Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499919
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M was the right move. I grew up a Penn State fan. I grew up going to the White Outs. Some of my family had graduated from Penn State, so it was always a dream of mine. For Coach [James] Franklin and the staff to give me an opportunity when I hopped in the transfer portal to come back home, not only to PA, but to Penn State, and go out there and play in front of my state, in front of Penn State fans, my fam- ily … that just means a lot. It's hard to talk about it, just because it's so special to me. BWI: Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen carried the load as freshmen last season. What is your role going to be, and how do you step into that role with appropriate expectations? POTTS: I think a lot of guys who enter the portal get sold a lot of dreams. Penn State has been 100 percent transparent through this process. I'm an older back. Competition has been the name of the game since I started college football, and they talked about how a lot of people are going to run from the competition. For me, that was not what I wanted to do. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. I think just talking to them, they'll use me how I'm supposed to be used. It's Big Ten football, it's grown- man football, so competition is key. But at the same time, I think I have a very nice toolbox of not only my play but also being a leader and keeping everyone together. BWI: Can you elaborate on that? What do you bring to the table? POTTS: Being versatile. I think I'm very elusive. I can catch. I can block. Whenever my number is called, I'm go- ing to go in there and do my job. That's what they expect out of me, and that's what I'm going to give. BWI: Why did you decide to leave Min- nesota? POTTS: I graduate this spring, so I'll be leaving Minnesota with my degree. I love my teammates, I love the people in Minnesota, but I just felt that the most beneficial move for me was to leave. At some points, I felt like my strengths weren't being used when I was on the field. I just felt like it was time for a change. BWI: As a Pennsylvania kid who grew up an hour or so from campus and didn't get to go there the first time around, what does playing for Penn State mean to you? POTTS: I don't think there's a word in the dictionary that describes that. I have family members who have gradu- ated from there. I've been going to Penn State White Outs, going to spring games. I have old pictures of me in Penn State jerseys at the tailgates. It means so much. I was a little kid dreaming about this, and now I get to live out my dream. If you would have told me this four years ago, I wouldn't have had anything to say. I would have been speechless and ecstatic. I'm just super excited, just ready to get to work. ■ Penn State's Top Five Transfers Of The Franklin Era Until recently, transfers weren't a big part of Penn State's football story. The Nittany Lions typically met their needs via high school recruiting. But with the advent of the portal and immediate eligibility for those players seeking new opportu- nities, transfers are a big part of everyone's story these days. To overlook the portal would be an act of coaching malpractice. Penn State has reaped its share of benefits (and suffered its share of losses) the past few years. With that in mind, here's a look at the five most impactful transfers of the James Franklin era, ex- cluding junior college arrivals: 1. Arnold Ebiketie, Defensive End After three seasons at Temple, the speedy defensive end thought he had what it took to excel at the Power Five level. He was right. Ebiketie finished second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (17) and third in sacks (9.5) in 2021, his lone season at Penn State. He won second-team All-America honors and was selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. 2. Mitchell Tinsley, Wide Receiver Like Ebiketie, Tinsley played only one season at Penn State. And like Ebiketie, he made it count. The former Western Kentucky wide receiver started 10 games last fall and finished with a team-high 51 catches for 577 yards and 5 touchdowns. 3. Chop Robinson, Defensive End There's a good chance Robinson will top this list a year from now. In 2022, his first season at Penn State after transferring from Maryland, the 6-foot-3, 253-pound defensive end finished second on the team with 5.5 sacks and third with 10 tackles for loss, despite playing behind veteran Nick Tar- burton. Heading into his junior season, Robinson is being hailed as a potential All-American. 4. Hunter Nourzad, Offensive Line Nourzad arrived last year from Cornell in the hope of burnishing his NFL resume. The 6-3, 312-pounder certainly has showcased his versatility. He was a tackle with the Big Red but shined at guard last year, making eight starts and winning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. As a super senior this fall, he's in line to replace the NFL- bound Juice Scruggs at center. 5. Jordan Stout, Punter/Kicker Back in 2019, the Lions just needed someone who could put kickoffs into the back of the end zone. Stout, a transfer from Virginia Tech, did exactly that, ranking fourth in the FBS with 66 touch- backs. But that performance was just the first of his many contributions to the PSU special teams units. In his three seasons in State College, Stout also kicked field goals and punted, winning Big Ten Punter of the Year honors in 2021 with a 46.0-yard average. He is now the starting punter for the Baltimore Ravens. — Matt Herb