Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1495456
A P R I L 2 0 2 3 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Losey said those performances were indicative of the team's collective effort during winter workouts. "They've done a great job these seven weeks. They've started 2023 off the right way," he said. "It's a different team. We're finding ourselves, establishing a lot of different things from last year's team." Losey is beginning his second year as the leader of Penn State's strength and conditioning program, having been pro- moted to the position following Dwight Galt's retirement last January. He wasn't the only person in the Nittany Lions' football program to find himself suddenly thrust into a prominent role last year. A number of players who were new to Penn State in 2022 went on to enjoy outstand- ing debuts. Several of those players were among the top performers this winter. Junior defensive end Chop Robinson earned Losey's praise for his performance throughout the workouts. Going through his first year in Penn State's winter con- ditioning program after transferring from Maryland last May, the 6-foot-3, 253-pound Robinson turned in a "phe- nomenal" effort this winter, the veteran strength coach said. "He's freaky in nature. He's another one who has thrived in our system," Losey said. "His twitch, his suddenness, his ability to change directions the way that he does — he's phenomenal. I love Chop Robinson." Two other 2022 arrivals — running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen — also made progress as they pre- pare for their sophomore seasons. Losey described Singleton, who rushed for a team-leading 1,061 yards and 12 touch- downs during his true freshman cam- paign, as a "speed, strength, power ath- lete." He was that way even before he got to PSU, Losey said. As for Allen, who displayed between- the-tackles power in rushing for 867 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, he's continued to transform his body. His nickname, "Fatman," had followed him from IMG Academy in Florida to Penn State last year, but he's become a more sculpted athlete since arriving on campus and is now listed at 5-11, 218 pounds. None of which is to say that Singleton and Allen are finished products from a physical standpoint. "They've still got some deficiencies they need to work on," Losey said. "They know that. We addressed it at the begin- ning of the winter, and they're working hard at it." Two of Penn State's newest additions have found themselves feeling right at home this winter, Losey said. Senior cornerback Storm Duck arrived via the transfer portal from North Carolina, while junior wide receiver Malik McClain came from Florida State. Their transition has been smooth, Losey said, with both play- ers fitting right in after a change of scen- ery. One of the reasons for their quick ac- climation was the training they received at their previous schools. "They're more developed," Losey said. "I've really liked this about the transfer portal. It's nice for these guys. They are developed, but they're also developed within a certain system. "Us strength coaches are as guilty as anybody. Your system is your system. When you get a guy who's been in a cer- tain system for three years or four years, and then they make that change into somebody else's system, they've thrived. I don't think we've had a grad transfer who hasn't thrived. And Storm and Mc- Clain, they've been no different." Head coach James Franklin said in February that the 6-foot, 195-pound Duck had impressed his new teammates and coaches with his businesslike ap- proach to the game. Losey echoed that appraisal after watching Duck work out in winter conditioning. "He's a perfect example of how you should conduct your business when you show up on campus as a grad transfer," Losey said. "He's just put his head down, he's worked, he's been one of the most con- sistent guys in the program, day in and day out. I've been really, really happy with that." Losey was also optimistic about Mc- Clain's future. The 6-4, 202-pounder didn't arrive on campus until mid- January after the spring semester had already started, but he hit the ground running once he got into the Nittany Lions' program. "He's awesome. He's a big, tall, long Redshirt senior offensive lineman Caedan Wallace was one of the standout performers during Penn State's winter workouts. PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL "They've done a great job these seven weeks. They've started 2023 off the right way." L O S E Y