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

Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft sat down last week for an exclusive interview with Blue White Illustrated. Senior Editor Nate Bauer joins the show to discuss what they talked about and how he sees the first week under Kraft's leadership after that conversation. They'll also discuss the nuances of Penn State's athletic model, the future of NIL, a timeline for events at Penn State, and more. 

Host Thomas Frank Carr starts with Bauer's overall impressions of Kraft during their conversation. Did Kraft match his demeanor in his opening press conference? What fascinating insight did he pick up from a follow-up conversation? From there, Bauer brings up his article at Blue White Illustrated about Kraft's commitment to keeping Penn State's full complement of sports and what needs to happen for that future to come true. 

They'll also discuss how football fits into that picture and how Kraft can assist with the largest money-maker at Penn State while still having a broad athletic department. 

They'll also broach NIL with a similar frame of reference. Considering where Penn State is from a facilities standpoint, how can they also compete at NIL? Will focusing on all sports take away from football's ability to compete? Also, can Penn State gain momentum if head coach James Franklin doesn't have to be the leader in this conversation? 

They'll wrap up by discussing the future of athletics and if NIL has a long-term place in the conversation. 

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Penn State football sits eighth in the country in the On3 Class rankings for 2023, heading into a critical stretch of commitments in July. The BWI Daily Recruiting show discusses the important news of the weekend and previews the month ahead. 

Host Greg Pickel and recruiting insider Ryan Snyder starts with the surprise that it was a quiet Fourth of July for Penn State recruiting. No players committed to the Nittany Lions over the holiday weekend, and the players that did plan on committing this week have moved their commitment dates to later in the month. Does that change this week? Snyder gives his thoughts and shares what details he knows about players' commitment plans. 

From there, they will discuss Carmelo Taylor, a speedy receiver from Virginia who is a part of the Nittany Lion's recruiting picture? Snyder and Pickel will break down where he fits in the Penn State pecking order and how Cameron Seldon plays into that picture. 

They'll also touch on Northeast (Philadelphia) offensive lineman Naquil Betrand, who released a top six earlier this week. After visiting the school last month, the former Colorado commit has Penn State in that group. What has Snyder heard about the offensive line class plans after Evan Link? He'll share what he knows. 

Next, they discuss the recruit names and commitment dates that are known. Ta'Mere Robinson and Tony Rojas have dates for later next week, while potential Oklahoma commit Derrick LeBlanc plans on making his announcement on the 28th. 

What about Treyaun Webb, London Montgomery, Evan Link, Jason Moore, and the rest of Penn State's top prospects? Snyder shares what he knows at this time. 

Finally, they'll discuss how Pennridge linebacker Phil Picciotti landed at Oklahoma.

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News shattered the college sports world last night when the Big Ten announced that they accepted USC and UCLA from the Pac 12 starting in 2024. As a result, Penn State now finds itself in the middle of a budding super conference poised to take over college athletics. On Friday's BWI Daily Edition, host Thomas Frank Carr and recruiting insider Ryan Snyder discuss that and Penn State's Class of 2023. Could they find themselves in the top ten? 

They start with the news last night that UCS and UCLA will join Penn State in the Big Ten. How does this move change the landscape of college football? Snyder and T-Frank discuss that at length. They also look forward to what and who is next. Will the ACC survive this distillation of athletic conferences? What other programs from the Pac 12 could join the southern California schools? 

Previously, Snyder said that Penn State's Class of 2023 didn't have a great chance of landing in the top ten once the cycle was completed. Does he feel that way now? There are still plenty of hills to climb, but Snyder sees a path to that reality. He cites that the team already amassed a quality number of four-star players and can realistically add more. 

Can they land defensive tackles Derrick LeBlanc and Jason Moore? What about offensive tackle Evan Link? Do they have a chance with four-star corner Elliot Washington? The list includes other familiar names like Tony Rojas, Ta'Mere Robinson and Cam Seldon. Finally, Snyder gives his thoughts on the reality of that vision coming together. 

Lastly, T-Frank and Snyder discuss the running back situation for 2023. With all that talent left on the board, can Penn State add Treyaun Webb and London Montgomery? They break down how that could play out. 

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Each week senior editor Nate Bauer and football film analyst Thomas Frank Carr sit down to answer your Penn State questions on the BWI Daily Edition mailbag show. Today they answer questions about head strength coach Chuck Losey, how to best use freshman running back Nick Singleton, and more.

 

If you'd like to answers your questions on the BWI Daily, join for just one dollar and access the Lions Den Message board.

 

T-Frank and Bauer start the show by discussing the annual Lift for Life event, which is back and open to the public for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Bauer and T-Frank discuss the event, its meaning, and how fans can get a unique view into the program, which they usually don't.

 

From there, they dive into the mailbag to discuss questions from the audience. First, they start with a question about the quarterback situation. Will Penn State have a reliable backup to starter Sean Clifford this year? Bauer recently spoke to offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and relays his conversation with Yurcich on this topic. Does Bauer think the team will have a quality player to push Clifford? T-Frank follows up with his thoughts on the topic.

 

Next, a viewer asks if there's a difference with new strength coach Chuck Losey leading the team in the athletic development department. Next, Bauer and T-Frank discuss some of the natural differences when transitioning between leadership, even if they believe the same things. Finally, a question about four-star defensive lineman Jason Moore steers them into the realm of recruiting conversation.

 

A viewer asks if there is one uncommitted player in the Class of 2023 that is most important or valuable. Bauer and T-Frank discuss the meaning of the word "important" and "valuable" and debate the different applications of those words. Does the question refer to the balance of the class? The value of the position? Or the long-term health of the roster? Bauer and T-Frank dissect Penn State's needs from multiple angles.

 

Next, a message board member wants to know about running back Nick Singleton. Can Penn State use Singleton in more ways than as just a runner? What about throwing him passes in the flat? Bauer dives into what sort of hill Singleton must climb mentally to earn that role first. He also references freshman teammate Kaytron Allen as a player who is mentally ahead of the curve thanks to his IMG Academy training.

 

Once that baseline is established, T-Frank counters the question by describing how Penn State used running back Saquon Barkley in a more valuable way than passes into the flat. Next, he explains what types of targets are helpful and how the team can put Singleton into a similarly advantageous situation.

 

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Can Penn State use Nick Singleton the way they used Saquon Barkley?

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The official visit period is over for the summer in college football recruiting, which means that most players will make their decisions in the coming month. Host of the BWI Daily Edition, Thomas Frank Carr, breaks down what we know and don't know heading into July. Then, he uses that information to build a mock class. 

He starts with the news on Wednesday that sets some projections on edge. Four-star safety King Mack from St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida pushed back his commitment decision by a day. The feisty safety will now decide on Thursday at noon. Will Penn State be the pick? T-Frank saves his thoughts on that for later in the show. Finally, he reviews the players that have a prediction for Penn State football or are reportedly secured for the Nittany Lions. Those players are Mack, four-star linebackers Tony Rojas and Ta'Mere Robinson, along with running back Treyaun Webb. 

From there, he reviews the offensive class and projects how many spots remain on that ball's side. He thinks the Nittany Lions should only take one runner in this cycle. So will it be Webb or Scranton Prep's London Montgomery? At wide receiver, he could see the Nittany Lions taking another player but should they? The team can also add two more offensive linemen. 

Defensively, he looks at the committed players and sees that the front seven is locked in, save for two positions. The board seems clearly down to one more defensive tackle. Will it be Florida defender Derrick LeBlanc or will DeMatha's Jason Moore be the choice? 

The secondary situation is messy with the news that high-priority athlete Cam Seldon wants to play offense in college. How does that affect the safety board and the flexibility of the secondary? T-Frank also doesn't see a great fit to add at corner unless the Nittany Lions can land LeBlanc and teammate Ja'Keem Jackson. 

Finally, he presents the players he thinks will choose Penn State over the next month.

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Penn State football heads into the final stretch of June with several essential dates on the horizon. The BWI Daily Edition: Recruiting Show looks at the players and dates that will shape Penn State's fortunes over the next month.

Host Greg Pickel starts the show recapping the final official visit weekend for Penn State football. Last weekend the Nittany Lions hosted several high-priority prospects, along with some committed recruits. Recruiting insider Ryan Snyder gives what information he has about the group but admits that it's not much for one key reason.

For example, where is Penn State trending with athlete Cam Seldon? How about linebacker prospect Kaveion Keys? Snyder explains some of the barriers to getting information from these players. However, he does give an overall sense of how Penn State fared out of its final official visit weekend. The team also hosted high four-star cornerback Daniel Harris over the weekend. Did Penn State do enough to pry him away from Georiga? Snyder gives his thoughts.

After wrapping up the official visitors, Pickel moves on to the players making announcements this week. First, four-star running back Treyaun Webb changed his commitment date, which was initially Thursday and hasn't given an update on a new timeframe. What does that say for Penn State's chances? Snyder, who logged a pick for Webb to Penn State, gives his thoughts.

Coveted defensive tackle prospect Derrick LeBlanc also released a top three schools and his commitment date of July 28th. Snyder expresses some more optimism than he initially thought he would but still sees one school as the likely destination for the 90th-overall player in the nation. Snyder also lets Pickel know that teammate Ja'Keem Jackson will be a big part of LeBlanc's decision.

From there, they discuss Penn State's next expected commitment, four-star safety King Mack. According to Snyder, the teammate of Nittany Lion commit Conrad Hussey at St. Thomas Aquinas will make his pick of schools this week. Did Penn State do enough to fend off Big Ten foe Michigan State? Snyder gives his thoughts.

Finally, they wrap up with a review of the month and the biggest storylines of June. For Pickel, Evan Link's commitment journey was a headlining moment. Snyder looks at how top linebacker prospects Ta'Mere Robinson and Tony Rojas played out.

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In the burgeoning world of name image and likeness, few things are well-known facts for fans. To help fill in some of those gaps, the host of the BWI Daily Edition, Thomas Frank Carr, speaks to Jason Belzer, the founder of Student-Athlete NIL, the third-party company that manages Penn State's largest NIL collective, Success with Honor. In this nearly 30-minute interview, T-Frank and Belzer discuss how the collective currently operates, Belzer's role within the organization, some up-to-date information about the health of the collective, and more. 

T-Frank starts with the basics of Penn State's NIL situation. How do Belzer and his company fit into the picture with Success with Honor? Belzer explains the relationship between the two organizations and describes how he bridges the gap.

"So I'm the CEO of Student Athlete NIL. So in some ways, you can call me the GM of Success with Honor. That being said, Mark Toniatti, who is a donor, a longtime Penn State Alumni supporter, and on a lot of boards at the university, he is the CEO of Success with Honor. But we are kind of like the GM. So the relationship that you can kind of think about is that we are almost like a Learfield, similar to what Penn State uses for their MMR (multi-media right) rights, but we're focused on the NIL side," he told BWI.

Where Penn State stands in the NIL Race

Belzer paints a positive picture of the tangible work that Success with Honor has done with Penn State student-athletes. He cites that they've been busy since the introduction of the collective in February,

"Penn State has more going on from a NIL perspective and a collective perspective, and really 95% of the school's out there, which is I think, a testament to some of this work we've done but also the support of the Penn State community and the money that we've been able to raise to work with student-athletes."

However, those figures are not indicative of the whole picture. While Success with Honor has been busy connecting players and fans at events, the money generated so far is behind.

"We launched a collective with about a half a million in the bank. Since then, we've raised an additional million dollars plus, which is pretty, pretty substantial. But over the long run, for Penn State to want to compete at the level that it does, we need to continue to drive money into the collective."

Belzer and T-Frank also discussed the current marketplace for NIL and roster management that has been discussed this summer. He gives the minimum dollar figure on what a team like Penn State would need to be competitive and what they would need to be ahead of the competition. 

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Penn State senior editor Nate Bauer and film analyst Thomas Frank Carr are back for their weekly mailbag show on the BWI Daily Edition. They discuss several topics, including how complex or straightforward new defensive coordiantor Manny Diaz's scheme is. They also field questions about the Class of 2022 and 2023, including which players, like freshman Kaden Saunders, could play early. 

They start the show with news and notes about the Penn State football team Nate Bauer gathered this week. Then, he gives some broad details about what he learned and directs listeners to check out his articles, which you can find below. 

From there, they get into the mailbag to discover what Penn State fans want to know on the second-to-last Thursday in June. The first question deals with the Nittany Lion's first game of the season against Purdue. The line sits at -3 entering the game, and one BWI member wants to know if that's too low or if Penn State is that bad? Bauer and T-Frank see it differently but go into the factors keeping Penn State and Purdue within a field goal.  

After a discussion about basketball recruiting, they switch to the topic of defensive ends. One viewer asks Bauer and T-Frank if new commit TJ Parker and five-star defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton have a higher floor than current starter Nick Tarburton. 

T-Frank describes the similarities between all three players and then gets into one quirk that both Dennis-Sutton and Parker share. 

Manny Diaz is bringing a new scheme to Penn State, and the Nittany Lions seem to be in a good position with two top-150 linebacker recruits who plan on making their college decisions shortly. So, a viewer writes to ask, which scheme is easier to pick up for a player transitioning to linebacker, Diaz, or former DC Brent Pry? 

T-Frank clarifies some points about what position four-star prospects Ta'Mere Robinson and Tony Rojas play before asking Bauer to take the question. Bauer recently interviewed Diaz for BWI, and he got a first-hand account of the nature of his scheme. Bauer relates what Diaz told him and then asks T-Frank to add context to what he's relaying. Then, T-Frank and Bauer discuss what that means for the players in the system. 

The next viewer asks if Penn State will have a reliable deep threat in 2022. If so, is freshman Kaden Saunders that guy? What about fellow newcomer Omari Evans? T-Frank and Bauer discuss the viable deep threat options in the offense and give their verdict. 

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Penn State starting linebacker Curtis Jacobs joins the BWI Daily Edition for an exclusive interview. He sits down with host Thomas Frank Carr to discuss his path to his new position, how he sees the game of football, and what makes him tick. Be sure to check out both installments of the interview.

T-Frank starts out by taking Jacobs back to Penn State's bowl game performance against Arkansas. Like several of his teammates, he played a new position filling in for a veteran who had opted out of the game for the NFL Draft. How comfortable was he at WILL linebacker after practicing for a month? Jacobs said it wasn't about playing the run in the tackle box but about playing every down for the defense.

"Honestly, the best part of it was being able to play third down. I feel like that was a big part of my game I didn't get to show because of personnel, and I felt like that was a really big opportunity for me," he said

Jacobs came off the field in favor of slot corner DaeQuan Hardy in obvious passing situations throughout last season. But how was playing a new position? Jacobs says it wasn't about playing in a new spot but keeping the same trust in his teammates,

"My comfort comes from just being able to trust my teammates and I had full trust in my teammates. I would say I felt pretty comfortable, and now I'm just running with it. I feel like I've hit the ground running, and I feel like I'm in for a big season next year."

Jacobs will take on the playmaking role of Will linebacker full-time next season in Manny Diaz's new scheme. He discusses the nature of that system with T-Frank, how he enjoys playing for Diaz, and how aggressive the team will be.

They also discuss his fellow linebackers, Kobe King and Tyle Elsdon, who are battling for the starting middle linebacker position. Jacobs shares what he's seen from them in that endeavor and tells T-Frank a bit about who they are as people.

T-Frank also brings up the topic of size and linebackers in college football. Jacobs plans on playing at 227 pounds this year, which is typically lighter than traditional linebackers. However, this isn't new to Jacobs, as this is how linebackers play in college football. T-Frank wants to know how Jacobs feels about the situation and if he thinks his style of play will hold up to the physicality of the Big Ten. Jacobs points to factors beyond weight that mean more in how a player performs on the field.

They also discuss the differences between his old position (SAM Linebacker) and his new one. Jacobs tells T-Frank that he actually misses one part of his old job. Other topics of conversation include modern ways that teams are attacking linebackers. Jacobs tells T-Frank that his belief that linebackers "can't be right" because of RPO passes isn't accurate. He explains what he does to sniff out plays in that situation. Finally, they discuss Jacobs' interests off the field and what makes him tick as a person.

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While it was quiet on a commitment from Penn State football recruiting Sunday and Monday, that doesn’t mean that their official visit weekend wasn’t a success. Recruiting insider Ryan Snyder has been hard at work digging up information on the uncommitted players that took official visits to Penn State Friday and Saturday. He joins host Greg Pickel on the BWI Daily recruiting show to share what he’s learned.

They start this video discussing the committed players who also took official visits this weekend and Ryan’s conversations with them, which you can read here. After that, they shift to possibly the most important players visiting Happy Valley; linebackers Ta’Mere Robinson and Tony Rojas. Both players set commitment dates for the first half of July and Synder details where Penn State stands in both recruitments.

Did they do enough to stave off Georiga for Rojas? Will Robinson’s relationship with Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry swing his commitment away from Penn State? BWI’s insider has the scoop for you.

The linebacker duo weren’t the only key players visiting the Nittany Lions though. Snyder gives the latest update on four-star defensive tackle Derrick LeBlanc and his teammate cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson. Finally he and Pickel wrap up by discussing Scranton Prep running back London Montgomery. There’s a limited number of slots at running back this year and it may be a race between Montgomery and Florida runner Treyaun Webb. He outlines how things could shake out and the timeline for Montgomery to potentially commit.

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