Tag: Kaden Saunders

Penn State in top 12 for talented four-star receiver from Philly, Tyseer Denmark

Penn State included in top 12 for four-star WR Tyseer Denmark from Philly in Class of 2024

As Penn State begins to put the finishing touches on its Class of 2023, some of the recruiting focus can now begin to shift to the Class of 2024. And keeping one of the state’s top players close to home could be a priority for James Franklin and his staff.

Wide receiver Tyseer Denmark, of Philadelphia, is a four-star recruit according to the 247Sports composite rankings and he is the No. 78 player overall in the nation and the No. 2 player overall in Pennsylvania in the Class of 2024 according to the same ranking system. Naturally, that means Franklin will do whatever he can to keep Denmark from leaving the state, and the competition just went to the next level after Washington revealed his top 12 schools.

Penn State was among the 12 schools included in Denmark’s top schools. The rest of the list is a compilation of some heavy hitters on the recruiting trail with Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC also making the cut.

The 5′-11″ wide receiver from Roman Catholic is clearly a hot recruiting prospect with a ton of tremendous options to weigh as he continues on his recruiting process. He would certainly be a big get for Franklin if he ultimately chooses to go to Penn State, and the Nittany Lions could be in the market for a stud receiver in the Class of 2024. [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] could both be playing in the NFL after the upcoming 2022 season and [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] isn’t far away from moving on either. Penn State has obtained some key receivers through recruiting in the Class of 2022 with a couple of four-star players in [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Ivey[/autotag]. Penn State also has a couple of receivers potentially lined up with commitments from Class of 2023 four-star [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag] from New Jersey and three-star in-state recruit [autotag]Yazeed Haynes[/autotag]. But adding one of the top receivers in the country in the Class of 2024 would be a nice boost for the program.

While no crystal ball predictions have been officially cast on 247Sports, the On3 recruiting prediction machine calculates Penn State as an early favorite for Denmark’s commitment. Penn State is given a 37.0% chance of securing Denmark’s commitment according to its computer model, but it is far too early in the process to know how much weight Penn State is carrying in the recruiting process for sure.

What we do know is Denmark has long been Penn State’s radar, as you might expect for a talented wide receiver from Philadelphia. Denver visited Penn State’s campus early in his recruiting process in April 2021, just two months after Penn State was one of the first schools to extend an offer (Pitt was the first, with Penn State the second a couple of weeks later). He also attended Penn State’s football camp in June 2021 and returned for an unofficial visit on campus last September for Penn State’s spotlighted primetime game against Auburn. At this time, the only other visit Denmark has made is an unofficial visit to Texas A&M back in March of this year.

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Penn State makes top 5 for four-star receiver from Ohio

Penn State makes top 5 for rising Ohio wide receiver in Class of 2023.

A player who previously was committed to another Big Ten program has included Penn State among his top schools as he inches closer to a new decision on his future. [autotag]Anthony Brown[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver from Ohio, announce his top five schools on his Twitter account on Thursday afternoon. Penn State is one of two Big Ten schools in the running for his commitment.

Brown included four schools from power conferences in his top five; Penn State, Michigan, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. Cincinnati is the fifth school on his list, the only in-state option which will become an official member of the Big 12 in 2023.

Brown attended Penn State’s junior day event in January and a football camp in June 2021. It was his attendance at that Penn State football camp that ultimately led to an offer being extended to Brown to firmly put the Nittany Lions in the running.

Kentucky is perceived as an early favorite to land the commitment from one of the rising prospects out of Ohio. Kentucky owns the only crystal ball prediction at this time on 247Sports and the On3 prediction machine gives Kentucky an 82.3% chance to receive his commitment. Just based on these two trends, it would seem as though Penn State is in an uphill battle for Brown.

One team noticeably absent from Brown’s top five is Minnesota. Brown had previously been committed to the Golden Gophers. After committing to Minnesota in September 2021, Brown reopened his recruiting in February of this year, a mere two weeks after attending Penn State’s junior day event.

Perhaps Penn State has more of a shot to land Brown’s commitment than the predictions are indicating? Only time will tell for sure.

Penn State’s Class of 2023 currently consists of two wide receivers with [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag] and [autotag]Yazeed Haynes[/autotag]. Penn State’s Class of 2022 added three wide receivers with [autotag]Anthony Ivey[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag].

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Penn State adds four-star receiver Ejani Shakir to Class of 2023

Penn State adds commitment from four-star wid receiver form New Jersey to Class of 2023

Penn State’s Class of 2023 got a little bit better on Wednesday night. [autotag]Ejani Shakir[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver from New Jersey, announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions to give Penn State’s current recruiting class an offensive weapon.

Penn State had been emerging as the favorite to secure Shakir’s commitment with West Virginia believed to be the top competition in the final stages of his recruiting process. The 6′-0″ 175-pound wide receiver is rated as a four-star prospect according to 247Sports, although the 247Sports composite ranking results in a three-star rating.

Shakir is the 12th member of Penn State’s current recruiting class for 2023 and he is the first wide receiver in the class. Penn State added [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Ivey[/autotag], [autotag]Omari Evans[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Johnson[/autotag] at the position in the Class of 2022. Penn State also welcomed Western Kentucky transfer [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] to the program this spring to help fill the void left by first-round draft pick [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] in the 2022 NFL draft. [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] are each back for the 2022 season as well.

Shakir has said he felt Penn State would be his decision for. few months, but it was best to fully evaluate his options before coming to any final decision.

“To be honest with you, I felt like I knew I was going to go there since I went up there (a while ago),” Shakir said to Lions247. “A lot of schools didn’t really reach up to their potential. I knew I was going to go there for a couple of months.”

New Jersey is an important recruiting state for Penn State, as it typically is for a number of Big Ten programs. Shakir is the first New Jersey recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2023 at this point. Shakir is the No. 7 recruit overall in the state of New Jersey according to the 247Sports composite rankings (No. 3 just according to 247Sports).

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Inside the Box Score: The key stats from Penn State’s Blue-White Game

Inside the box score with some key stats from Penn State’s Blue-White Game.

Penn State’s Blue-White Game showed the Nittany Lions are still a bit of a work in progress in some key areas, but there were still some players and developments worth being optimistic about moving into the summer. And the final box score from a spring scrimmage like Penn State’s can oftentimes be misleading or unnecessarily overanalyzed. Nonetheless, it is a starting point for evaluating just where the Nittany Lions are heading once the 2022 season begins.

So, with the caution of not wanting to get too carried away with the official stats shared by Penn State from the Blue-White Game on Saturday afternoon, let’s dive headfirst into the key stats from the final spring practice of the season before Penn State moves to the next stage of its offseason.

And why not start with the quarterback position?

Quarterbacks

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
  • [autotag]Christian Veilleux[/autotag]: 5-of-14, 75 yards
  • [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]: 6-of-14, 61 yards, 2 interceptions, 1 sack
  • [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag]: 4-of-7, 41 yards, 1 touchdown
  • [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag]: 2-of-3, 7 yards, 2 sacks

Sean Clifford had some decent production in his time on the field, including the game’s only touchdown pass (to transfer addition Mitchell Tinsley. Clifford also had the best performance from passers in seven-on-seven drills, for whatever that is worth.

Christian Veilleux had the most complete performance among those vying for backup consideration to Clifford. This could have been expected given he already has some in-game experience from last season.

Don’t get too down when reviewing the stat line for five-star quarterback Drew Allar, because he was not given much help at times by his receivers dropping passes or having a ball bounce off their hands. But he did have a number of throws that seemed to be just a tad behind his intended targets. And Beau Pribula also had some freshman moments, which was to be expected.

NEXT: Who were the top running backs in the Blue-White Game?

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Blue White Game: Staff predictions for Penn State’s spring game

It’s Blue-White Game weekend in Happy Vallery. Staff predictions and thoughts from Nittany Lions Wire for Penn State’s spring game.

Penn State will welcome fans to Beaver Stadium for a spring family reunion, as head coach James Franklin likes to call it. This weekend will see spring football practices come to a close with the annual Blue-White Game, Penn State’s spring game extravaganza. This year sees fans back in the stands and the game will utilize a modified scoring system in an offense-vs-defense structure to accommodate roster depth concerns on the offensive line.

Our staff has come together to share some of our final thoughts and predictions for what will happen in this weekend’s spring game. Feel free to share your thoughts and predictions with us on Twitter or in our comment section below the post.

Sam Dehrig, Contributor

I think this will be a game of upperclassman. A few will jump out here and there from the class of 2022. Guys like [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaden Saunders[/autotag]. I’m a big fan of Saunders. A few months ago, James Franklin said Saunders reminds him of a mixture of [autotag]KJ Hamler[/autotag] and [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag].

I also think [autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] pops off this season. [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag] Is another player that deserves more attention. He is my guy to watch out for in this spring game.

Andrew Harbaugh, Contributor

I think we get to see the new faces take center stage after some old ones get some shine. Sean Clifford is obviously the elder statesman of the team but it does seem that there is a youth movement going on with this Nittany Lion team. I expect guys like Drew Allar and Nick Singleton to get a lot of work to honestly be a pitch to recruits who will be visiting the game.

How can this serve as a pitch to recruits? If the freshman class shows out in what time they earn it shows that Penn State is already developing these players into potential starters and rotational roles. What better thing can you see when deciding which program is best for me and my career if you are a recruit? Not to mention the NFL players like Mike Gesicki and Micah Parsons coming back as well, expect some recruiting news as well within the next week from the game.

Kevin McGuire, Editor

The most important thing I wanted to see this weekend was the development of the offensive line, but Penn State is using a modified scoring system to accommodate a shortage of available linemen. So instead, my focus shifts more to the linebackers and the quarterbacks. I don’t need to see much of [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], and I suspect we won’t see a ton of the returning starter. So I think we will get a solid showing from [autotag]Christian Veilleux[/autotag] to make his case for being the backup to Clifford this season, holding off the eventual reign of [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag].

I think Veilleux gets the majority of the offensive reps and performs well enough to enter the summer with a strong case to be Clifford’s first backup option in the fall.

I’m also calling it now. [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] is going to have a pick-six, much like last year’s open scrimmage in front of fans.

Attendance will be around 52,000.

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PHOTOS: Twitter captures images from Penn State’s first week of spring football practices

Check out these images from Penn State’s first week of spring football practices in Happy Valley.

Penn State opened its first week of spring football practices this week in Happy Valley with a mix of legitimate questions about the team in 2022 and optimism for the future it holds. Early enrollees such as quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nick Singleton and wide receiver Kaden Saunders got their first taste of spring football practices and new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has officially started working with his new roster of defensive players.

For Pen State to have success later in the fall, the work being done in the spring will be critical as the Nittany Lions look to rebound from two seasons of .500 football. But just as spring training in baseball is a breath of fresh air for every team, spring football practices at Penn State allow for a sense of renewed pride and drive for the entire program.

Here are the top images shared on Twitter from Penn State’s first week of spring football practices.

Penn State also held its annual pro day for NFL draft hopefuls, including Arnold Ebiketie, Jahan Dotson and Jaquan Brisker, this week. Head coach James Franklin also opened the week of practices with his traditional spring press conference.

Penn State will conclude spring football practices with the annual Blue-White Game on Saturday, April 23.

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Penn State announces uniform numbers for new players

Penn State has confirmed the jersey numbers for 10 new players in the program as spring football practices open

Penn State officially kicks off the spring football practice season on Monday, and a handful of new faces will get their first taste of spring football in Happy Valley. A number of early transfers from Penn State’s highly-touted Class of 2022 and a key addition through the transfer portal are getting to work with returning members of the program as Penn State looks to set the tone for what they hope will be a better 2022 season.

And with the start of spring football practices comes an official update to the roster, including a batch of new jersey numbers for the newest members of the program.

Penn State officially announced a batch of new uniform numbers for its newest players on the roster, including Western Kentucky transfer wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley, and Class of 2022 running back Nick Singleton and quarterback Drew Allar.

Here are the jersey numbers for 10 new players to the Penn State roster in 2022.

  • 5 – Mitchell Tinsley, wide receiver
  • 7 – Kaden Saunders, wide receiver
  • 9 – Beau Pribula, quarterback
  • 10 – Nick Singleton, running back
  • 13 – Kaytron Allen, running back
  • 15 – Drew Allar, quarterback
  • 18 – Omari Evans, wide receiver
  • 28 – Zane Durant, defensive tackle
  • 55 – JB Nelson, offensive line
  • 88 – Jerry Cross, tight end

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Uniform numbers for Penn State early-enrollees revealed during THON weekend

Uniform numbers for Penn State early enrollees in Class of 2022 revealed during THON weekend, including Drew Allar and Nicholas Singleton.

THON weekend is a signature event on Penn State’s campus, and it is much more important than sports. But sometimes it tears a page back on some sports developments going on around the campus. In this case, the first look at some of Penn State’s newest additions in the Class of 2022 in their new jerseys is worth noting.

Lions 247 caught a number of Penn State’s early enrollees in the Class of 2022, including quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nicholas Singleton, taking part in some activities that are a part of the THON Weekend, and they were wearing Penn State uniforms for the first time in a public setting.

While there could always be some changes down the line before the 2022 football season kicks off with a Thursday night opener at Purdue in Week 1, here is what uniform numbers some of the newest Nittany Lions were spotted wearing this weekend.

  • Kaden Saunders, WR – 7
  • Beau Pribula, QB – 9
  • Nicholas Singleton, RB – 10
  • Drew Allar, QB – 15
  • Omari Evans, WR – 18
  • Zane Durant, DL – 28
  • Jerry Cross, TE – 88

Penn State’s spring game, the Blue-White Game, is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 23.

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With Jahan Dotson opting out, Parker Washington becomes Penn State’s top receiver

With Jahan Dotson opting out, Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith tasked with stepping up in Outback Bowl

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As many expected would happen, Jahan Dotson officially announced he is declaring for the NFL draft in 2022. As a result, Dotson will pass on playing one final game for the Penn State Nittany Lions and thus will skip this week’s Outback Bowl against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Tampa. With Dotson unavailable, Penn State has a new leading receiver in Parker Washington.

The sophomore from Texas should be ready for the responsibility of being the team’s top receiver for quarterback Sean Clifford. Washington has already established himself as a valuable asset in to the Penn State passing game after serving as the perfect complement to Dotson and at times having better performances than his NFL-bound role model.

Washington enters the Outback Bowl already with 722 receiving yards, making him the leading receiver for either team playing in the Outback Bowl (Arkansas also lost its top receiver to an opt-out in Treylon Burks). Although Washington has only been responsible for four touchdown catches this season, he has made plenty of big plays to give Penn State’s offense a lift, which is why Clifford will likely look to Washington in key spots against the Razorbacks when the Nittnay Lions need some big yards.

Washington won’t be the only receiver looking to step his game up with extra opportunities in the absence of Dotson. KeAndre Lambert-Smith will also be a player to keep a close eye on. Lambert-Smith has 31 receptions for 447 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season, and his role should be elevated a bit without Dotson in the picture. Lambert-Smith leads Penn State in average yards per reception among players with at least 17 receptions this season (Malick Meiga has an average of 26 yards per reception with just three receptions for a total of 78 yards thanks to a long touchdown against Rutgers). Lambert-smith has also come up with some clutch plays for the offense and is capable of turning out some big chunk of yardage as well.

Odds are pretty good Penn State’s staff and roster were aware of the likelihood they would be playing without Dotson and a handful of key defensive starters, so it is likely offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has been designing his gameplan for Arkansas around the idea of spreading the ball around a bit more with Washington and Lambert-Smith as the top two receivers. This would appear to be a good week to also have Clifford find ways of getting the tight ends more involved. When tight ends Theo Johnson and Brenton Strange are making solid contributions, Penn State’s passing game is likely in for a big day.

Beyond the Outback Bowl, the future of the wide receiver position for 2022 looks promising. Washington and Lambert-Smith are slated to return in 2022 to give the offense a solid combo at receiver. The Class of 2021 included a four-star receiver in Lonnie White Jr., but the talented two-sport athlete has already decided to pursue a career in professional baseball after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2021 amateur MLB draft. But the Class of 2022 seemingly made up for it with four-star players Kaden Saunders and Anthony Ivey. It may not take too long next fall to begin hearing those names on Saturdays.

Penn State faces Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on Saturday, January 1, 2022 at 12 p.m. ET.

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Video highlights of each member of Penn State football’s Class of 2022

WATCH: Video highlights of each Penn State Class of 2022 player

Penn State locked in its Class of 2022 at the start of the NCAA’s early signing period, and with it comes a bunch of buzz for the future of the Nittany Lions under the leadership of head coach James Franklin. But chances are most of you are unfamiliar with what any of these new faces will bring to the table for Penn State. So it’s a good thing Penn State served up some highlight packages to give fans a quick glimpse of the kind of talent that is joining the program.

Enjoy this collection of video highlights of Penn State’s newest additions in the Class of 2022.