Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533674
3 4 A P R I L 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 working out on the sides. Super senior defensive tackle Alonzo Ford Jr., redshirt junior defensive tackle Kaleb Artis and redshirt sophomore tight end Andrew Rappleyea weren't lifting, but they were active with the strength staff. Which players stood out among those who participated in the session? Well, sometimes the "looks test" goes a long way. Here are some Nittany Lions who looked the part: TY BLANDING DT | R-So. |6-1 | 290 Blanding isn't the biggest guy in the room at 290 pounds, but when weights went on shoulders, he was mighty im- pressive. The former three-star prospect from the Bronx, N.Y., has a lot of talent and athletic ability. His consistency on the field is still coming along, but he will get a ton of reps this spring after seeing action in six games as a redshirt fresh- man. KHALIL DINKINS TE | R-Sr. | 6-4 | 243 A few players usually pop as fully grown men during these sessions. This year, Dinkins led that category. He's always looked the part. Now, he has a prime opportunity as the potential suc- cessor to the NFL-bound Tyler Warren. Listed at 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, Dinkins looks ready for the role after catching 14 passes for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns last fall. XAVIER GILLIAM DT | R-Fr. | 6-2 | 300 The open weightlifting session was heavy on defensive tackles, and Gilliam did not disappoint. He's come a long way over the past two years, having embraced his role in the middle after starting out with hopes of being an edge rusher at the college level. Gilliam is now at 300 pounds, and he threw some weight around in the open session. He'll be leaned upon as a spring starter with Ford still recovering from the season-ending injury he suffered last November. ETHAN GRUNKEMEYER QB | R-Fr. | 6-2 | 210 The winter stretch after Year 1 is usu- ally a big time for transformation in the program. That's certainly the case for Grunkemeyer. He was noticeably thicker than during the 2024 season and did a good job on the squat rack. Getting an- other year behind Allar should be very beneficial for his long-term develop- ment. KYRON HUDSON WR | R-Sr. | 6-1 | 212 Losey was excited about Penn State's incoming transfers, of which Hudson is one of six. "I think we've done a great job at iden- tifying guys in the transfer portal — guys who we need to help us on the field, but also guys who fit our culture and fit our team," Losey said. Hudson caught 38 passes for 462 yards and 3 touchdowns for USC last season. He's plenty thick and was strong in the lifts that we saw. His focus is what really jumped out while seeing him in person for the first time. JOSEPH MUPOYI DT | R-So. | 6-5 | 285 We still don't know what kind of player Mupoyi will be at this level, but he's got a first-off-the-bus kind of body. Mupoyi switched from defensive end to defen- sive tackle last year, and program sources have indicated that he's starting to gain some traction at his new position. He was still deep in the rotation heading into spring practice, but he was as impressive as anyone from a physical perspective in the open lifting session. DEVONTE ROSS WR | Sr. | 5-10 | 170 Losey said that transfer wideout Devonte Ross has added about 15 pounds since arriving from Troy, where he was an All-Sun Belt Conference performer. He's still not the biggest guy in the world, but to see such a dramatic transforma- tion in a relatively short amount of time is promising. Ross, who caught 76 passes for 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final sea- son at Troy, appears to be taking full ad- vantage of the opportunity available to him at a bigger program. ELLIOT WASHINGTON II CB | Jr. | 5-11 | 197 Washington had a great winter by all accounts, and he looked good at the team's open lifting session. The junior will compete for one of the starting spots on the outside in the spring. This winter may have made him the slight favorite to start opposite junior A.J. Harris. With cornerbacks Jalen Kimber and Cam Miller departing this offseason, Washington has an opportunity in front of him and appears determined to seize it. "He's always been a high-horsepower guy for us," Losey said. "I think he's also a guy who understands the role that he needs to be in for us this year, and I've seen a difference in him." ■ Cornerback Elliot Washington II has "always been a high-horsepower guy for us," Chuck Losey said. The junior will vie for a starting cornerback spot this fall. PHOTO BY THOMAS FRANK CARR Listed at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, backup quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer is in the midst of his second offsea- son in the PSU program. PHOTO BY SEAN FITZ