Tag: Tank Smith

Penn State awards coveted No. 0 jersey to special teams standout

Penn State continues tradition of awarding the No. 0 jersey to special teams standout for 2023 season.

The No. 0 jersey has officially been handed out to a special teams standout at Penn State. It’s a recent tradition of Penn State under [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] for a player on special teams to wear that jersey number.

For three years it was worn by safety [autotag]Jonathan Sutherland[/autotag]. After his graduation, some wondered if the tradition would continue and who would wear the jersey.

Linebacker [autotag]Dominic DeLuca[/autotag] will be the one wearing No. 0 for the 2023 season. The redshirt sophomore has played a huge role on special teams throughout his career. He joined the program as a walk-on in 2021 and redshirted after appearing in three games.

In 2022, DeLuca appeared in all 13 games on special teams and defense, racking up 29 total tackles. He earned the coaching staff’s Special Teams Player of the Week after he blocked a punt in the game.

Franklin and Penn State awarded him a scholarship before the Rose Bowl game against Utah this past season after sharing the team’s Outstanding Run-On Award with [autotag]Tank Smith[/autotag].

It was previously announced that DeLuca would be one of the six captains for the Nittany Lions this season. He’s joined by wide receiver [autotag]Malick Meiga[/autotag] as special teams captains.

The Pennsylvania native has worked his way into a backup linebacker role and will be on the field at that position in certain spots going forward. But his main contributions to the team will be leading the special teams unit that Franklin has put a lot of emphasis on.

The No. 0 jersey tradition lives on for another season with DeLuca wearing the honor.

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2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 38 Tank Smith

Small but mighty? Tank Smith looks to make a few more plays for Penn State in 2023.

Going into the 2023 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 forย James Franklin this season.

Continuing this effort is a quick look at one of Penn State’s senior running backs, Tank Smith. Smith is a bit of a fan favorite every time he gets to step on the field, and he will once again be a supporting cast member in the running back department in 2023 with some potential opportunities on special teams. Here is a snapshot look at Smith entering the 2023 season.

Penn State spring football preview: running backs

Let’s take a look at what Penn State has going for it at the running back position this spring.

No position group is in a better position at Penn State currently than the running back position. The Nittany Lions arguably have the best running back in college football and his backup is not too far behind him either.

[autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] came onto the State College campus last year with the hope they could reset the offense and take pressure off of [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag]. Not only did they achieve that but they far surpassed expectations in the process. They would end their miraculous freshman season with a Rose Bowl win and now they have to top that for an encore.

Take a look at the two-headed monster at leads the Penn State running back group.

2022 Penn State football: Nittany Lions’ running backs preview

Take a look at Penn State’s depth at the running back position heading into the 2022 season.

Penn State is prepping for a season in which the program hopes to redeem itself on the national stage. After back-to-back seasons of mediocre results, Penn State is aiming to bounce back and prove themselves worthy of being in the Big Ten championship hunt, if not a little bit more.

Penn State kicks off the 2022 season with a Thursday night primetime matchup at Purdue on September 1. When the season begins, Penn State is hoping to get the running game on track after a disappointing season rushing the ball in 2021. With a Doak Walker Award watch list player in Keyvone Lee and one of the top recruits in the Class of 2022 with in-state recruit Nick Singleton, and another quality addition with Kaytron Allen, hopes are high for Penn State to figure out things on the ground.

Here is a look at what Penn State has on the roster at the running back position for 2022, beginning with the expected stars of the ground game.

Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 38 Tank Smith

He may not be a huge factor in Penn State’s running game in 2022, but Tank Smith certainly has a first-team name.

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.

As Penn State looks to improve its running game in 2022, it will do so with some good talent returning at the position and joining the program in the Class of 2022. [autotag]Tank Smith[/autotag] is perhaps the option that is most overlooked on the depth chart for the 2022 season as he has been a deep reserve option during his first couple of seasons in Happy Valley.

Here is a snapshot profile of one of Penn State’s hard-working running backs on the roster for the 2022 season.

Penn State announces 2021 spring football awards

Freshman Kalen King and veterans Sean Clifford and Tariq Castro-Fields were among the spring winners for Penn State football practices.

Penn State brought their spring football practices to a close on Friday evening in Beaver Stadium in front of a limited number of fans. Before James Franklin and his staff get too deep into their next stages of the offseason schedule, Penn State coaches handed out their post-spring awards to players who stood out this spring.

Freshman Kalen King certainly left a big impact on the coaching staff with an impressive spring, and veteran leaders like Sean Clifford and Tariq Castro-Fields have continued to display their leadership skills on and off the practice field.

Here is a look at the Penn State spring football award winners, as announced by the program on Monday.