Penn State spring football – Syndication Server

Blue-White Game Preview: 5 defensive keys to watch

Here are 5 things to watch on the defense during Penn State’s Blue-White Game this weekend

The 2023 Blue-White Game taking place on Saturday, April 15th will be a return to a standard format, unlike the previous year. Last season, [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] treated the game like an enhanced practice to limit any potential injuries that could happen.

This year it will be more of a full-scrimmage type of format.

Penn State is navigating through the offseason with a Top-10 preseason roster. Fans are eager to see what this team will look like and there is a potentially record breaking crowd expected to be in attendance.

Coming off their Rose Bowl Victory, there is real buzz surrounding the talented Penn State roster. Whether it’s fair or not, fans are expecting coach Franklin to get the Nittany Lions into their first ever College Football Playoff soon. For his part, it seems like Franklin also is setting those expectations.

Contributing to the hype around the team are some exciting new faces that will play prominent roles this season on the defensive side of the ball.

Here are five things to watch during the Blue-White Game on Saturday.

Penn State spring football preview: Defensive Line

Now that a new coach is in place, here’s a quick look at the Penn State defensive line situation this spring

It’s an exciting time for the defensive line unit at Penn State. Coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] recently announced that [autotag]Deion Barnes[/autotag] would be the new defensive line coach for the upcoming season.

Barnes, who played defensive line at Penn State from 2012-2014, is taking over the role after the departure of [autotag]John Scott Jr.[/autotag]

It seems like a natural progression for Barnes who served as a graduate assistant and was involved in the development of multiple players going to the NFL.

While the news of this hire is certainly exciting, the other electrifying thing surrounding the defensive line is they might be the best unit of Penn State football this season.

[autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] are the headliners of the line, but there are other players that could have a big year as well.

Here are names to watch as spring practices get underway.

Chop Robinson

Measurables: 6’3″ 240 lbs.

Year: Junior

Expected Role: Starting Defensive End

Chop Robinson was an absolute star for Penn State in 2022-23. After transferring in from Maryland, he was a game wrecker for the Nittany Lions. He recorded 26 total tackles, 10 of them for loss, and had 5.5 sacks.

His PFF grade of 90.6 ranked him sixth out of 862 edge rushers last season. Robinson’s pass rush grade had him fourth in the country. It’s crazy to think that he can improve his run defense to become an even better player. Robinson will be a household name if continues to produce like he did last year.

Coziah Izzard

Measurables: 6’3″ 292 lbs.

Year: Redshirt Junior

Expected Role: Starting Defensive Tackle

This is the starting position on the defensive line that should be watched. [autotag]Coziah Izzard[/autotag] is the projected starter, but he’ll be battling to secure that title. Last season he was expected to start alongside [autotag]PJ Mustipher[/autotag], but missed the first four games of the season due to the decision of coach Franklin.

After a bursting onto the scene in 2021 with 21 tackles and two sacks, he recorded 10 tackles and two sacks in nine games last season. Izzard has tons of talent and should be able to produce this year whether he’s a starter or not.

NEXT: Other potential starters up front

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Blue-White Game Report Card: Grading Penn State’s spring football game

The grades are in for Penn State’s performance in the Blue-White Game.

Penn State’s spring game wasn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard, even in a modified scoring system. And fans wanting to see drastic improvement from the program that has gone .500 over the past two seasons may be left wondering if Penn State is set up for another mediocre season in Happy Valley after watching the Blue-White Game. But Penn State’s final spring practice of the year had some positive developments and some reminders that help is on the way over the summer.

And now the grades are in for Penn State’s performance during the Blue-White Game. Here’s how each position group was graded for the spring game in Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

Quarterback: C

A recurring theme when it comes to the offensive grades following Penn State’s game is probably chalked up to a simple “Eh, it could have been better.” That was the basic takeaway from the performance of the quarterbacks overall, but any expectation of any passer just lighting up the spring game may have been unreasonable.

We were never likely to see a whole lot out of [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], the sixth-year senior who really has little more to prove at this point. We know pretty much exactly what Clifford is, and if given time to process the field, he can make plays. But he had some overthrown passes at times. He did, however, throw the game’s only touchdown of the game.

The backup competition behind Clifford is the real storyline here, and the future of [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] is what fans are eager to witness. But a rough spring debut for the true freshman shows there is still work to be done in the big picture. If based solely on one afternoon, [autotag]Christian Veilleux[/autotag] proved he should be the team’s primary backup option heading into the season, although Allar should improve quickly.

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Next: Grading the running backs

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How many fans attended Penn State’s spring football game?

How many fans showed up for Penn State’s Blue-White Game? And where did PSU rank in spring game crowds in 2022?

For the first time since 2019, Penn State allowed fans to step into Beaver Stadium for a spring preview of the football team. The annual Blue-White Game is traditionally a big draw for Penn State, and the crowds that make their way into Beaver Stadium for a spring game or glorified scrimmage every April tends to rank among the nation’s best when it comes to spring game attendance figures.

And this year was no different.

With a reported crowd size of 62,000 fans, Penn State’s Blue-White Game will once again go in the record books as one of the top spring game crowds for the 2022 season. And, unofficially, Penn State probably locked in a top-five crowd for the spring game, if not a top three.

Oklahoma, the lone Big 12 school that generally packs a big crowd for its spring game, is a bit of a surprise spring game attendance champion. The Sooners welcomed over 75,000 fans to witness the start of the Brent Venables era and to celebrate the new statue in honor of former Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield. Oklahoma fans surely took joy in comparing the spring crowd size for the Oklahoma spring game compared to USC‘s spring crowd, with former Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley taking over the Trojans this year (and bringing along former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams for the ride).

An updated look at the reported spring game attendance figures across the country recently had Penn State at No. 3 overall this spring. Part of that is because some traditional heavy hitters in spring game crowds have been hampered by inclement weather leading to significant reductions in crowd size. It’s also worth considering the COVID pandemic could still be playing a small fraction into the crowd size figures for a practice that doesn’t carry near the same weight as a game in the fall.

Whatever the case, Penn State will have the largest spring crowd among Big Ten schools this season. The Nittany Lions passed Nebraska and Ohio State, two other perennial spring crowd heavyweights, with its reported attendance for the Blue-White Game. Unfortunately for Penn State, the Big Ten doesn’t award a trophy for such an achievement.

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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

[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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WATCH: LaVar Arrington just wants Penn State to beat this Big Ten nemesis

What is the one thing LaVar Arrington wants to see one thing from Penn State in 2022? Beat the Buckeyes.

Penn State’s Blue-White Game saw a number of notable guests patrolling the sideline, including one of the program’s best players to ever suit up at the linebacker position. [autotag]LaVar Arrington[/autotag] was enjoying his return to the Blue-White Game and took some time to speak to former quarterback [autotag]Matt McGloin[/autotag] during the second half of the spring game.

Arrington was having a great time soaking in the atmosphere of the Blue-White Game.

Arrington admitted to McGloin, who was providing sideline commentary and interviews for Big Ten Network, that he has not yet studied the current roster of Nittany Lions, and thus was not ready to make any predictions about what to expect this fall from his alma mater. But Arrington did have one thing he was hoping to see from Penn State in 2022.

Beat Ohio State.

“I’m just hoping we have a year, honestly, where we beat Ohio State,” Arrington said in his sideline interview on Big Ten Network. “I just want to beat Ohio State.”

Ohio State has perennially been the team to beat in the Big Ten. Although Michigan did just that en route to a Big Ten championship and spot in the College Football Playoff last season, the Buckeyes are still the program most figure is the favorite to win the Big Ten in 2022, and Arrington already has his eyes locked on Penn State’s biggest obstacle in the Big Ten East.

Penn State hosts Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 29. Penn State has lost five consecutive meetings with the Buckeyes, and Ohio State has taken nine of the last 10 games in the series.

Penn State announces spring football award winners

Ji’Ayir Brown and Olu Fashanu are among Penn State’s spring football ward winners

After one half of spring football action in Beaver Stadium, Penn State took some time during halftime to honor their spring football award winners. While these award winners may or may not ultimately have the greatest impact on the team’s success in the 2022 football season, the awards show who some of the team’s most respected leaders continue to be after going through the spring football practices.

One of the players honored by Penn State at halftime was safety [autotag]Ji’Ayir Brown[/autotag], who followed up. stellar fall season as the team’s interceptions leader by performing well as a fixture in the defensive secondary.

On offense, it was a rising offensive lineman who was honored for his commitment to the success of the team this spring. Offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] was named the recipient of the team’s Red Worrell award.

Here are this year’s Penn State spring football award winners.

Red Worrell (offense): Olu Fashanu
Jim O’Hora Award (defense): Ji’Ayir Brown
Coaches Special Teams: [autotag]Barney Amore[/autotag]
Frank Patrick Total Commitment: [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Tarburton[/autotag]

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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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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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.

NEXT: Other potential starters up front Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4