Penn State adds 2025 edge rusher Chaz Coleman to their class

Penn State was able to strike in the 2025 class again, adding a promising edge rusher to the class.

Penn State is coming off a great showing against Washington where they completely dominated the Huskies in front of a White Out crowd. That was a huge result for more reasons than one.

Not only were the Nittany Lions able to bounce back and remind everyone they are one of the best teams in college football despite another loss to Ohio State, but there were tons of recruits on campus who were ready to be blown away by the atmosphere and the performance of the program who is recruiting them.

Mission accomplished.

Penn State picked up a commitment from 2025 athlete [autotag]Chaz Coleman[/autotag] who was in Happy Valley for his official visit this past weekend, a trip that will span until Monday.

Ranked as a three-star by On3’s Industry Ranking, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder plays both quarterback and edge rusher for Warren G Harding High School in the state of the Ohio.

He will be playing on the defensive line for the Nittany Lions during his collegiate career, potentially getting a boost in the ratings once he is viewed specifically as a pash rusher.

Penn State is excited to get him on board.

A really late riser in the process, Coleman didn’t receive his first Power 4 offer until August of this year. The Nittany Lions were even later to extend a scholarship to him, officially offering him one in September. As an athlete who has played multiple positions on the football field and across different sports, [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] and the staff believe he has a high ceiling when it comes to getting after the passer at a high level.

If he can reach that ceiling, this will be a huge get for Penn State.

Their jewel of the edge rusher class, [autotag]Max Granville[/autotag], reclassified to the 2024 class and is already on campus as part of this roster. That left a hole in this group as the Nittany Lions searched for other talented defensive ends.

Coleman could be exactly that, and although he is likely a project at this point in his career, he should be someone to keep an eye on once he arrives to Happy Valley.

National media’s bowl projections for Penn State football in 2022

Penn State is hoping to return to a big bowl game in 2022 as the new season is about to kick off for the first time. For a program that has gone .500 over the past two seasons, the Nittany Lions are hoping to return to their winning ways that were …

Penn State is hoping to return to a big bowl game in 2022 as the new season is about to kick off for the first time. For a program that has gone .500 over the past two seasons, the Nittany Lions are hoping to return to their winning ways that were the norm prior to the 2020 season. And if the preseason bowl projections are any indication, Penn State has plenty of ways this season could end in the postseason.

Here is an assortment of preseason bowl projections for Penn State this season, with plenty of possible bowl opponents from the SEC to choose from.

Did James Franklin just confirm where he will be coaching after 2021?

Did James Franklin just confirm where he will be coaching in 2022?

Penn State head coach James Franklin has had his name thrown around the rumor mill for quite some time, and that is largely on his own accord. Franklin has been reluctant to offer any firm public statements on his job status beyond the 2021 season while his name is connected to the coaching radar at LSU and USC, but he reportedly offered a strong confirmation of his intent for after this season during a lunch with the State College Quarterback Club.

According to Neil Rudel of the Altoona Mirror, via Twitter, Franklin received a positive reaction from the State College Quarterback Club when he told them he plans on staying at Penn State in 2022.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Franklin reportedly told the crowd of up to 200 people on Wednesday.

The timing of the statement is noteworthy. Franklin has been reluctant to say such a firm statement on multiple occasions this season, which could have just been a coaching carousel strategy. Franklin did hire a new agent, raising the possibility Franklin could potentially bolt for a new opportunity that was willing to pay. But this statement also comes at a time when it is believed that LSU is moving Franklin off their radar and focusing on other potential targets. Is this statement from Franklin something that was made knowing LSU was out of the picture for Franklin, or has this been the agenda all along?

The next week or two should be incredibly interesting for Franklin and his future. It’s one thing to say something like this at a lunch like the State College Quarterback Club. It’s another to come out and say it publicly to the fans and media watching everything unfold.

This has been a disappointing season for Franklin and Penn State. Penn State started off the season feeling great with a 5-0 record but has since dropped four of their last five games to come into the final home game of the season in Beaver Stadium with a record of just 6-4. Penn State can clinch a winning season on Saturday with a win against Rutgers, but the bar for success with two games remaining is a long way off from where it looked like the season could potentially be heading in September.

But as the regular season comes to a close after two more games, the future of Franklin will be solidified one way or another. USC and LSU likely won’t waste too much time locking in their next head coaches, but there may not be too many other options that would likely be able to pull Franklin away from Penn State if he was to consider any other potential opportunities.

So get ready for a busy couple of weeks. Until the plane comes in for a landing, Franklin’s future is still in the air.

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Penn State falls out of USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

Penn State has fallen out of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after a loss to Michigan

After teetering on the brink of the bottom fringes of the college football rankings the past few weeks, Penn State has now fallen out of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. The knockout blow came in the form of a 21-17 loss at home on Saturday to the Michigan Wolverines, which handed Penn State its fourth loss of the season, and the fourth loss in five games.

Having lost four games is reason enough not to be ranked by the coaches this week, especially when those losses have largely been strung together over a five-game span. Penn State’s only win in that mix was in Week 10 at Maryland.

Penn State likely won’t be able to climb back into the good graces of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll voters this week as they host Rutgers for the final home game of the season. Penn State’s best chance to climb back into the poll will come in two weeks with a road game at Michigan State.

Penn State is certainly limping its way across the finish line of the 2021 season, no matter how you look at things, and the recent struggles have done nothing to calm the critic of head coach James Franklin. As we witnessed on Twitter over the weekend, the number of fans voicing their willing ess to pack Franklin’s bags for USC or LSU or wherever else are only growing louder.

Franklin must find a way to have Penn State ready for a rebound this week because his counterpart, Greg Schiano of Rutgers, knows how to motivate his players for this type of situation. Rutgers views Penn State as a rival and the Scarlet Knights are coming off a big blowout win at Indiana.

You can see the full USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll here.

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