Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545007
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 6 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M "He's been great for me, helping me get acclimated to State College," said Alexander, one of the 24 Iowa State imports on the Nittany Lions' roster. "He knows State College like the back of his hand, growing up here and going to State High. He was great for all of us when we got here and great for me." A Unique Story Furmanek is listed on Penn State's roster at 6-foot-3, 257 pounds, but he was a standout quarterback in high school, leading State High to back-to- back PIAA semifinal appearances in 2021 and '22. The Little Lions went 13-1 his senior year, and he received all-con- ference honors along with an invitation to play in the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association East- West All-Star Game. Furmanek had numerous connections to Penn State, beyond just having grown up nearby. His cousin Alex Furmanek played for the Nittany Lions from 2019- 22, and he also has four uncles who at- tended PSU. Ty Howle, Penn State's tight ends coach at the time, took an interest in adding Furmanek to the roster as a walk- on ahead of the 2023 season. There were no guarantees, but the State College standout agreed to give it a shot. Furmanek redshirted his first season like nearly every walk-on does. He was making an impression behind the scenes, though, earning the coaching staff's De- velopmental Player of the Week award for his work on special teams ahead of games against Indiana and Michigan. Furmanek played in four games in 2024, then appeared in each contest last fall. While most of that work came on special teams, he still slotted ahead of a few scholarship tight ends on the depth chart. Furmanek received Academic All- Big Ten honors both years. "His story is really unique," Lustig said. "I remember him telling me he wasn't even guaranteed a camp spot, and then he turns into a scholarship player. He's just a guy who does everything right. He's a great teammate. That's not to downplay his athleticism or size, which are good, but he's a trustworthy guy. "We talk a lot about getting on the field. You've got to be capable, and we've got to be able to trust you. Those are the two main things. He's an A+ on trust, and he's certainly capable." ■ When Penn State head coach Matt Campbell brought in former Divi- sion III quarterback Connor Barry from Christopher Newport Univer- sity this past winter, he did so with- out making any promises. In a matter of months, Barry showed his worth to the Nittany Lions, taking the reins for much of spring practice while the program dealt with the health-related absences of its projected starter and backup. On April 29, Campbell communicated what he thought of Barry's efforts in his short time on campus. Barry arrived in Happy Valley as a walk-on, but the senior was put on scholarship that week. With projected starter Rocco Becht spending the first half of spring ball go- ing through the motions while working back from offseason shoulder surgery and redshirt freshman backup Alex Man- ske missing the entire spring with an un- specified health problem that took him home to Iowa for a part of the semester, Barry stepped in and took most of the first-team reps with his new program. Barry spent the past two years as the starter at Christopher Newport after be- ginning his career at Appalachian State in 2022. He was a semifinalist in 2025 for the Gagliardi Trophy, which is the Heis- man Trophy at the Division III level. Barry is the school's all-time record-holder in touchdown passes (55), pass efficiency (185.2), average yards per pass (10.5), average yards per completion (15.9) and passing yards per game (185.4). He was named an All-American by the Football Coaches Association and was NJAC Of- fensive Player of the Year. Barry leaned on that experience to help him navigate the spring in a new offense. "I think Connor has done a great job," Campbell said. "With that room in gen- eral, it will pay big dividends for Connor to get those reps to know what he can do and [so that we] feel by the time we get to fall camp, we should be a lot bet- ter of a quarterback room than maybe we were this spring." — Sean Fitz "He's a leader by example, not a loud guy, but he's a guy who just goes to work. It's kind of a cliché, but he's a blue-collar, lunch pail guy. And I think that just connects with some of the Midwest values that have been brought in." S P E C I A L T E A M S C O O R D I N A T O R J U S T I N L U S T I G O N F U R M A N E K Barry arrived at Penn State in January after throwing for 5,561 yards and 55 touchdowns in three seasons at Christopher Newport University. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS Transfer Quarterback Connor Barry Earns Scholarship