Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547542
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 6 15 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Point – Counterpoint The Ni any Lions Need Pass Rushers Greg Pickel: College football games are increasingly decided by high- impact pass rushers. Penn State does not have one of those right now. Yvan Kemajou and Alex McPherson will be juniors next year and could develop into that type of player. That's the hope, but what Penn State needs is a plan. The Lions can't afford to take chances; they need to find a defensive end who can disrupt the game in the backfield while also being able to help in coverage. The good news for PSU is that those players will be available in the upcoming transfer portal window. The bad news is that they will be ex- pensive. Penn State is not likely to end up with the "best" pass rusher in the portal this coming winter, but it must find someone who can come in with the credentials that make you genuinely believe they can be the next Chop Robinson, Yetur Gross-Matos or Dani Dennis-Sutton. Landing a five-star Micah Parsons-type player is unlikely, but that's OK. Penn State just needs to get more out of its pass rush in 2027 than it has this season. On a related note, coordinator D'Anton Lynn will need help at defensive tackle, too. One-and-done starters Keanu Williams and Siale Taupaki are about to exhaust their eligibility, and their impending departures are part of the reason why the defensive line will be at or near the top of the priority list. Landing a star edge rusher is probably more important than restocking the tackle spots, but not by much. Penn State Needs At Least One Quarterback Ryan Snyder: When Penn State's new staff chose to welcome Iowa State transfer Rocco Becht last winter rather than prioritizing the retention of Ethan Grunkemeyer, the coaches knew there would be consequences beyond the 2026 season. Becht had only one year of remaining eligibility, while Grunkemeyer was going to be able to return in 2027. Penn State also brought in Becht's backup, Alex Manske, and the staff believes in his long-term potential. But he's missed significant practice time during his first two seasons, and it's telling that Matt Campbell hasn't turned to the redshirt freshman even with Becht struggling at times. The former four-star recruit might work out in the end, but we're not close to really knowing. That's why PSU has to go into the portal for a quarterback. The Lions should try to find someone who can play right away, although that's easier said than done. The portal is a seller's market when it comes to quality quarterbacks, and the best ones will command big money. For now, Manske and freshman Kase Evans are the only scholarship quar- terbacks expected to return. Even if PSU is able to add three-star recruit Ben Rolapp to its 2027 class, it will have three inexperienced players lead- ing its quarterbacks room. The Lions could use at least one, and preferably two, signal-callers with college experience. Coming off a middling debut season, Campbell and his staff need to have success in the portal this January. Finding the team's future quarterback should be the top item on their to-do list. When The Transfer Portal Opens, What Should Be Penn State's Top Priority? BWI Recruiting Podcast! BWI LIVE Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday Join us at 10 a.m. on YouTube to be part of the conversation! We'll take select questions and interact with your comments from the chat during the show. youtube.com/c/bluewhiteillustratedvideo Your home for the Penn State Recruiting Show from Blue White Illustrated with T Frank Carr, Ryan Snyder, and Sean Fitz Follow us on YouTube and enable alerts - new highlights and videos uploaded regularly! Listen to the podcasts on Apple and Spotify Watch all of our shows on YouTube on the Blue White Illustrated channel