Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1546159
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 6 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M would have carried his team to victory at least some of the time when things weren't going right with the offense. An evenhanded read on a player like Allar has never been a popular stance. In today's hot-take media landscape, opinions get delivered as facts without room for nuance. With that in mind, it bears mention- ing that most of the highlights coming out of the first few days of Steelers camp were from a fan account. "Baku," who describes himself as the "biggest Pitts- burgh sports fan on earth" in his bio, isn't inherently a problem; accounts like his serve as a rallying point for the fan base. But when they start blurring the line between cheerleader and reporter, the sources and their biases matter. Al- lar hasn't had a flawless camp. That's not meant to tear him down, just to add context. Overall, he does appear to be having a strong camp, showing an ability to read coverage and react quickly without rushing his lower-body mechanics. Allar is a re- lentless worker. If he's truly gotten better coaching that can fix some of his issues, he will apply that knowledge with vigor. However, the mechanical issues date back to his time in high school. Will this new development stick when the defense can actually touch him? It's hard to make definitive statements af- ter years of expecting development and not seeing it. So, what's the truth about Allar in Pittsburgh? He's been off-limits to tacklers in camp, even when there is a pass rush. Also, he's lighting up the scout team secondary. That's all excel- lent news, but the preseason games, which began with an Aug. 13 matchup against Green Bay, will provide more definitive answers. Until then, we'll re- frain from calling it either way for the former Penn State starter. AROUND THE LEAGUE Allar is not the only former Penn State player on the Steelers' roster. Tight end Pat Freiermuth and safety Jaquan Brisker are also in Latrobe, as is corner- back Joey Porter Jr. Porter has yet to take the field, having started camp on the team's physically unable to perform (PUP) list with a back injury he suffered on July 28 during a team workout. Even if healthy enough to practice, he probably would not be in action; Porter wants a contract exten- sion from the team before playing the final season of his rookie deal. It's not known when Porter will be cleared to return to action. Likewise, it's unclear whether he will do so when able. Elsewhere around the NFL, tight end Tyler Warren had a fine rookie year with the Indianapolis Colts, catching 76 passes for 817 yards and 4 touchdowns. He's in line for an even bigger role now that star receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is with the Steelers. "Not having Pitt here is a big deal, just because he was such a big part of our of- fense and a great player," Warren told reporters in Indianapolis during camp. "It opens opportunities for a lot of guys across the offense, so I think being able to be more diverse and maybe run some different routes that Pitt would have been running will be good for everybody here to spread the ball around more." In Philadelphia, Saquon Barkley is no longer the highest-paid running back in the NFL. That honor belonged briefly to Bijan Robinson when the Atlanta Fal- cons gave him a three-year deal worth up to $75 million. Two days later, Rob- inson's pact was surpassed by Jahmyr Gibbs' three-year deal with the Detroit Lions, which could be worth as much as $75.75 million. Gibbs and Robinson will receive av- erage annual salaries of $22.25 million, which surpasses Barkley's $20.6 million average. Barkley is one of many Eagles who are looking for a bounce-back season in 2026 after the offense mostly struggled last fall. Heading into his third season with the franchise, he knows fans are expecting improvement. "I embrace it. I don't think pressure is a real thing from the outside," Barkley told The Associated Press. "You have to hold yourself to a high standard. I know Philly holds us to a higher standard al- ready, but I feel like the way I carry my- self and how I train and the standard I hold myself, I fit right into the city and into this fan base. ... You want to win every year. That's the goal." ■ Greg Pickel contributed to this report. PSU ATHLETES DRAFTED TO PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES IN 2025-26 Athlete League Rd. Pick Team Michael Anderson MLB 5 149 Texas Rangers Alex Weingartner* MLB 6 166 Chicago White Sox Dalton Harper* MLB 16 472 Atlanta Braves Olaivavega Ioane NFL 1 14 Baltimore Ravens Drew Allar NFL 3 76 Pittsburgh Steelers Drew Shelton NFL 4 112 Dallas Cowboys Dani Dennis-Sutton NFL 4 120 Green Bay Packers Zakee Wheatley NFL 5 151 Carolina Panthers Nicholas Singleton NFL 5 165 Tennessee Titans Zane Durant NFL 5 181 Buffalo Bills Kaytron Allen NFL 6 187 Washington Commanders Gavin McKenna NHL 1 1 Toronto Maple Leafs Egor Shilov* NHL 2 43 Colorado Avalanche Ryder Fetterolf* NHL 4 125 Carolina Hurricanes Alex Ross PLL 1 8 New York Atlas Tessa Janecke PWHL** 1 3 Las Vegas Leah Stecker PWHL 3 27 Boston Fleet Maddy Christian PWHL 3 33 Minnesota Frost Katie DeSa PWHL 4 37 Vancouver Goldeneyes Katelyn Roberts PWHL 4 43 New York Sirens Kendall Butze PWHL 5 49 Las Vegas Mya Vaslet PWHL 6 66 Hamilton * Incoming Penn State signee | **Professional Women's Hockey League