Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
1 4 M A 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 "Iron sharpens iron in combat sports. At Penn State, it's a brotherhood. I always tell the younger guys, you're training in the best room in the world. You've seen every look you could possibly get, so just go out and let it fly." — Aaron Brooks, on the benefits of training against the likes of PSU heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet and Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder, who now trains with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club "[Kevin Winston Jr.] posted just a 2% missed-tackle rate last year, which was second among all safeties in the country. His 90.6 run-defense grade was third among FBS safeties as well. Winston was far more than just a safety who excelled at stopping the run. In fact, he was the only safety in the nation who posted 85-plus PFF grades both as a run defender and in coverage last year. His well-rounded game will likely evoke some comparisons to another great Penn State safety in Jaquan Brisker." — Mac Chadwick, Pro Football Focus analyst, on junior Kevin Winston Jr., who was listed fifth in PFF's ranking of the top returning safeties in college football. "There's really no magic scheme. The magic is in the belief of the players and the players' ability to execute the scheme. They're the guys who make it special. You have to tackle extremely well, you have to take the ball away, and you have to play your defense with relentless effort. I emphasize that. We install those three things every day." — Tom Allen, Penn State defensive coordinator, describing his coaching philosophy "There are going to be some guys who are going to get here in the summer who are going to factor in. We don't know who those guys are right now, because after signing, the recruiting rankings and the stars go out the window." — James Franklin on the nine members of Penn State's 2024 football recruiting class who will be arriving on campus in the weeks ahead "You get to do a lot of different things. It isn't just you standing in the backfield. You could be in the slot. You could be the outside receiver. You're just doing different types of things to show our talents. It's a great offense." — Junior running back Kaytron Allen on his role in coordinator Andy Kotelnicki's offensive system "Quinton Martin (No. 91 in the 2024 ESPN 300) was nothing short of dynamic for Belle Vernon High School in Pennsylvania. The No. 1 player in Penn- sylvania decided to stay home. He will add to the impressive stable of running backs the program has produced recently, with Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton spearheading the current roster. How the Nittany Lions choose to use the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Martin, who had 1,945 total yards and 27 total touch- downs as a senior last year, to supplant Allen and Singleton will be interesting to watch." — ESPN college football writer Blake Baumgartner, choosing freshman running back Quinton Martin Jr. as Penn State's breakout candidate for the 2024 season "Any player who can help us win games … we will find a way to utilize him. We'll find a way to put him on the field. I mean that. We'll be as creative and unique as necessary to utilize our players." — Andy Kotelnicki on his approach to maximizing Penn State's offensive talent "Fleming comes to Penn State in a unique situation, a former highly touted in-state prospect ending up at Ohio State only to eventually make his way back to State College with something to prove. … Whether Fleming goes the route of transfer portal star Mitchell Tinsley or that of transfer portal dud Dante Cephas remains to be seen, but the answer could very well dictate Penn State's season." — Ben Jones, StateCollege.com columnist, on senior receiver Julian Fleming They Said It Aaron Brooks was named the winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy after going 22-0 with 6 pins, 11 technical falls and 3 major decisions en route to his fourth national championship. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL "Winning and losing is a lower standard than performance. You could win and not wrestle your best. Performance is a permanent mentality. It is hard for kids, be- cause there can be so much pres- sure and emphasis on results. Aaron has a higher vision on why he competes." — Head coach Cael Sanderson on the competitive mindset that enabled senior 197-pound national champion Aaron Brooks to win the Hodge Trophy, which goes to the nation's top collegiate wrestler