Tag: Tyler Duzansky

Penn State special teams unit ready to run it back in 2025

Penn State looks like it is set on special teams already for the 2025 season.

The pieces of the Penn State offense and defense appear to be coming together this week with players announcing their respective decisions on their plans for the 2025 season. But what about the special teams? It looks as though there will not be much turnover in the special teams group going into the 2025 season as four special teams cogs all confirmed they will return to the Nittany Lions next season.

Special teams coordinator [autotag]Justin Lustig[/autotag] shared the encouraging news on social media on Wednesday that kickers [autotag]Ryan Barker[/autotag] and [autotag]Gabe Nwosu[/autotag], punter [autotag]Riley Thompson[/autotag], and long snapper [autotag]Tyler Duzansky[/autotag] are all confirmed to be back with the program next season, which gives the entire special teams unit a little less to worry about this spring.

Thompson punted 51 times last season for an average of 42.8 yards per punt. Nwosu has become Penn State’s primary kickoff specialist with his strong leg often not giving opposing teams a chance to return the football. Barker, a redshirt freshman, was 15 of 18 on field goal attempts and 48 of 49 on extra point attempts this season.

Barker’s return was expected and could lead to a potential transfer decision by Sander Sahaydak. The status of Sahaydak, who was shaky at the start of the season with just 2 of 5 field goals made in four games, is unconfirmed and his absence from Lustig’s post may not be a coincidence. But nothing has been confirmed either way on what this all means for Sahaydak.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DE2XuFEuNwh/?hl=en

Penn State will likely have its kick and punt returned back next season as well. Nicholas Singleton has been Penn State’s main kickoff return specialist with 14 returns in 15 games last season. Singleton announced his return to the team earlier in the week and he could continue to handle kickoff returns next fall.

Cornerback Zion Tracy is expected to return next season and could continue to be Penn State’s leading punt returner. Tracy had 15 punt returns last season but never really had a threat of a big return. Penn State has lacked much of a return threat in recent years, but sometimes just holding on to the football and not giving up yards is all you need.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.

2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 48 Tyler Duzansky

A quick look at Penn State’s top long-snapper for the 2023 season, Tyler Duzansky.

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 for James Franklin this season.

Continuing this effort is a look at Penn State’s potential starting long-snapper on special teams, Tyler Duzansky. Duzansky was a reserve on special teams duty last season but should be moving right into a starting job this fall. Here is a quick look at the special teams contributor heading into the 2023 season.

Phil Steele’s preseason All-Americans and All-Big Ten rosters feature multiple Nittany Lions

Phil Steele includes a number of Penn State players on his preseason All-America and All-Big Ten rosters for 2023.

You know the dogs days of summer are essentially upon us not because schools are letting out for the summer and grills are firing up for some evening cookouts and pools are being splashed in, but because the college football preview content is beginning to overflow with information for the upcoming 2023 college football season. Among the highlights of the summer preview season is when the iconic Phil Steele begins sharing his preseason All-America and all-conference teams, and this week saw the unveiling of his All-Big Ten roster. Needless to say, it includes a good number of Penn State players for the 2023 season.

Offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] and defensive back Kalen King headline the preseason accolades by appearing on the preseason All-America roster from Steele. The two standouts are projected to be potential first-round draft picks in the 2024 NFL draft, with Fashanu surprising many with his decision to return to Penn State for one more season after being projected as a possible first-round pick in the 2023 draft.

Linebacker Abdul Carter, entering his sophomore season in Happy Valley after a brilliant freshman debut, appeared on Phil Steele’s third-team preseason All-America list. Sophomore running back Nick Singleton also makes the preseason-All-America cut for Steele, although he does so on the fourth team. Not bad for two of Penn State’s top freshmen from a season ago.

All four of the players mentioned are locked in to Steele’s preseason All-Big Ten team, as you would expect. Fashanu, King, and Carter all appear on the first-team preseason All-Big Ten roster from Steele, and Singleton makes the second-team All-Big Ten cut.

Joining Singleton on the preseason All-Big Ten second team are linebacker Curtis Jacobs and defensive end [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag]. Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, center [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag], defensive end Adisa Isaac, and long snapper [autotag]Tyler Duzansky[/autotag] all received third-team All-Big Ten honors from Steele. Cornerback Johnny Dixon, who is expected to be a leading candidate to lock down a starting job this fall, was included on Steele’s fourth-team preseason All-Big Ten roster.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=10]