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

Penn State football is poised for a big season in 2023, returning most of it's starting roster from an 11-win team. However, there's always room for different players to step up and have a breakout performance every year. Today, host Thomas Frank Carr takes you through his five top candidates to have a breakout season in 2023. He'll also give you two honorable mentions to watch this spring. 

Subscribe to the BWI Daily Edition on YouTube so you never miss an episode of the show. If you'd like to get your thoughts on the weekly mailbag show, leave a five-star review on Apple podcasts with your question in the comments section. 

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After National Signing Day's fireworks on Wednesday, the 2023 recruiting class is officially in the books. Today, Nate Bauer and Sean Fitz discuss the characteristics of the class and compare it to the top-five group from 2022. They'll also discuss the day's current events, including Mitchell Tinsley's performance during the all-star bowl circuit leading up to the NFL Draft and the impact of losing Juice Scruggs from the offensive line. 

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Before diving into today's football discussion, Fitz and Bauer discuss Penn State basketball's loss to Purdue on the road Wednesday night. The Nittany Lions shot poorly, but the Boilermakers poured on the heat early from deep and never looked back. Bauer discusses what he saw from the game and why Purdue had so much success from three. 

Next, they discuss the Shrine Bowl, which takes place Thursday night. Scruggs and Tinsley are standouts from the week of practice, so the duo discusses their trajectory this draft season. Next, Fitz wants to highlight what Scruggs meant to the team last season. 

Finally, they wrap up the class of 2023. Fitz gives his thoughts on the class and where its strengths lie. Maybe just as important, he looks at the areas that this group needs to improve. Then, he spins that forward to the Class of 2024 and points to the position groups Penn State needs to nail in this upcoming cycle to avoid a letdown at those positions. 

Fitz and Bauer end the show with a lightning round, stacking the Class of 2022 and 2023 to compare the strengths of each group. They'll go position by position, and Fitz will pick a winner between the classes according to which group is stronger. Positions like quarterback and running back are apparent. But what about linebacker or safety? The Nittany Lions were strong in both cycles, so which group has the edge? Check out the show to find out. 

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On the traditional National Signing Day, Penn State had an eventful day, securing four-star offensive lineman Chimney Onoh out of Maryland. This week, we've covered that extensively at Blue White Illustrated and on the YouTube channel. So instead, the BWI Daily focuses on what you want to discuss. Host Thomas Frank Carr and reporter Greg Pickel answer questions from fans of the show and discuss Penn State Wrestling's upcoming road dual meets against Ohio State and Indiana this weekend. 

If you'd like to get your question on the weekly mailbag show, submit a five-star review with your question in the comments section on Apple Podcasts. Or, you can join Blue White Illustrated and drop your question on the submission thread inside the Lion's Den. 

After giving Pickel a chance to share his quick thoughts on Onoh, T-Frank opens up the mailbag to see what's in the mind of Penn State fans. The first question this week deals with presumed starting quarterback Drew Allar. Will the staff focus on building up his running skills to operate the offense next season? Next, t-Frank and Pickel give their thoughts on how much Allar's legs will factor into the offense next season. 

Similarly, a viewer wants to know what week of the season the new starting quarterback needs to be at full speed with the offense. Can he be ready out of the box against West Virginia? Pickel and T-Frank discuss the early Penn State schedule and the team's propensity for starting the season slow on offense. 

However, T-Frank points out a fact about both young quarterbacks that should help them play above their second-year status. 

Next, they discuss the offensive line. Just how good can this until be if fully healthy? Can they be a top five or ten unit in the country? T-Frank is still determining if he's ready to say that, but Pickel is bolder. They're discussing the potential of the offensive line with returning star Olu Fashanu at left tackle, Landon Tengwall at left guard, Hunter Nourzad at center, Saleem Worley at right guard, and Caedan Wallace at right tackle. 

But will that be the lineup? The line's interior had a shaky season last year with extensive injuries and some struggles from Wormley at right guard. Next, they discuss the reality of what Penn State faces heading into the spring. 

After discussing several other topics, they end the show with a preview of Penn State wrestling. The Nittany Lions have another top-five showdown, this time against Ohio State on the road. Pickel recaps the win over Iowa and previews the most exciting bouts this weekend. 

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Tomorrow is national signing day so to get fans ready for what to expect, recruiting insider Ryan Snyder returns to the BWI Daily Edition Live Show to discuss tomorrow's festivities and what to expect from Penn State's efforts on the recruiting trail. He'll also ask fans questions about 2023, 2024, and whatever is on the viewers' minds. 

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Penn State basketball's rollercoaster season continues it's wild ride this week on the BWI Penn State Hoops show. Fresh off an 83-61 dismantling of Michigan at home, the Nittany Lions will try to bottle that energy to play No. 1 ranked Purdue on the road Wednesday night. Host Thomas Frank Carr and basketball insider Nate Bauer discuss the win, and the personality of this season on today's Hoops Show. 

Subscribe to the BWI Hoops Show on YouTube, and review the progam on Apple Podcasts. 

Bauer and T-Frank start with Penn State's decisive win over Michigan on Sunday, which included an 18-point run to end the first half. Despite that, Bauer points to the first several minutes for growth to put that run in perspective. Next, he and T-Frank discuss another common theme from this season, slow starts to the second half. 

However, all those factors, including five made three-point shots in a row, are a subset of a more significant theme for the year. Penn State has played very well at home but has struggled on the road. Bauer has the proof in the team's shooting percentage splits and comments from three-point ace Andrew Funk to back it up. 

So how can Penn State bottle that shooting and take it on the road? Based on the schedule, Bauer thinks this will be the defining aspect of the team's season down the stretch. That's because the team faces yet another set of critical games on the road, and he has each team's home record. The numbers will surprise you. 

That journey starts tomorrow against top-ranked Purdue at 6:30 pm. So how do they contend with Zach Edey? Hear from Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry and how he talks about the likely national player of the year. Finally, T-Frank asks Bauer if the team can pull an upset or at least have a chance to win in the final five minutes. 

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Penn State put the finishing touches on a busy January Monday morning when four-star tackle in the Class of 2025, Jaelyne Matthews committed to the program. The nearly 6-6 offensive tackle is the first player for Penn State in the next cycle and committed to the program despite a lengthy offer sheet from some of the best programs in the country. Today on the BWI Daily: Recruiting Show insiders Ryan Snyder and Sean Fitz discuss Matthews, the team’s retention of a key assistant, and recap junior day.

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Each Friday in January, recruiting insider Ryan Snyder has joined host Thomas Frank Carr to discuss the upcoming junior day for Penn State football. The Nittany Lions will have their third and final gathering of top regional and national talent on Saturday. So, Snyder is back to discuss his five most interesting players on campus this weekend. 

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated to get inside access to the Lions Den Message forum to get the full list of players visiting this weekend. Also, be sure to subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube, so you never miss the show!

Before getting to Saturday's talent, T-Frank and Snyder discuss a mid-week visitor at Penn State. Four-star St. Francis high school quarterback Michael Van Buren stopped by to see the Penn State staff. Van Buren has been a regular on campus, fueling speculation that Penn State is a strong contender with the On3 Consensus top-100 player. 

Snyder also got the first feedback from a recruit about the hiring of new receivers coach Marques Hagans. Four-star Virginia native and one of Penn State's top targets, Keylen Adams, spoke with Snyder this week and gave his feedback on his relationship with Hagans. Snyder was surprised by his conversation with Adams and shares it on the show. 

Finally, Snyder reveals his five most interesting players that will attend junior day this weekend. This isn't a list of the highest-rated players, but the recruits with some of the most exciting stories or from unusual recruiting regions. This week's list includes (not in order)

Benedict Umeh

Dylan Stephenson

Jamonta Waller

DeAndre Carter

Ben Roebuck

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Sean Fitz and Nate Bauer take questions from fans of the BWI Daily Edition about a variety of topics, including the transfer portal, linebacker projections for next season and the wide receiver position.

To get a question on the show, leave a five-star review on Apple podcasts with your question as the comment.

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Just over a week ago, Penn State football picked up its second member in the Class of 2024. Four-star linebacker out of Central Catholic in Pittsburgh, Anthony Speca, chose the Nittany Lions over Michigan and Notre Dame. Today, you meet Speca as he sits down for an exclusive interview with host Thomas Frank Carr on the BWI Daily Edition. 

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and enable notifications so you don't miss the interview when it airs at 7 pm on Wednesday. Also, if you'd like to get a question on the BWI Mailbag show, which will be on Thursday, submit a five-star review with your question on Apple Podcasts. 

T-Frank begins his discussion with Speca by digging into why the rising junior decided to commit early in the process. While it may seem early, Speca has taken steps that most recruits don't in order to evaluate his potential schools. T-Frank asks what that process was like and how taxing that is for a high school player. 

They also discuss Speca's relationship with former Penn State legend Dan Connor. Conner is an analyst for the Nittany Lions, but he made a strong bond with Speca during the recruiting process. He discusses how the two connected and what they bonded over during their relationship. Part of the recruiting process was also getting to know defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Manny Diaz. Between head coach James Franklin, Conner and Diaz, there was a common thread that Speca respected and bonded over. Check out the interview to see what sealed the deal for the Pittsburgh native. 

Throughout the recruiting process, the 6-1 linebacker reveals his personality. He discusses his disinterest in the pageantry of the recruiting process, his desire to be great, and his upfront honesty. All of those characteristics paint the picture of a strong leader who joined the program at this point in order to be a leader in recruiting. One of the key recruits that Penn State wants to add to the class is athlete Quinton Martin. Speca describes his relationship with "Q" and how close the duo is. 

Next, they dive into Speca's skills on the football field. T-Frank asks Speca to scout himself and tell the audience where he thinks his strengths lie and where he wants to improve. Finally, they wrap up the conversation by getting to know Speca outside of football. 

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On Tuesday night, Penn State basketball dropped a rough game on the road, losing to Rutgers 65-45. So how did the Nittany Lions, who have been competitive in nearly every game this season, lose by 20 points? Today on the Blue White Illustrated Hoops Show, insider Nate Bauer discusses that with host Thomas Frank Carr. On today's show, you'll also hear from Penn State basketball head coach Micah Shrewsberry from his comments after the game. 

Make sure you catch the full show by subscribing to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and turning on notifications. 

T-Frank and Bauer start the conversation by discussing the most crucial parts of the game. According to Bauer, Penn State fell on its face in the final 11 minutes or so of game action. To make his point, he reads off the shot sequence for Penn State to end the game. Next, he and T-Frank discuss how much of an anomaly the Lion's shooting percentage was last night and why they bottomed out offensively. 

Next, they discuss why Micah Shrewsberry thinks that the defense played poorly on Tuesday night and how that's a departure from what he wants his team to be. Then, t-Frank and Bauer play clips from a pointed postgame press conference that Shrewsberry held after the game to underscore different aspects of the game. First, they evaluate a season-low offensive output before shifting to how that affected the defensive performance. 

One of the emerging issues for Penn State is the lack of depth in participation outside of star Jalen Pickett and a handful of other players. Shrewsberry didn't have a problem with how his star guard played on Tuesday night, but he does have a continuing issue with the ecosystem in which he operates. Bauer and T-Frank discuss not only how Pickett needs to get calls from officials but the potential reasons why. 

Next, they discuss the lack of support Pickett is getting from his teammates. The Nittany Lions role players came up small on Tuesday night, a growing problem in big games for Penn State. Shrewsberry called out his team in a very pointed way. Check out the show to hear his fiery comments. 

They discuss other elements of the game, including the officiating and the style of play for Penn State, which is an ongoing discussion this year. Finally, they take these topics and project them to the next game. The team hosts Michigan at the BJC on Sunday and hopes for a great atmosphere to help the team overcome a quality opponent. Bauer and T-Frank end the show treading over familiar territory when analyzing the big-game atmosphere at home for the team.  

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