Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499919
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 15 By The Numbers 4th NICHOLAS SIN- GLETON's spot on ESPN's list of the top 10 running backs in college football this year. Singleton is coming off a true fresh- man season in which he rushed for 1,061 yards to rank fifth in the Big Ten. He was joined on the list by three of his Big Ten counterparts, Michigan's Blake Corum (No. 1) and Donovan Edwards (No. 5), and Wisconsin's Braelon Allen (No. 6). "One of the most noticeable upgrades to Penn State's offense last fall was its run- ning game," wrote ESPN's Heather Dinich. "Much of that can be attributed to the emergence of Singleton, the Big Ten's 2022 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Behind a vastly improved offensive line, Singleton provided a one-two punch with Kaytron Allen, and with both returning this fall, the Nittany Lions should be a more se- rious contender in the Big Ten's East Division." 9 Total tackles by true fresh- man linebacker Tony Rojas in the Blue-White Game on April 15 at Beaver Stadium. The January en- rollee, who came to Penn State as the No. 8 linebacker nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, finished as the game's lead- ing tackler in his first public appearance in a Penn State uniform. He also had a pass breakup for the White team and was credited with an assist on a tackle for loss. 10 Penn State defensive backs se- lected in the NFL Draft since the start of the James Franklin era. This year's selections were cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (second round, Pittsburgh Steelers) and safety Ji'Ayir Brown (third round, San Francisco 49ers). No position group has produced more draftees than the secondary since Franklin-coached PSU players began entering the league in 2015. 35 Conference tournament cham- pionships won by the Penn State men's volleyball team since the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association began holding its season-ending event in 1971. The Nittany Lions swept No. 15 Princeton on April 22 at Rec Hall to claim this year's EIVA title, their 23rd in coach Mark Pavlik's 29 seasons. 37 Seasons that Wes Glon spent as a member of the Penn State fenc- ing program's coaching staff before an- nouncing his retirement on April 27. A native of Poland, Glon had been at PSU since 1985, first serving as an assistant coach on Emmanuil Kaidanov's staff, then taking over as interim head coach in August 2013. He guided the Nittany Lions to their 13th national championship that year and was subsequently named the team's permanent head coach. During his nine seasons in that role, six Penn State fencers won individual NCAA titles and 50 earned All-America honors. 62nd Forward Puff Johnson's spot among all players nation- ally in the On3 Industry Ranking for the men's basketball class of 2020. Johnson, a 6-foot-8 wing player from Moon Town- ship, Pa., signed with Penn State in April after spending his first three seasons at North Carolina. He was a prominent player for the Tar Heels during their run to the national championship game in 2022, averaging 5.0 points and 2.3 re- bounds in six NCAA Tournament con- tests. Johnson finished with 11 points and 6 boards in their 72-69 loss to Kansas in the title game. He will have two years of eligibility at Penn State. 63,000 Estimated attendance of the Blue-White Game on April 15. It rained that morning in State College, but the clouds parted later in the day, and the game, won by the starter-heavy Blue squad 10-0, was played in dry field conditions. "I think we would have had a lot more people in the stadium if the rain didn't scare some people off," coach James Franklin said afterward. "But it was great work in the stadium in front of fans, on TV, in a competitive environment." $70 million Cost of the first phase of Penn State's plan to reno- vate Beaver Stadium. Approved by the board of trustees in early May, the initial outlay will help start the mammoth proj- ect, which will be focused on rebuilding the west side of the stadium and could ultimately cost as much as $700 million. University officials stated in the agenda for the trustees meeting that the project will "align Penn State Football facilities and operations with the highest competi- tive level within the Power Five and Big Ten." PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M