas Cowboys. And with the HBO series Hard Knocks set to profile the Cowboys, one Dallas-based sportswriter says Parsons is going to be one of the top stories to follow on the docuseries.

In the meantime, the countdown to Penn State’s 2021 season opener continues.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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PFF named a key Penn State defender among nation’s top 50 for 2021

Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker is considered among the nation’s best players according to PFF

Penn State’s secondary is expected to be one of its biggest strengths in 2021, and the return of safety Jaquan Brisker is a big reason why. Brisker is widely regarded as one of the best players on Penn State’s roster this season, and Pro Football Focus has gone so far as to include him in a list of the best players in the nation for the upcoming season.

PFF released its list of the top 50 college football players in 2021. Leading the way is Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, followed by LSU cornerback Derek Stingley. Penn State’s Brisker comes in on the list at No. 38 overall.

Here’s what PFF had to say about Penn State’s top safety;

After two years of stellar play at Lackawanna Community College, Brisker chose Penn State over Alabama and others in 2019. He has been one of the top safeties in the country ever since.

The 6-foot-1, 203-pound safety has earned PFF grades of 82.0 and 82.8 in his two years as a Nittany Lion, forming one of the five best two-year marks in the FBS. Brisker also owns 85.0-plus grades against the run and in coverage over the last couple of years, something no other Power Five safety has managed.

He’s rocked up and explosive and certified himself as one of the best tacklers at the position a year ago, missing just one tackle on 60 total attempts. That 1.7% missed tackle rate led all FBS safeties on the year and was the second-lowest rate we have ever seen in the PFF College era.

Penn State will face a number of players in PFF’s top 50 list this fall. Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum is the highest-ranked Big Ten player on the list at No. 3. Ohio State wide receivers Chris Olave (No. 10) and Garrett Wilson (No. 13), offensive tackle Thayer Munford (No. 14), and defensive lineman Haskell Garrett (No. 21) all made the list. Auburn running back Tank Bigsby, who will come to Beaver Stadium in Week 3, is No. 17 on the list. Auburn also has cornerback Roger Mccreary coming in at No. 49. Indiana cornerback Tiawan Mullen (No. 28) and Michigan edge defender Aidan Hutchinson (No. 29) are also included.

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Sporting News names Jahan Dotson preseason first-team All-American

Two of Penn State’s best players were named Sporting News preseason all-Americans for 2021

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson is entering the upcoming season with some mixed opinion on where exactly he stands compared to other receivers in the nation and in the Big Ten. but Sporting News thinks Dotson is clearly among the best of the best.

On Tuesday, Sporting News released its preseason All-Americans for the 2021 college football season. Dotson was one of two Nittany Lions to make an appearance. Dotson was named a first-team preseason All-American by Sporting News, joining fellow Big Ten wide receiver Chris Olave of Ohio State on the first-team offense.

Here’s what Sporting News had to say about the Nittany Lions’ top receiver;

Dotson was among the bright spots for the Nittany Lions last season. He averaged 17.0 yards per reception, and he had five games with 100 yards or more. Dotson’s 144-yard, three-TD performance against Ohio State in primetime highlighted a skillset that will translate well at the next level.

Despite Dotson’s performance in returning punts in 2020, he failed to make a second appearance on the Sporting News preseason All-American lists for special teams. But he was not the only Nittany Lion to be recognized.

Safety Jaquan Brisker was named to the second-team Sporting News preseason All-American team.

What Penn State player made PFF’s Preseason All-America Team?

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Here is every Penn State player on PFF’s preseason All-Big Ten team

Eight Penn State platers appear on PFF’s preseason All-Big Ten team for 2021, including a couple of First-Team honors.

The Pro Football Focus preseason All-American team may have been light on Nittany Lion representation, but the eAll-Big Ten team is a different story. As you would expect,m once you focus on just one conference, Penn State figures to receive much more attention in forming a preseason All-Big Ten team. And the PFF preseason All-Big Ten team entering the 2021 season is certainly proof of that.

In all, eight players appear on the PFF All-Big ten team at least once as a First-Team, Second-Team, Third-Team, or honorable mention on offense, defense, or special teams. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson actually appears twice on the preseason All-Big Ten list as both a wide receiver and as a punt returner.

You can check out the full PFF preseason All-Big ten roster here. Below is a full list of which Penn State players are named on the list.

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What Penn State player made PFF’s Preseason All-America Team?

Penn State has just one player appear on PFF’s preseason All-American list for 2021

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Penn State’s secondary is widely being viewed as one of the strengths for the Nittany Lions this upcoming college football season, and one of those key players has just been named to Pro Football Focus’s preseason All-American Team.

Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker was named to PFF’s preseason All-American Second-Team on Monday. Brisker is the only Penn State player to appear on PFF’s preseason All-America team. Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton was named PFF’s First-Team preseason All-American at the safety position.

Brisker is one of the main anchors to Penn State’s defensive secondary, which is arguably the deepest unit on the Penn State roster entering the 2021 season. The return of Tariq Castro-Fields and the quick rise of Kalen King along with the continued development of players like Jonathan Sutherland and Joey Porter Jr. and more have given Penn State plenty of reasons to feel confident about defending the pass this season.

Penn State will face a number of players appearing on PFF’s preseason All-American list. The season will open on the road against Wisconsin and honorable mention linebacker Jack Sanborn. Auburn running back Tank Bigsby, a first-team preseason All-American, will come to Beaver Stadium in Week 3. Ohio State has two first-team wide receivers in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson (Penn State’s Jahan Dotson did not even receive an honorable mention despite 12 spots available for first, second, and third teams plus honorable mentions). And Iowa’s offensive line has a first-team center (Tyler Linderbaum) and second-team guard (Kyler Schott).

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Jahan Dotson and Rasheed Walker among Athlon Sports All-Big Ten players for 2021

Penn State had 10 players named to the Athlon Sports preseason All-Big Ten teams for 2021.

We are now officially in preseason mode. In addition to kickoff times being released, the preseason all-conference lists are starting to make the rounds. Athlon Sports released its 2021 All-Big Ten team heading into the upcoming season, and a few Penn State players were scattered throughout.

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson and offensive lineman Rasheed Walker were included on the first-team offense. This is not too surprising given Dotson was among the Big Ten’s best receivers in 2020 and Walker is already being projected as a potential first-round draft pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Jaquan Brisker was the only Nittany Lion to appear on the first-team defense by Athlon Sports.

Offensive lineman Mike Miranda was the only Penn State player to appear on the second team for either offense or defense. Dotson was honored as the second-team punt returner, however.

Running back Noah Cain, defensive lineman P.J. Mustipher, linebacker Brandon Smith, and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields appear on the third team. Wide receiver Parker Washington made the fourth team.

Penn State’s 10 players making the four all-conference teams by Athlon Sports is tied for the third-most in the Big Ten. Ohio State leads the way with 13 players. Wisconsin and Iowa each had 11 players included. Indiana also had 10 players represented. For what it is worth, Rutgers had nine players and Michigan had seven. Make of that what you will.

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2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Profile Card: Jaquan Brisker

A former JUCO transfer, Jaquan Brisker has shown he can be counted on as a leader of the Penn State defense heading into the 2021 season.

Name: Jaquan Brisker

Number: 1

Position: Safety

Class: Senior

Height: 6′-1″

Weight: 203

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

High School: Gateway

Twitter: @JaquanBrisker

Overview

After a 2020 season that pitted Penn State against some adversity on the football field, Jaquan Brisker was one of a handful of upperclassmen who were faced with a difficult decision. Return for one more chance to play for Penn State and redeem themselves as a team after the 2020 season or take a shot at the NFL. After a call with some of his teammates, Brisker made the decision to stay put for one more season in blue and white, giving Penn State a veteran safety to rely on for the 2021 season.

The return of Brisker for Penn State’s defense is a confidence boost for the defense. In 2020, despite Penn State’s struggles as a team reflected in the record, Brisker was a positive for the defense. Brisker earned All-American first-team honors from Pro Football Focus and he was designated an honorable mention All-American by Phil Steele, although Big Ten coaches (third-team All-Big Ten) and Big Ten media (honorable mention) had a lesser opinion to his accomplishments on the field last season. Perhaps that will serve as a bit of fuel to Brisker’s fire for his return in 2021.

Brisker started all nine games of the 2020 season, his first nine games started during his career at Penn State. He became known as a player that can break up passes in his direction (team-high six breakups) and he made other plays with three tackles for a loss and an interception.

Brisker is one of the handful of players on the Penn State roster to come originally from Lackawanna Community College, where he was a two-time letterman and a team captain. Brisker’s leadership skills have transferred to Penn State with him, as he is recognized as one of the true leaders of the Penn State defense.

When position coaches coaching the opposite of you, then you know something is being done correctly. For Brisker, admiration from Penn State tight ends coach Ty Howle speaks volumes about the leadership being displayed this spring.

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Penn State football spring cleaning: 5 things the Nittany Lions need to address now for success in 2021

Penn State hopes to wrap up spring football feeling good about the 2021 season but what work could need to be done heading into the summer?

Penn State is in the midst of its spring football practices. A year after not having a chance to go through a typical spring, James Franklin and his Nittany Lions are embracing the opportunity to put in the work to potentially lead to a much stronger start to the 2021 season after last year’s dismal beginning.

After a stretch of three 11-win seasons in four years, highlighted by victories in the Fiesta Bowl and Cotton Bowl, Penn State’s national image took a bit of a bruising after a 4-5 2020 season. Despite lowered expectations on the national radar, there are some good reasons to be optimistic about what Penn State can accomplish in the fall despite having a challenging schedule on its hands.

A new offensive coordinator in Mike Yurcich combined with a third-year starting quarterback figures to put Penn State in a good spot for a solid start on offense. This is especially true with the emergence of one of the Big Ten’s top wide receivers in Jahan Dotson. But now is as good a time as any for Penn State to clean things up a little bit around the roster.

Here are a few things on the spring cleaning to-do list for the Nittany Lions that must be addressed if Penn State is going to be in the mix for a Big Ten championship in the fall.