Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
6 M A R C H 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T his offseason more than any other, a group of Penn State players can only wait in limbo. With college football changing, it's a group that could end up as collateral damage. Athletics departments across the country are also waiting with plenty at stake. The House vs. NCAA class- action lawsuit settlement, which will pave the way for revenue sharing in college sports, has yet to pass. Among its key points, at least from a football perspective, is a double-edged pro- posal to increase the scholarship limit from 85 to 105 while capping roster sizes at the latter number. Penn State's latest official roster lists 121 players, and it doesn't include the 11 class of 2025 signees who will arrive after the spring. Of the players cur- rently on campus, 34 arrived In Happy Valley as walk-ons. James Franklin sent up a flare following the team's first- round College Football Playoff win over SMU by not only lauding former walk- on linebacker Dominic DeLuca but also questioning whether or not that story would have happened in a scenario like the one being proposed in the House settlement. "There are a ton of changes in college football, but this is one of those that I'm struggling with because there have been so many special stories over the years of walk-ons. Whether they've earned a scholarship or not, they've been just such a significant part of the game and our history," Franklin said. "It breaks my heart a little bit that maybe Dom isn't here if these rules were in place. He's just a tremendous young man. He's a captain. He's awe- some." But it's not just DeLuca, who earned a scholarship following Penn State's Rose Bowl win over Utah two years ago and will be a redshirt senior this fall. Penn State has received key on-field contributions from a number of walk- ons, particularly on special teams, players like redshirt sophomore kicker Ryan Barker, redshirt senior kickoff specialist Gabe Nwosu and redshirt senior long snapper Tyler Duzansky. Redshirt junior offensive lineman Dominic Rulli played in all 16 games last season and is as respected as any scholarship player in that room, while redshirt senior running back Tyler Holzworth played in 12 games, primar- ily on special teams. Those are just a few of the walk-ons who put in the time throughout the season to make sure that the whole team is prepared. It's a choice made by the player, and it's one that comes with an understanding that the reward won't necessarily show up on fall Sat- urdays. "It's a lot," said cornerback Tyler Armstead, a redshirt freshman who played at Canon-McMillan High in the Pittsburgh area. "You don't get much free time. It really depends on what part [of the year]. During the season, you have schoolwork, practice, film, nutrition, sleep, travel, games, and it's definitely a lot. But it's worth it. And being dedicated, it definitely makes it easier to do." Walk-ons have always been a special part of what makes college football what it is. Penn State is one of a few programs, along with Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and others, often highlighted for the contributions of nonscholarship players. To think that could go away has a lot of folks in the sport concerned. Chief among them, of course, are the players themselves. Franklin and the Penn State staff have made no promises about what will happen with the cur- rent group of walk-ons. The Nittany Lions have been noticeably less active in recruiting potential walk-ons this cycle without knowing which direction this will go. "We have a very honest coaching staff, so they addressed that whole situation to us as a team," explained redshirt freshman defensive lineman Aidan Probst, a high school teammate of scholarship offensive lineman Cooper Cousins at Erie (Pa.) McDowell. "But really, I just feel like I'm happy to be a part of this great program. And I think everybody who that affects, we're re- ally taking the same approach every day and just coming in and getting better one day at a time. Just focusing on the next workout every single day. I'm go- ing to keep doing that all throughout the winter, in the spring and summer. And if that time comes, however it works out, it works out." While the careers of a few dozen play- ers hang in the balance, there's not much they can do but live in the moment and hope for the best. "I think about today, about tomorrow, how I can get better, how I can help this team be better," said redshirt freshman linebacker Beckham Dee, who joined the team last year out of Mount Lebanon High in Pittsburgh. "I think that's what all walk-ons should be thinking about. You can't control it, so whatever hap- pens, happens. You've got to focus on the now and see how you can improve." ■ Walk-Ons Face Cloudy Future With Settlement Looming JUDGMENT CALL O P I N I O N SEAN FITZ SEAN.FITZ@ON3.COM Former walk-on linebacker Dominic DeLuca scored Penn State's opening touchdown on an interception against SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS