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

Penn State football fans have lots of questions after the team's season-opening win against Purdue nearly a week ago. So the BWI Daily mailbag show will give you some of those answers. Host Thomas Frank Carr and senior editor Nate Bauer discuss fans' questions submitted to the Blue White Illustrated message board. 

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube, so you don't miss the show. 

They start the show with a discussion about the Penn State running game. A message board member wants to know if the Nittany Lions offense should take Fox commentator Joel Klatt's suggestion and line the Penn State running backs up deeper in the backfield to give them a running start at the handoff. 

Bauer gives his thoughts on the matter before T-Frank describes what he saw on film during the game. From there, T-Frank shifts the conversation towards freshman Nick Singleton and how using him in certain formations could be advantageous for specific reasons. 

They also discuss the travel roster for away games and the rules set by the Big Ten. Now that teams are making exponentially more money, is that an outdated rule? T-Frank and Bauer discuss that theoretical change in the future. From there, that conversation bleeds into one about the wide receiver position. Does Penn State have a clear picture of their rotation beyond Parker Washington and Mitchell Tinsley? Bauer tells T-Frank what he knows about the situation. 

The next question deals with rotation at all positions but focuses on the running backs. Does the staff need to limit the rotation of that group to get players in a rhythm? T-Frank doesn't buy the rhythm theory, but he does explain why getting more opportunities for one player is advantageous based on his experience. 

They answer questions about how fans should view the game and the opponent from week one and how it compares to last season's opening win against Wisconsin. They also take an extended portion of the show to discuss Landon Tengwall's best position, the problem at right tackle, and if it's too early to worry about those players. 

They wrap up the show discussing Keaton Ellis' performance and how Penn State can match up against Ohio State in a month. 

00:00 Show Intro

02:30 Show changes going forward

05:11 Lining RBs up deeper in the backfield

09:30 Outlook for RB room and breakdown of performance 

12:37 Big Ten travel roster expansion?

15:30 Wide receiver depth discussion

19:15 Player/running back rotation

27:40 Landon Tengwall and the o-line issues

34:47 Keaton Ellis standing out 

37:31 Penn State's defense and how it can work against Ohio State

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

Penn State football is 1-0 heading into their home opener against the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday afternoon. While most non-conference games against non-Power Five opponents don't draw a tremendous recruiting crowd, this week is different. The BWI Daily Recruiting show is back to discuss the list of names in attendance for the game this weekend. 

However, they start the show discussing changes coming to the Tuesday recruiting show, with Sean Fitz joining the Blue White Illustrated staff. 

Penn State also has a new recruiting prediction pick from insider Ryan Snyder. The Nittany Lions are trending towards a commitment from Zion Tracy, a three-star cornerback from St. Thomas Moore academy in Connecticut. But will they get a commitment from him this weekend? Snyder and host Greg Pickel discuss the unique story behind Tracy and his journey to college football. 

Next, they dive into the performance of players committed to Penn State in Week 2 of the high school football season. Pickel starts with quarterback commit Jaxon Smolik and his performance in a blowout win this past weekend. Snyder then recaps the other players performances from last Friday, including tight end Joey Schlaffer, King Mack and Mathias Barnwell, and Tony Rojas

Finally, they discuss the recruiting list for this weekend, which includes some notable regional players in the classes of 2024 and 2025. Snyder runs down some names in those classes that he's keeping an eye on this weekend. Some players include Michael Van Buren, a 2024 quarterback high on Penn State's board, and Anthony Sacca, a 2025 linebacker from St. Joseph's prep in Philadelphia. 

Lastly, they close out the show with Pickel's thoughts about Penn State's win over Purdue on Thursday night after he took the weekend to digest the game in a second viewing and to review his thoughts. 

00:00 Show intro

2:40 Zion Tracy update

8:05 Jaxon Smolik

10:00 Other prospects in action

11:15 Tony Rojas

15:00 Recruiting list for Penn State vs. Ohio

21:30 Pickel's thoughts of Penn State's win at Purdue

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

Penn State's defense gave up over 350 yards to Purdue through the air but limited the Boilermakers to 24 points on defense. Film analyst Thomas Frank Carr breaks down the players that performed well and those that took a step back in his stock-up and stock-down series. Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3Ar0hCC

The headliner of the list is Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. T-Frank focuses on how many targets, yards, and pass breakups Porter had to put his night into context. While he's a polarizing figure, T-Frank has a clear picture of whether or not Porter was successful Thursday night. 

Other players mentioned during the episode are defensive end Demeioun "Chop" Robinson, Jonathan Sutherland, defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, linebacker Curtis Jacobs, and freshman Dani Dennis-Sutton. Check out the video to see which players land on which list. 

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.

Penn State football faced off with the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday night and won in a wild 35-31 finish under the lights. After reviewing the offensive performance from the Nittany Lions, film analyst Thomas Frank Carr is back to give five players whose stock went up after the game and five whose stock went down.

Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube, so you don't miss the action. https://bit.ly/3Ar0hCC

Penn State managed to gain 35 points in a frustrated and stilted way that has, unfortunately, become a norm under head coach James Franklin. The Nittany Lions didn't score in the first or third quarters and went more than 20 minutes of game time in the second half without points. Additionally, fourteen of their 35 points came in the final two minutes of the first half.

All of that means that it was a frustrating game for Penn State fans. So what happened? T-Frank takes you through the performance of Olu Fashanu, Sal Wormely, Mitchell Tinsley, Drew Allar, and Hunter Nourzad.

Then he explains how Landon Tengwall, Caedan Wallace, Tyler Warren, Nick Singleton, and Sean Clifford fared on the night.

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

Penn State defeats Purdue in a wild finish 35-31. Film analyst and host Thomas Frank Carr breaks down the game and takes your questions on what happened in a wild second half between the Nittany Lions and Boilermakers.

Subscribe to BWI: https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

T-Frank starts by discussing the late-game heroics by quarterback Sean Clifford and how he saved his season with that two-minute drive.

00:00 Show Intro

01:54 Sean Clifford late-game drive discussion

02:50 Game narrative and breakdown

07:00 Joey Porter Jr. discussion

09:00 Penn State running game

11:00 standout Penn State players, Chop Robinson

13:00 Pass protection, right tackle issues

19:25 Offensive inconsistency

20:00 Special teams, Barney Amor

22:14 Standout secondary players

25:00 Run blocking discussion, running game

27:20 Drew Allar

33:00 One-inch throws

35:00 Penn State run defense

41:30 Clifford discussion Pt 2

He also discusses the night that Joey Porter Jr. had struggling early and then coming back with a vengeance to make plays in the second half. He touches on the idea that the running game wasn't a product of overly poor blocking, but the runners not staying on their feet. He also takes fans' questions throughout the show to get feedback from an exhilarated but exhausted fan base.

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

With Penn State football playing Thursday night, Blue White Illustrated has one more season preview ready for you. The new publisher of BWI, Sean Fitz, joins the BWI Daily Edition to give his preview of the Penn State offense and defense. 

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

First, Fitz and host Thomas Frank Carr discuss Fitz's journey back to Blue White Illustrated after years of working elsewhere on the Penn State football beat. 

00:00 Show Open

02:08 Sean Fitz introduction

04:10 Quarterback breakdown

06:57 Running back breakdown

11:07 Offensive Line breakdown

14:07 Wide receiver breakdown

16:00 Tight end breakdown

20:06 Defensive tackle breakdown

22:20 Defensive end breakdown

24:15 Linebackers 

27:33 Secondary

They start at the quarterback position, where once again, Sean Clifford is the starter. What more can we learn about Clifford? Furthermore, can he take the next step as a player? Fitz gives his thoughts before the first game. 

Outside of Clifford, he gives his assessment of the depth at quarterback and how radically different it is from a year ago. 

Next, they preview the running back position and how Nick Singleton isn't the only freshman Penn State is excited to play. He and T-Frank discuss how one aspect of Kaytron Allen's game has been a revelation for the staff. 

After touching on each running back, they transition to the offensive line. Is this the year? Fitz takes a page out of James Franklin's book for that answer. They go through the offensive line and give the pros and cons for the group. 

From there, they discuss the receivers and which players can step up for the group to play meaningful snaps in 2022. However, the group starts with third-year player Parker Washington. Next, Fitz folds in the tight ends to the discussion because if the receivers can't find consistency, will we see more two-tight end sets? T-Frank and Fitz discuss that reality and debate who those players could be. 

Finally, they transition to the defensive line. Fitz highlights the players he thinks will stand out on the defensive line at tackle and then raises his concerns about the defensive end position. 

The linebackers are a polarizing group. Curtis Jacobs enters year three as the group's headliner, but beyond him, what else is there? Fitz tells T-Frank if he thinks Penn State fans are validated in their concerns. 

Lastly, they wrap up with the strength of the team, the secondary. 

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

Penn State faces Purdue Thursday night at 8 pm and Blue White Illustrated is getting you ready for the game by dissecting the Penn State depth chart. Host of the BWI Daily Edition and film analyst, Thomas Frank Carr. takes you through each position and gives you a preview of what’s to come tomorrow night.

He starts with the quarterbacks and starter Sean Clifford, before working to the running backs and where Nick Singleton fits into the roster. From there he explains how the receiver room will shake out with only five players that Penn State feels comfortable with on the field. How does that change what Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington do on the field? He explains.

Next he works through the offensive line and goes over what head coach James Franklin said about the interior linemen and how that group will play out over the course of the season. Hunter Nourzad, Landon Tengwall and Saleem Wormley all will play, but in what order?

He finishes off the offense with how he thinks Tyler Warren will fit into the lineup at tight end.

Next, he shifts to the defensive side of the football to look at the defensive line. Hakeem Beamon makes his return to the field after his absence in 2021 but how will the rest of the depth at that position shake out? T-Frank focuses there and then shifts to Adisa Isaac and the defensive ends.

Linebacker Curtis Jacobs takes the spotlight in the middle of the field before T-Frank shines a light on the cornerbacks. While plenty was made of the training camp that Johnny Dixon had, T-Frank focuses on starter Joey Porter Jr.

Finally, he looks at the safety position and how Tig Brown will perform and the competition between Keaton Ellis and Zakee Wheatley.

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

Penn State's committed players in the class of 2023 took the field last weekend. Blue White Illustrated's recruiting insider Ryan Snyder was at several games this weekend and recaps what he saw from several players, including four-star defensive end Jameial Lyons. He and host Greg Pickel discuss the essential players from the past weekend and how they performed. 

First, the show starts off with a loss for Penn State in recruiting. Four-star linebacker Kaveion Keys committed to North Carolina on Monday. How firm is that commitment? Snyder gives what he knows about keys and how the Tarheels might not be the last stop for Keys on this journey. 

Next, they break down the players that stood out for Penn State in the first week of the high school season. Snyder attended Roman Catholic's game against Wilson and gave his thoughts about four-star receiver Tyseer Denmark, a high-profile 2024 prospect, and Lyons, a four-star defensive end commit for Penn State this cycle. 

He explains how much Lyons was asked to do during the game for Roman and then highlights his key plays. Next, they discuss other commits, including J'Ven Williams, quarterback Jaxon Smolik, and 2024 commit Cooper Cousins. 

Pickel follows up with Snyder about two players he highlights to learn a bit more in Conrad Hussey and King Mack. The St. Thomas Aquinas teammates are high-profile targets for several other programs down south, so does Snyder think they'll stay committed to Penn State? He explains his thoughts on the matter. 

Lastly, they look ahead to Thursday night's game against Purdue to get Snyder's thoughts on what he thinks will happen. 

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

Penn State football begins the 2022 season on Thursday night when they head to West Lafayette to take on the Purdue Boilermakers at 8 pm on Sept 1. To start the week, Penn State had various players available to the media, and head coach James Franklin held his weekly press conference. Greg Pickel of Blue White Illustrated joins host Thomas Frank Carr on the BWI Daily Edition to break down what they heard. They start with the biggest news of the day; five-star quarterback Drew Allar is getting the backup nod over second-year passer Christian Veilleux. 

Franklin's comments came near the end of Monday's 35-minute discussion with the media. First, Pickel and T-Frank discuss what we know and don't know about the situation behind starting quarterback Sean Clifford. Then Pickel details the journey that Allar, an early enrollee, took this season. The five-star signal caller wasn't the early leader in the competition between true freshmen. Instead, he and fellow 2022 quarterback Beau Pribula dueled in the spring, with Pribula being the early standout. 

But reports were during training camp that Allar rounded the corner and had begun to make strides. Apparently, those strides were significant enough to move him ahead and create competition with backup Christian Veilleux. 

They also discuss the camp battle between Hunter Nourzad and Saleem Wormley at guard. Franklin updated that situation on Monday to include left guard Landon Tengwall in the discussion. Finally, t-Frank and Pickel discuss the pros and cons of playing three players at guard and how that can be a good thing or a bad thing. Pickel cites past situations that looked similar at the start of the year but produced sub-par results. Meanwhile, T-Frank points to the opportunity for competition to raise the level of play for each player. 

Lastly, T-Frank and Pickel dive into the conversations that Pickel had with the players available during the day for Penn State. T-Frank asks for Pickel's assessment of what they said and what interesting things stood out about their comments. Pickel left those conversations with one big takeaway. 

The day isn't over for Penn State football. Check out Blue White Illustrated on YouTube this evening for Penn State highlights and a recap of the open practice period. 

Finally, tune in 20 minutes after the conclusion on Penn State and Purdue on Saturday for the BWI Live Postgame show featuring Thomas Frank Carr and Tom Hannifan. 

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.

The 2022 Penn State football season starts next Thursday night, but the host of the BWI Daily Edition, Thomas Frank Carr, can't wait any longer. So he's here to wrap up the week with the four players he can't wait to see play football. 

These players aren't necessarily the best players on the team, nor are they the most important to Penn State's success on Thursday. While some may overlap in both categories, the common thread with all four players is that we know very little concrete information about each player. None of these players have seen extensive time on the football field for Penn State and are enigmatic football players that will play for the Nittany Lions this year.  

Without revealing the list ahead of time, there are two offensive and defensive players that T-Frank highlights and only one freshman. He goes through the list starting at number four and explains why each player is so intriguing. Some have compelling upsides, while others are mysterious talents that we have yet to realize their potential. 

Check out the video for the full list. 

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.