Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1462941
A P R I L 2 0 2 2 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M true freshmen: quarterbacks Drew Allar and Beau Pribula, running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, receiver Omari Evans, defensive tackle Zane Du- rant and guard JB Nelson. Allar and Pribula will be looking to add more weight, but both appeared to be a bit bigger than they were in high school. Allar is listed at 6-foot-5, 229 pounds this spring, while Pribula checks in at 6-2, 200. Losey described Pribula as "a gritty, gritty young man." "He's a very good athlete," Losey said. "He's a dynamic athlete. Really pleased with everything he's doing. Drew is the same way. Drew has got a quiet confi- dence about himself so far." Losey said he was pleased with both of the freshman quarterbacks, who worked out in a group with redshirt freshman Christian Veilleux. "Drew, he's not quite advanced from a training standpoint as Beau Pribula is," Losey said. "But he's getting there. I love the progress that he's making." Freshman running backs Single- ton and Allen are listed at 219 and 216 pounds, respectively, and both have massive legs. While some upper-body gains might be needed, it's plainly evi- dent why many think that one or both could play right away. The Nittany Lions' returning starter at running back, junior Keyvone Lee, looked good, too. Lee was listed at 228 pounds at the beginning of the 2021 season, but he's pushing 240 now ac- cording to the team's most recent roster. The 6-0, 179-pound Evans will defi- nitely need to add weight before he sees game action, but Durant already looks the part of a Big Ten defensive tackle. He's listed at 6-1, 265 pounds on the cur- rent roster. But he was one of two early enrollees to be singled out by Losey for their performance in the winter workout sessions, the other being Singleton. "Those two guys specifically, they've done some really good things ever since [arriving] on campus," Losey said. "So, I'm really pleased with them." Nelson, too, looks the part physically after transferring in from Lackawanna College standing 6-5, 305 pounds. Among the returning players, red- shirt junior Hakeem Beamon (6-3, 269) and sophomore Amin Vanover (6-4, 266) might be listed on the roster as de- fensive tackles, but they looked more like defensive ends. Redshirt freshman tackle Jordan van den Berg was another noteworthy player on the defensive line. A juco transfer who arrived prior to the 2021 season, he reportedly hit five squat reps at 585 pounds. Junior tight end Theo Johnson is listed at 6-6, 254 pounds, only about four pounds above his listed weight last fall. But he looks to have added some muscle to his lower half, especially his thighs and quads. He's definitely bigger than he was at the end of last season. Losey also singled out sophomore tight end Tyler Warren as a player who took a big step so far this offseason. Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Landon Tengwall is simply a mon- ster of a man. He looked like one of the team's most imposing linemen even as a true freshman last fall, but the 6-6, 330-pounder really stood out on this day. Super senior safety Ji'Ayir Brown looks to have added a bit of weight to his 5-11 frame, as has sophomore Jaylen Reed. Losey said the two were paired together this offseason, and they clearly pushed each other. With Jaquan Brisker off to the NFL, it's looking like the 6-0, 209-pound Reed will join Brown in the starting lineup this coming fall. Defensive linemen PJ Mustipher and Adisa Isaac were also on hand working out. Mustipher, who opted to return for his super senior year after suffering a season-ending injury at Iowa last Oc- tober, stayed off to the side doing his own work. Isaac, a redshirt junior who missed the entire season with an injury, was in the squat line with other defen- sive linemen. ■ Theo Johnson Tops List Of Winter Workout Honorees Nobody earned more recognition from the coaching staff than junior tight end Theo Johnson this winter. The staff saluted its top performers every day from the start of winter workouts to the final day, March 4, announcing its selections on Twitter. Johnson earned the most daily mentions with five. While tight ends coach Ty Howle had a smaller pool of players to select from than most of his fellow Penn State assistants, Johnson's performance was noteworthy. He'll be looking for a breakout season this fall after totaling 23 receptions for 269 yards in his first two years at PSU. At quarterback, redshirt freshman Christian Veilleux and super senior Sean Clifford were honored three times apiece, while junior Keyvone Lee paced the running backs with three mentions. Wide receiver proved to be a competitive position group, with six players earning acknowledge- ment from assistant coach Taylor Stubblefield. Redshirt sophomore Malick Meiga was mentioned on Feb. 17 and 22, making him the only wideout to claim top-competitor honors more than once. Redshirt junior Caedan Wallace and sophomore Olu Fashanu split the honors along the offensive line with two nominations apiece. On the defensive line, true freshman tackle Zane Durant and red- shirt freshman end Zuriah Fisher each claimed top honors twice. Junior Curtis Jacobs and super senior Jonathan Sutherland were the two top linebackers, each earning recognition twice from new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. At cornerback, sophomore Kalen King was the standout, winning a trio of top-competitor men- tions. Among the safeties, junior walk-on Sebastian Constantini was the only player to be acknowl- edged more than once by coach Anthony Poindexter. On special teams, senior place-kicker Jake Pinegar led the way with four mentions. Chuck Losey III, Penn State's new strength and conditioning coach, said he was pleased with the performance of the January enrollees. In addition to Durant, running back Nick Singleton was twice saluted as a top performer, while quarterback Beau Pribula was honored once. "They've been really good," Losey said of the newcomers. "It's a tough transitional period for them coming from high school, coming in as midyears. All of them have been great." — David Eckert