Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514597
1 6 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M "Penn State has had enough trouble with Ohio State and Michi- gan, and now it has to worry about Washington, USC and UCLA. For most of Franklin's decade leading the program, PSU has settled for being the league's third-best team. With the Big Ten growing to 18 teams in 2024, even that could be a challenge. Penn State doesn't only have to worry about beating the in - coming Pac-12 powers, though. It should also be concerned about its season opener at West Virginia — which beat North Carolina soundly in the Duke's Mayo Bowl." — Heather Dinich, ESPN.com "Despite how it might feel, Penn State fans won't be annoyed by the Nittany Lions' loss in the Peach Bowl forever. That said, many of the overarching issues that led the program to this point will still need to be addressed. How is Penn State going to fix the receiver room? How is it going to get Drew Al- lar back on track? What exactly is Andy Kotelnicki's approach to fixing some of these issues? How will Penn State try to navigate a historically challenging schedule? How will it prepare for an expanded play- off and a not unreasonable likelihood that it will be in that field? Franklin doesn't need to spill the beans entirely, but there's nothing wrong with selling a plan of attack as college football changes and Penn State looks to keep pace with the pack. Especially after giving fans a sour taste to close out 2023." — Ben Jones, StateCollege.com "We had significant players who had played all year long who weren't in that game. I don't want this to come off the wrong way. I'm not criticizing, but it is what it is. It's the reality. I think about guys who did play in the game and how appreciative we are. There's an opportunity [for players] to create value by playing in games [rather than sitting out]." — James Franklin on the many opt-outs that hindered Penn State in its 38-25 loss to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl "Every game, no matter if it's a playoff game or a regular-season game, we're coming in the same way, with the same approach no matter what. I feel like it will be nothing new to us. The label of the game will be bigger for us, but we'll take it the same as we always do." — Sophomore safety Kevin Winston Jr. on the prospect of making the 12-team College Football Playoff field next season "He's been doing a really good job. Any time you do an all-star game like this, you have to pick up a whole new offense in very limited time. He's done a great job, man. He carries himself like a professional. He's early to meetings, asks good questions. That's a big key. A lot of these guys are used to knowing what is going on, so when you ask if they understand, you get yes, yes, yes. He'll ask if he doesn't know. He's done really well with that." — Tyler Schneider, Team Fire offensive coordi- nator, on what he saw from Penn State freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer during prepara- tions for the Under Armour All-American Game in early January "At 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, Cousins is a moun- tain of a center. He carries his weight very well and is an easy mover. … Once he latches onto a defensive lineman, the rep is typically over. The readymade size also allows for unique positional versatility. It's not inconceivable to see him play- ing multiple spots along the offensive front in State College. The future Nittany Lion looks like one of the more ready-to-play offensive linemen in San Antonio." — Charles Power, On3 director of scouting, sharing his impressions of Penn State freshman offensive lineman Cooper Cousins during prepara- tions for the All-American Bowl in January "I think it's a great opportunity for me to be more vocal. Whether it be communicating with the players or communicating to staff about what we think as players. It's a great opportunity for me to expand upon my voice and work on it." — Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar, noting after the Peach Bowl that he wants to work dur- ing the offseason on being a more vocal team leader this year They Said It Sophomore safety Kevin Winston Jr. finished as Penn State's leading tackler with 61 stops during the 2023 season. He had a game-high 10 tackles in the Peach Bowl. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL