Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/983252
Jake Pinegar is the easy answer, we have a pressing need for a place kicker to grab the reins on field goals and extra points. If he can't make a big im- pact... well, we might be in some seri- ous trouble or relying too heavily on our punter, Blake Gillikin, to wear many hats and risk wearing him down (with all the scoring we will be doing). Pinegar will come in and make a huge impact, much like Gillikin did two sea- sons ago. n1tlion Any sport, eh? How about Gavin Teas- dale at 125 giving a much needed facelift (or cross face) to a spot vacated by that kid from Jersey. We need some points back at that weight class for continued dominance! ZombieHaitian Besides Pinegar, either Ellis Brooks or Micah Parsons. They will be on the field the most. gorki11 The obvious answer will be Micah Par- sons and Justin Shorter. I think P.J. Mustipher will have an impact on the defensive line. He will provide needed depth for Sean Spencer to utilize his 4- to 6-man defensive tackle rotation that we like to use. It keeps the starters fresh in the fourth quarter. waltpsuscranton Based on nothing but the spring game, I would say Mac Hippenhammer could fill in the void created when DaeSean Hamilton left. He seems to have a nose for the ball and an ability to get sepera- tion. Brazillm10 I agree that Hippenhammer really showed up for the Blue -White Game, but I still think that K.J. Hamler is going to be an absolute terror in space. In my opinion, based on the way in which Ricky Rahne called the Fiesta Bowl, I can see him being used in many different ways in order to get him the ball. rcy4499 Justin Shorter. The next Megatron. He will be PSU's greatest wide receiver when he leaves Happy Valley. Pinegar had better be ready at place kicker be- cause we will wear out Gillikin asking him to handle kickoffs, place kicks and punting! Myles Dread for basketball now with Tony Carr leaving. Gavin Teasdale for wrestling. We can finally defend ourselves at 125 now! KidTwist I would be shocked (and most pleased) if Myles Dread is All-Conference, but he will be an important part of next year's team: 28 minutes, 9 points, 3 assists and 4 boards per game is reasonable... a vital cog on a good team. George50 How about true freshman wrestler Roman Bravo-Young? He's a four-time state champ in Arizona and is likely to wrestle at 133 pounds at Penn State, a weight class where he could easily jump right in his freshman year and make a huge difference. Bravo-Young is an elite wrestler who holds multiple U.S. Cadet Nationals titles and has also excelled on the international scene. lobo lion There are likely to be a good number of impact freshmen at PSU this coming year, but the one I think will be most impactful will be Myles Dread on the basketball court. With Tony Carr leaving, there will be a huge void. Dread won't be Tony Carr, but his play will soften the blow from not having that playmaker out there. A very close second will be the obvious answer, Micah Parsons. Parsons is a difference- maker and I think his contributions on defense will change games. With no dis- respect intended to any of the linebackers we've had over the last few years, Par- sons' athleticism alone will be something we haven't seen at LB in a while. Frankly, the recruiting Penn State has done in football, wrestling and basketball will make watching those three sports excit- ing for the foreseeable future. mickey_PSU State and a few other elite schools. As a peewee player growing up in the Harris- burg area, he was nicknamed "The Wa- terboy," a reference to the Adam Sandler movie about a player so intense that he knocks out his own team's quarterback. He later excelled on offense and defense for Central Dauphin and, following a midseason transfer during his junior year, at Harrisburg High. As a senior with the Cougars, he rushed for 1,239 yards and 27 touchdowns while making 17.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Harrisburg's running backs coach, Jawon Chisholm told Pennlive.com recently that Parsons was "a once-in-a-lifetime-type of player. Good things happen when he's on the field." Some good things definitely happened in his Penn State debut. Parsons played extensively in the Blue-White Game, lin- ing up at the Will outside linebacker spot for the Blue squad, which was made up of starters and others who are in contention for open positions. It was his first public appearance in Beaver Stadium, and he led the Blue team with 6.5 tackles. That performance isn't necessarily in- dicative of the impact Parsons will have in the fall. There aren't a lot of exotic play W E B S U R V E Y N E W C O M E R S O F I N F L U E N C E Which freshman (true or redshirt, any sport) do you envision having the biggest impact at Penn State in 2018-19?