Tag: Manny Diaz

Penn State Snapshot Profile: No. 97 PJ Mustipher

The return of PJ Mustipher at defensive tackle is a great asset for Penn State in 2022.

Going into the 2022 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 James Franklin this season.

Among the defensive leaders Penn State is hoping to rely on this season will be [autotag]PJ Mustipher[/autotag], who is returning from a season-ending injury suffered last season just as the season started to take a wrong turn. Perhaps this was not a coincidence. But Mustipher is working hard on getting back into form for the 2022 Nittany Lions with new defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] taking over the defense.

Reports peg Boston College’s Patrick Kraft as next Penn State AD

Penn State AD search: Reports peg Boston College AD as successor to Sandy Barbour

Penn State’s search for a new athletics director may soon be coming to an official close. Multiple reports on Tuesday note Penn State is expected to name Patrick Kraft its next athletic director, possibly by the end of the week according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. Kraft is currently the athletics director for Boston College.

Kraft has been the athletics director for Boston College since 2020, but he served for six years as the director of athletics for Temple prior to shipping up to Boston. One of Kraft’s biggest successes while at Temple may have been finding a way to keep former head coach [autotag]Matt Rhule[/autotag] in Philadelphia for as long as he did. With Kraft as the AD at Temple, Rhule announced he would remain the head coach of the Owls after coaching the program to a record of 10-4 and a top 20 ranking during the season.

Kraft left Temple to take on the same position at Boston College in 2020, where he has reportedly been a solid leader behind the scenes and out of the limelight. Kraft is responsible for the hiring of former Ohio State assistant Jeff Hafley to be head coach of the Boston College football program.

Oddly enough, the hiring of Kraft will present a unique reunion for the football program. Kraft once hired current defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] to be the head coach at Temple, only for Diaz to turn around after an introductory press conference and accept a head coaching offer from Miami. To be a fly on the wall for that first interaction in Happy Valley.

[autotag]Sandy Barbour[/autotag], Penn State’s current athletics director, will be resigning from her position later this year.

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PJ Mustipher finding other ways to lead while continuing rehab

New Penn State defensive cooridnator Manny Diaz is among those impressed with the leadership of rehabbing PJ Mustipher this spring.

Penn State’s defensive line has been a fairly consistent unit over the years, and one where the ability to create playmakers has been demonstrated routinely. A year removed from sending [autotag]Odafe Oweh[/autotag] off to the first round of the NFL draft, the eyes are on [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag] to see if he can sneak into the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. Meanwhile, in State College, [autotag]PJ Mustipher[/autotag] is coming back for one more season with Penn State with the hopes of becoming another early-round draft pick. But before that, he needs to continue rehabbing from a knee injury that has placed him on the sidelines this spring.

Despite being inactive on the practice field, Mustipher has been providing the kind of leadership that he will be relied on in his sixth season of eligibility. And it did not take long for Mustipher to show new defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] why he will be a valuable asset to the defensive line.

“[Mustipher] is not even practicing but, man, you feel his presence every day,” Diaz said to reporters, according to Lions 247. “And he makes sure that he’s on the defensive lineman. He’s on the defense in general.”

Mustipher has been helping to keep his teammates fired up and driving to improve this spring. Among those benefitting from Mustipher’s leadership and encouragement has been newcomer Zane Durant, who has been raising eyebrows this spring after enrolling early with other members of the Class of 2022.

The defensive line looks to be one of the most exciting position groups for Penn State in 2022, and the eventual return of a healthy Mustipher will be a key part of that equation. The early opportunity for Durant to get involved will be helpful, as will the eventual arrivals of [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] (five-star addition in the Class of 2022) and Maryland transfer [autotag]Demeioun Robinson[/autotag].

Despite not having any of those three players in the Blue-White Game, the entire defensive line unit will be worth watching in the Penn State spring game. The unit did lose promising Zuriah Fisher for the 2022 season due to a spring injury recently, but eyes will be on [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] (who is coming off his own injury from last season) and [autotag]Nick Tarburton[/autotag]. The Blue-White Game should also be a good opportunity for other players to get some good playing time, including [autotag]Smith Vilbert[/autotag], [autotag]Rodney McGraw[/autotag], and [autotag]Amin Vanover[/autotag].

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Penn State Blue-White Game: Stream, injury report, broadcast info

How to watch the Penn State Blue-White Game this Saturday, things to know, injury report, and pregame reading material…

Spring is in the air, which means it is time once again to watch Penn State wrap up its spring football practice schedule with the annual Blue-White Game in Beaver Stadium. [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his Nittany Lions will close out their spring practice schedule with the annual spring game event on Saturday before turning the page to the next part of the offseason leading up to the start of a new football season, and they will do so with a lot to look forward to.

  • Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022
  • Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: Big Ten Network
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

Defensive keys to Penn State’s Blue-White game on Saturday

Penn State’s defense will have a few things to watch during the Blue-White Game this weekend.

Penn State is losing plenty of talent to the draft this year. However, there is still plenty to look forward to, including the incoming recruits for next season.

As spring football practices come to a close this week with the playing of the annual Blue-White Game on Saturday in Beaver Stadium, new defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] will have plenty on his plate to deal with as the defense takes on the offense in a modified spring game. The secondary appears to be in good shape and the optimism for the defensive line is encouraging.

Here are the top three defensive keys to a successful Penn State spring game on Saturday.

Blue-White Game: 5 players to watch in Penn State’s spring game

5 Penn State players to watch closely in the Blue-White Game this weekend

Penn State will put a bow on its 2022 spring football practice schedule with the annual Blue-White Game this Saturday in Beaver Stadium. This will be the first opportunity to witness a defense coached by [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] in action, whether or not the offensive line has been able to improve to protect sixth-year quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], or if the running game has found a way to get back on track.

Not every question we will have about Penn State in 2022 will be answered in full on Saturday. And odds are fairly good [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] won’t have everything figured out just yet either. But the spring game is always an opportunity for somebody to make a case for a significant role in the upcoming fall. Who will be the breakout star?

Here are five players to be monitoring during the Penn State Blue-White Game this weekend.

Penn State misses out on key defensive recruit in Class of 2023

Penn State came up short on the recruiting effort for this son of a former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker.

Entering today, Penn State had the fourth-ranked recruiting class according to 247Sports, and they will end the day with the same ranking as they missed out on a coveted four-star recruit.

Class of 2023 linebacker Josiah Trotter, out of St. Joseph’s Prep School in Philadelphia, committed to West Virginia after naming Temple, Notre Dame, Clemson, and Penn State as finalists along with the Mountaineers. Trotter was a highly coveted linebacking recruit with 14 listed offers from big-time schools on 247Sports.

Trotter announced his commitment to West Virginia with an image on his Twitter account on Friday afternoon.

The name Trotter and linebackers should sound familiar to some fans. He is the son of former Eagles All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter so the NFL bloodlines run thick with him. He was the No. 7 prospect in the state of Pennslyvania and the No. 32 player at the linebacker position.

While it would have been nice to land Trotter, Penn State has still made solid ground on the defensive side of things in recruiting in recent years. Penn State continues sending players to the NFL under [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag], and perhaps even more so now with new defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] coaching them up.

So far the 2023 class has a heavy focus on the offensive line, four of nine recruits, whereas on defense they have just one player. This would have served as a nice kickstart to things but they are still in on several top recruits. Landing any one of players like four-star Semaj Bridgeman or three-star James Heard, both are located within Pennsylvania so that always lends a helping hand to recruiting.

Those are just two of many names that Penn State is still in on. Nittany Lions Wire will continue to keep you up to date on all signings as they happen. In the meantime, as Penn State looks to bulk up its roster, be sure to follow the transfer portal as well. Things are constantly happening and pieces are constantly moving so stay tuned!

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Zuriah Fisher set to miss 2022 with knee injury

Reports have confirmed a knee injury to a promising Penn State defensive lineman is a season-ending injury.

Penn State has been churning out defensive end prospects for the NFL like Willy Wonka does with candy bars. After sending another two to the NFL this year in [autotag]Jesse Luketa[/autotag] and [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag] it was expected that [autotag]Zuriah Fisher[/autotag] would earn meaningful reps this fall, but fate had other plans.

It was first reported by Lions 247 that Fisher injured his knee during spring practices. It was followed up with a report from Blue White Illustrated stating it is feared to be a serious knee injury.  While the exact injury has yet to be revealed it is feared that he will miss most if not all of the year. Audrey Snyder of The Athletic later confirmed the injury is a season-ending injury.

 

Knee injuries are very hit and miss in terms of how long recovery can take. We have seen even the worst type like ACL tears have much quicker turnarounds than was ever thought before.

Fisher was entering his third year on campus after committing to Penn State back in 2020, and he was expected to compete for a meaningful, maybe even a starting role. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2021 and earned significant playing time against a talented Arkansas squad in the Outback Bowl. He would have two tackles and be a part of a defense that was attempting to keep the Razorback offense in check.

This injury will result in more players stepping up, some young ones at that, but this further amplifies how big it was for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff to grab Demeioun Robinson from Maryland out of the transfer portal. Robinson was already expected to have a big role on the defensive line, amplifying that even more so now.

This also will have a big impact on next week’s Blue-White Game. [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] will be sure to have a big rotation of guys on the defensive front, so look for someone to separate themselves then.

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Manny Diaz settling in at Penn State, finding leaders on defense

Manny Diaz is getting more comfortable with the Penn State defense this spring.

Some thought that [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] would be an interesting pairing with head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] but it seems he is fitting in perfectly so far.

247 Sports recently did an interview with the new Penn State defensive coordinator where he talked about how he is fitting in with his new team and also what he is expecting out of his defense. In the interview, he specifically discusses how the middle linebacker competition is going as well as a new emerging leader on the defense.

When discussing the middle linebacker battle between [autotag]Tyler Elsdon[/autotag] and [autotag]Kobe King[/autotag] he mentions how Elsdon continues to “grow (and) feel more comfortable…” and that as he continues to play he sees him becoming a better fit.  

With King, Diaz seemed very excited when talking about him saying “I think Kobe King is getting better every day, and really, I anticipate this being a battle…”. It seems that no matter who earns the job though that the defense should be in good hands. 

This position battle should have a clearer picture after the Blue and White Game this month.

When discussing the leaders on defense Manny Diaz mentioned several players but he was most eager to discuss [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag]. He gave a glowing review of what he has seen in his short time in State College saying of Brown as a leader that he is “not just vocally (a leader), but he certainly is a great vocal leader. If you want a guy that you’re honored to coach, it’s this guy. He just does everything the way you want him to do. If you had 11 of him, you wouldn’t need a coach”.

It appears that despite losing three notable starters to the NFL this year that the Penn State defense should still be firing on all cylinders this coming season. The Blue and White Game will be the most telling of it all at this point and that will also serve as everyone’s first exposure to what Manny Diaz can do with this roster. 

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Decision date set for Class of 2023 linebacker target, son of former Eagles LB

Son of former Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter to announce his college decision later this month. Penn State, Clemson, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia Tech in the mix.

Penn State is in the thick of a notable recruiting battle for an in-state four-star linebacker, and a decision date has been set on the calendar for a commitment announcement. Four-star linebacker [autotag]Josiah Trotter[/autotag] announced, via Twitter, that he will be committing to his school of choice on Friday, April 15 (his birthday).

Trotter previously updated his recruiting status by revealing his top five schools in late February. Penn State was among the five schools remaining in his recruiting process, along with Clemson, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech, of course, is currently coached by former Penn State defensive coordinator [autotag]Brent Pry[/autotag]. Trotter’s older brother, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., signed with Clemson in 2021.

Trotter is among the top recruits from within Pennsylvania, which naturally makes him a top target for head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and his staff, including new defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag].

Despite being so close to an announcement, there has yet to be a single crystal ball prediction made on 247Sports, so gauging a favorite to land Trotter appears to be pretty tricky with under two weeks to go until a decision is announced. But the On3Sports prediction machine, however, has West Virginia as an overwhelming favorite with a 90.2% chance of receiving Trotter’s commitment.

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