BWI Live: A Penn State football podcast from Blue White Illustrated

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

Check out the site too! - https://bit.ly/3u8dilD

K.J. Winston: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/sporting-new-number-kj-winston-talks-penn-states-crazy-offseason/

The Penn State Nittany Lions are deep into winter conditioning, getting ready for the 2024 spring football season. On today's BWI Live Show, we discuss the team's most recent media availability, the stakes for the 2024 college football season, and your questions on the BWI Mailbag! Join the show live at 10 a.m. Tuesday through Friday or catch the replay of today's show embedded in this article.

If you haven't subscribe to the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel so you get updates and notifications on breaking news, live shows and featured content. The Penn State Wrestling team is once again Big Ten regular season champions. We'll recap the win over Nebraska and the preview of senior day on Friday's Penn State wrestling show at 10 a.m.

As always, we'll have our Penn State Recruiting Show on Thursday at 10 a.m. Learn more about the 12-person class of 2025 with Sean Fitz and Ryan Snyder.

Does Penn State head coach James Franklin have something to prove?

https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/penn-states-james-franklin-listed-among-coaches-with-most-to-prove-in-2024-newsstand/

Despite ten years of winning seasons, Penn State fans are restless for a postseason bid. The mounting pressure to win on a bigger stage put Franklin on ESPN's list of coaches with the most to prove this upcoming season. Is that a fair assessment of Franklin's time in Happy Valley? Also, how does the new-look Big Ten change the perception and realistic expectations for the program?

We'll discuss that idea with veteran reporters Nate Bauer and Fitz, who have their finger on the pulse of the program. What do you think? Join the live chat and give your thoughts, or leave a reply in the YouTube comments section!

Penn State also held an open media session with select athletes after the program's THON event on Saturday. What did Fitz learn from starting safety KJ Winston? We'll hear from him on his conversation with the rising star.

BWI Mailbag

Finally, your questions drive the rest of the show. Want to get a question on air but can't join live? Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated and submit a question on the weekly BWI Mailbag submission thread. We post a call each week for questions regarding Penn State football, recruiting, and basketball. Subscribe for one dollar and get access to premium content and the message board for a month.

Today, we'll discuss Penn State's recruiting efforts for quarterback with Matt Zollers and Malik Washington. We'll also discuss the team's prospects at the 2024 NFL Combine and who might shine during the testing phase of the week-long event.

Does James Franklin still have something to prove at Penn State?

#PennState #NittanyLions

JOIN Blue White Illustrated: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/join/?plan=annual

SUBSCRIBE to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and enable alerts - new highlights and videos uploaded regularly: https://www.youtube.com/c/bluewhiteillustratedvideo?sub_confirmation

Bookmark our homepage: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/

Subscribe to BWI Magazine and Newsletters: https://bluewhiteonline.com

Download our podcasts: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/LRL3155877513?selected=DSVV2664982394

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BlueWhiteIllustrated/

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PennStateOn3

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This show orginally aired on Feb. 15.

Thanks so our sponsor: https://myperfectfranchise.net/

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

Check out the site too! - https://bit.ly/3u8dilD

The recruiting world is quiet after a furious January where hundreds of prospects visited campuses nationwide for Junior Days. However, the news never stops in recruiting and even during a "dead period" there's always something moving behind the scenes. On today's BWI Live Show, we discuss several top recruits trimming their lists and, including Penn State, the return of a top recruiting assistant, and more.

Join the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel so you don't miss any live shows, breaking news, or commitment videos. As always, you can watch our content on replay there or embedded in articles like this one.

Penn State recruiting news

Before diving into the news from the past week, BWI publisher Sean Fitz discusses Penn State winter media day. The Nittany Lions opened up the Beaver Stadium media room on Tuesday for reporters to chat with the second-year players in the program. Fitz shares the interesting nuggets and thoughts he found talking to the Class of 2023.

However, fans are most interested in Fitz's most recent prediction in Penn State recruiting. The team may get its first receiver commit in the Class of 2025 with New York's Lyrick Samuel. Fitz picked Samuel to land with the program and discusses why he made that decision. Check out the show to see highlights from the Bronx native.

Nittany Lions in the running for several top prospects

So far, Penn State has built a solid recruiting class, mostly from regional prospects. But the team is still pushing to land top talent in the class. One of those names is edge rusher Darren Ikinnagbon. The four-star edge rusher out of New Jersey named the Lions among his top eight programs. What are the chances that defensive line coach Deion Barnes can land the 6-5 rusher? We'll discuss his recruitment and that of Georiga linebacker Mantrez Walker.

Finally, we'll dive into the buisness of recruiting and how Penn State has changed under new athletic director Pat Kraft. Frank Bodani of the York Daily Record recently reported that Penn State's recruiting and overall budgets have skyrocketed since Kraft took over.

That news coincides with the return of recruiting staffer Khalil Ahmad. Ahmad took a job with Syracuse this offseason, only to return this week. Fitz will explain Ahmad's importance to the program and how Penn State can use his regional ties to land several of the players we're discussing on today's show.

#PennState #NittanyLions

JOIN Blue White Illustrated: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/join/?plan=annual

SUBSCRIBE to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and enable alerts - new highlights and videos uploaded regularly: https://www.youtube.com/c/bluewhiteillustratedvideo?sub_confirmation

Bookmark our homepage: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/

Subscribe to BWI Magazine and Newsletters: https://bluewhiteonline.com

Download our podcasts: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/LRL3155877513?selected=DSVV2664982394

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BlueWhiteIllustrated/

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PennStateOn3

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Penn State a leader in recruiting? | New RPM Pick for Penn State

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Penn State Nittany Lions Wrestling team dominated Iowa and Rutgers this past weekend. Now, they face Nebraska in the final dual of the Big Ten regular season. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Penn State football team is working hard in winter conditioning to improve its collective abilities for the upcoming 2024 season. This offseason, we’re examining one area that each unit can improve and one strength each position group brings back for the Fall. On today’s BWI Live Show, we’re discussing that series and looking at where the linebackers and defensive tackles can take a step next season. 

Check out the full show embedded in this article, or subscribe to the Blue-White Illustrated YouTube Channels to catch the show airing live at 10 a.m.

Penn State linebackers are working on tackling

There was one standout reason why Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter seemed to have a down year, despite some notable progress as a player in 2023. We dove into the number of missed tackles he had earlier this month. 

According to PFF, Carter whiffed on 28.1% of his tackles last season. That’s an alarmingly high number, which ranks fourth-most among Power Four linebackers with at least 250 defensive snaps. In fairness ot Carter, this number took a hit after he tried to play through an injury in the Peach Bowl and missed three tackles while hobbled.  

However, Carter is just the group’s headliner. On today’s show, we discuss which players at his position can improve their tackling and how the Penn State linebacker unit can take the step into superstardom after a great end to the 2023 regular season. 

Defensive tackles pushing the pocket

The Penn State defensive tackles came into last season as the team’s biggest question mark. Fans and media openly questioned their ability to stop the run. Yet it quickly became clear that the group was ready to play and became a team strength against the run in 2023. But there’s a new level of productivity this group can reach in new Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s defense. Here’s the start of that conversation. 

Hakeem Beamon (14) and Zane Durant (13) tied for 20th and 22nd, respectively, to lead the team’s defensive tackle position in total pressure. Coziah Izzard was right behind them with 12 pressures. Also, according to PFF, Izzard finished the season with four sacks, while Durant had three. 

Allen’s new system will likely emphasize defensive tackles getting to the passer by virtue of one key situation the group was largely excluded from last season. Check out today’s show for the full conversation on the team’s interior pass rush. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This show originally aired on Feb. 8.

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

Check out the site too! - https://bit.ly/3u8dilD

We've entered the February dead period for college football recruiting, which is the one time of the year when things are truly quiet for teams. But that doesn't mean there aren't things to discuss. On today's BWI Live Recruiting Show, we're recapping the flurry of news and activity from the previous month.

Want to see the show live? Join us every Tuesday through Friday at 10 a.m. on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel. Ask questions of our experts and hear their thoughts on Penn State football, recruiting, basketball, and wrestling.

We're also recapping the latest recruiting news on today's show, including two commitments and the top four for a critical prospect.

Penn State makes top four for Matt Zollers

Four-star quarterback prospect Matt Zollers trimmed his list of schools to four this week, including the Nittany Lions in that group. BWI recruiting experts Sean Fitz and Ryan Snyder discuss the list and how important Zollers is to the team's recruiting efforts.

Zollers is just one part of the recruiting news heating up the first week of the dead period. The team earned a commitment from two defenders this week. We've discussed both linebacker Alex Tatsch and defensive athlete Dayshaun Burnett in their commitment breakdowns, but we'll review the week's developments on today's show.

Junior Day #3 recap

Speaking of the dead period, Penn State hosted several important prospects during the team's final Junior Day in the last half week of January. What has the response been to the event? Snyder caught up with several prospects to gauge their impression of the Nittany Lions. He'll share several of his conversations on today's show.

From there, we'll review the action from the last month. Which positions are clearer after Junior Days? Which are still emerging? We'll recap the prospects and boards for several of the team's positions.

Class of 2025 Recap

The team has ten commitments for the current cycle, heading into spring football. How does that stack up to previous seasons? And how does this group compare to the previous groups? We're breaking down the Penn State recruiting class to end the show. Several factors include a strong, early regional tie to one part of the team's recruiting footprint.

Also, is Penn State being safe with it's recruiting strategy this season? We'll ask the experts who have their finger on the pulse of Nittany Lions football recruiting to find out. Join the show to hear what they say. As always, you can watch the replay on the BWI YouTube Channel, or embedded in this article.

#PennState #NittanyLions

JOIN Blue White Illustrated: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/join/?plan=annual

SUBSCRIBE to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and enable alerts - new highlights and videos uploaded regularly: https://www.youtube.com/c/bluewhiteillustratedvideo?sub_confirmation

Bookmark our homepage: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/

Subscribe to BWI Magazine and Newsletters: https://bluewhiteonline.com

Download our podcasts: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/LRL3155877513?selected=DSVV2664982394

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BlueWhiteIllustrated/

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PennStateOn3

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

Check out the site too! - https://bit.ly/3u8dilD

Penn State football is gearing up for another spring football season with winter conditioning. But outside the walls of Lasch, the Big Ten is changing around them. Two major names joined Ohio State and Michigan recently, and today, on the BWI Live Show, we're talking about those additions. Chip Kelly left UCLA late into the offseason to be the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, while NFL defensive coordinator Wink Martindale left the pros to join Michigan.

How will those changes late in the cycle affect Penn State? We're discussing that, plus former Penn State players Ji'ayire "Tig Brown" and Donovan Smith's play in the Super Bowl. Stay tuned for the end, where we take questions from the BWI Mailbag! If you haven't yet, subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube so you don't miss any live shows or breaking news videos. But as always, you can find the replay here embedded in the article.

Penn State offensive tackle succession discussion

Former Penn State left tackle Donovan Smith won his second Super Bowl on Sunday with the Kansas City Chiefs. He's had a long career as a starting left tackle in the NFL, but not every Nittany Lions fan celebrates him like they do other successful players from the program. We discuss the lineage of left tackles under head coach James Franklin and how his time in Happy Valley colors the way fans feel about him.

That conversation then spins to include Rasheed Walker, who had a similar story arc at Penn State before leaving for the NFL. Both players were ultra-talented but never fully realized their potential before leaving for the pros. Now, Walker is the presumed starting left tackle for the Green Bay Packers.

Does Penn State have the depth and talent to push its top players at the position to be their best selves? We discuss that history and how Olu Fashanu, Drew Shelton, Nolan Rucci and Anthony Donkoh fit into the picture.

Ohio State and Michigan disruption - Does it change anything?

Penn State's place in the Big Ten rankings may be in upheaval this coming year. Where will the team fall in the rankings with the influx of former Pac-12 schools? But it's not just Franklin and the Nittany Lions that experienced attrition this offseason. Ohio State just named a new offensive coordinator, in former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly. Michigan has lost talent on and off the field after Jim Harbaugh took some of the staff to the LA Chargers. So, does any of that change Penn State's chances of finishing at the top of the conference? We discuss that and the team's chances of making the 12-team playoff if they finish fourth.

BWI Mailbag

As always, the last segment on our show is for you. Check out the message board each week for the Mailbag submission thread, or join live and ask your question in the chat. This week, we're discussing Alex Birchmere's development and the origins of Penn State's receiver issues.

#PennState #NittanyLions

JOIN Blue White Illustrated: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/join/?plan=annual

SUBSCRIBE to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and enable alerts - new highlights and videos uploaded regularly: https://www.youtube.com/c/bluewhiteillustratedvideo?sub_confirmation

Bookmark our homepage: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/

Subscribe to BWI Magazine and Newsletters: https://bluewhiteonline.com

Download our podcasts: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/LRL3155877513?selected=DSVV2664982394

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BlueWhiteIllustrated/

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PennStateOn3

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

How does Penn State match up with new Ohio State and Michigan coordinators?

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A top-five college wrestling match is on deck Friday night in the Big Ten. The No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions invade Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a showdown with No. 3 Iowa at 9 p.m. ET. Big Ten Network will televise the dual, which will feature multiple top-10 matchups. A sellout crowd is expected.

On today's BWI Wrestling Show, reporter Gerg Pickel breaks down the upcoming dual meet between the two wrestling powers. We also discuss the upcoming BJC Dual meet on Monday between Penn State and Rutgers.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Penn State Basketball Team has won two in a row in Big Ten Play heading into a home tilt against Iowa. Find out what is going on with the team and how they're balancing growth with expectations about the team's personality this season. Senior Editor Nate Bauer also discusses the news and notes with the basketball team from the recent days.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

Check out the site too! - https://bit.ly/3u8dilD

As always, when a quarterback doesn’t have immediate and resounding success, fan bases tend to fracture around the topic. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar was good last season but didn’t play his best in big games, nor did he play with a consistently improving arc throughout the season. Yet, there was good in his play when you sift through his performance, and that’s what we’re talking about today on the BWI Live Show. Where did Allar shine in 2023, and what does that say about his ability to play better this upcoming season?

We’re discussing that, plus talking about more quarterbacks to end the show. Penn State made the top four for four-star 2025 passer Matt Zollers. Penn State must contend with national powerhouse Georiga for his services, but what exactly does Zollers do? We’re discussing his highlight tape to see why this latest Nittany Lion prospect is such a rising star.

Join the BWI Live Show at 10 a.m. on YouTube Tuesday through Friday. If you can’t, catch the replay on the channel or here on the site embedded in the show article.

Allar one of the best at a hard skill

On today’s show, we discuss a strong point in Allar’s play that isn’t obvious to fans during a game. We break down how well Allar played when getting to his second read on a play. We’ll explain what that means and why it’s an important factor in predicting his success as he grows in the position. Here’s part of that answer from the article detailing Allar’s strengths.

Every play, regardless of concept, scheme, or coaching philosophy, has a starting point. There’s a route or route combination that the quarterback should look to first. But what happens when that part of the play won’t work? Most passing plays have more than one concept baked into them, and the quarterback can either go to that or make a play with his feet.

Today, we’ll focus on Alllar’s ability to play within the scheme when his first read isn’t there. This is a facet of his game that we highlighted repeatedly during our film review of the offense in 2023 and is a primary reason why I believe Allar can still be a transcendent quarterback despite the lack of immediate returns to that end.

Check out the complete article here.

https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/offseason-optimism-where-penn-state-quarterback-drew-allar-shined-in-2023/

Penn State working hard to land two quarterbacks in 2025

Lastly, we’ll discuss the type of player Penn State is pursuing with Zollers in the Class of 2025. What sort of skill does the 6-3 quarterback possess? And what style of Penn State quarterback does he most closely relate to? We’ll break it all down in the show's final segment.

#PennState #NittanyLions

JOIN Blue White Illustrated: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/join/?plan=annual

SUBSCRIBE to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and enable alerts - new highlights and videos uploaded regularly: https://www.youtube.com/c/bluewhiteillustratedvideo?sub_confirmation

Bookmark our homepage: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/

Subscribe to BWI Magazine and Newsletters: https://bluewhiteonline.com

Download our podcasts: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/LRL3155877513?selected=DSVV2664982394

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BlueWhiteIllustrated/

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PennStateOn3

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

Check out the site too! - https://bit.ly/3u8dilD

Last Friday, the college football landscape felt the first tremors of the next big shift in how the sport will be run in the future. The SEC and the Big Ten announced they were creating a special advisory committee to help oversee the future of the sport. Many viewed this as the beginning of the end for the NCAA. Penn State football finds itself on the ship headed toward the future.

But what does that future look like? On today's BWI Live Show, we discuss how a new power structure will emerge and what factors matter on the way to it. Senior Editor Nate Bauer joins the show to lend his experienced eye to the situation.

We'll also discuss the team's defensive end situation outside of Dani Dennis-Sutton. Who will step up and play in that secondary pass-rushing role? Find out that, plus hear the BWI Mailbag that ends the show!

If you haven't yet, subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube so you don't miss our live shows, programmed videos, and breaking news. As always, you can check out the replay on the channel or embed it in the BWI Live articles.

The future of College football

We spend the first third of today's show discussing how college football has been masquerading as something different than the NFL, its professional counterpart. Bauer lists why he thinks the changes that will take place in the sport over the next several years will finally unmask the sport for what it has been for years.

Where does Penn State fit into this? Will the Big Ten change its model of team acquisition and start shedding less viable programs? According to Bauer, it's all on the table.

Penn State defensive end room

Another significant change for Penn State this upcoming year is at defensive end. While Dani Dennis-Sutton will likely step into the starring role after two seasons building to this moment, the other position remains unclaimed. Defensive ends Amin Vanover and Zuriah Fisher are the veterans who have the inside track to the spot, but who else factors in? Will Abdul Carter see a meaningful change in his usage? Or Will sophomore Jameial Lyons fall in Dennis-Suttons' footsteps. We discuss those ideas and the other variables that will present themselves in spring football.

BWI Mailbag

As always, the second half of the show is reserved for you. We take fan questions from the Blue White Illustrated message board and from the live chat during the show. Want to get your thoughts on air? The best way to is to subscribe to the site and ask a question in the mailbag submission thread, which is posted the day before the show.

#PennState #NittanyLions

JOIN Blue White Illustrated: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/join/?plan=annual

SUBSCRIBE to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and enable alerts - new highlights and videos uploaded regularly: https://www.youtube.com/c/bluewhiteillustratedvideo?sub_confirmation

Bookmark our homepage: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/

Subscribe to BWI Magazine and Newsletters: https://bluewhiteonline.com

Download our podcasts: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/LRL3155877513?selected=DSVV2664982394

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BlueWhiteIllustrated/

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PennStateOn3

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.