Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542734
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 5 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M After a couple of unexpected detours, quarterback Kase Evans is hoping that he found just the right place to play his college football. A three-star prospect from Lexing- ton (Texas) High, Evans committed to Oklahoma State last summer, only to reconsider when Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy was fired in September. Af- ter opening up his recruitment, Evans found his way to Iowa State, where he signed Dec. 3. Then coach Matt Camp- bell left for Penn State a few days later, prompting the signal-caller to ask for his release. Evans' request was granted on Dec. 11. Three days later, he became the first Campbell-recruited player to join Penn State's 2026 class, announcing that he was headed to Happy Valley. "Coach Campbell is just sincere and truly cares about you," Evans told Rivals national analyst Steve Wiltfong. "He and his staff are simply terrific and have proven that already. … He truly cares about his players and their path moving forward. Not only that, but he sees past football. He makes sure he is develop- ing [successful] men, not just football players." The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Evans is the No. 51 quarterback and No. 101 Lone Star State prospect in the 2026 class, per Rivals' scouts. Evans, whose father, Chandler Evans, played quarterback at the University of Houston and Texas A&M-Commerce in the early 1990s, threw for 11,640 yards and 120 touchdowns in four years of high school. As a junior in 2024, he threw for 3, 1 1 3 ya rd s a n d 37 to u c h d ow n s, wh i l e completing 210 of 343 passing attempts (61.2 percent). He followed that up as a senior by throw- ing for nearly 3,000 more yards and 29 touchdowns, while adding another 559 yards and 6 scores on the ground. — Sean Fitz Penn State's 2025 roster featured a pair of senior punters in Gabe Nwosu and Ri- ley Thompson, so the Nittany Lions had to bring in reinforcements regardless of who would be patrolling the sideline in 2026. New head coach Matt Campbell added a special teams commitment from the high school ranks on Dec. 14, and it came from a familiar face. Lucas Tenbrock of St. Charles (Ill.) North High joined the Nittany Lions' class three days after receiving his release from Iowa State, where he had signed on Dec. 3. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound pros- pect is the No. 1 punter nationally ac- cording to Chris Sailer Kicking. Tenbrock was selected to play in the Navy All-American Bowl in January. He was the Dukane Conference Specialist of the Year and an honorable mention all-state pick. He also doubled as an of- fensive lineman for St. Charles North. Tenbrock averaged 43 yards per punt as a junior while also handling placekick- ing duties. He was 5 for 6 on field goals, connected on all 42 PATs and notched 15 touchbacks on kickoffs. He's the No. 4 punter nationally, per Rivals. Iowa State punter Tyler Perkins and kicker Kyle Konrardy were honorable mention All-Big 12 selections in 2025. The kicking game was a focal point for the Cyclones, and that will continue to be the case in Happy Valley. When asked about Tenbrock on National Signing Day at Iowa State, Campbell noted that the standout spe- cialist excelled in the kind of cold, blustery conditions that are common in the Midwest during the late fall. He said he expected Tenbrock's ex- perience to pay dividends in college. "I just think we do special teams in a really unique place in college football, and so to have the right guys that have grown up in those environments and those spaces, I think is really important," Campbell said. "Lucas has certainly done that. So, I think he's got great abil- ity. He's got great potential. We're losing a great one [in Perkins], and we're going to gain a great one. We're really excited about that." — Sean Fitz COMMITMENT PROFILE KASE EVANS COMMITMENT PROFILE LUCAS TENBROCK Texas Quarterback Believes In Matt Campbell's Vision Illinois Punter Ranks Among Nation's Top Specialists Lucas is a big-time high school punting and kicking prospect. He is big, tall, strong and athletic. He has an ideal frame for a college-level punter. Lucas punts for a great combination of distance and hang time. He hits a big-time D1 punt. His best ball measures 50+ yards, with 5.0+ hang time. Also an excellent kicker. Lucas does a great job on field goals. He hits a pure, accurate ball off the ground and easily has 55+ yard range. His kickoffs are strong, D1 ready. Lucas drives the ball deep into the end zone with 4.0+ hang time. — Chris Sailer Kicking P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N Evans shows the ability to consistently hit one of the hardest throws for a quarterback to make. The vertical lead on deep passes, especially down the sideline, is a skill that Sean Clifford and Drew Allar did not consistently show. Bringing that deep-play mentality and proficiency is a highly valuable skill. The rest? Well, that's the big question. Whether Evans has the processing power and poise to run a more-complex college offense is unknown, but Matt Campbell has a good track record, so we'll keep an open mind about Evans' future at Penn State. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N