Mariana Forteza Site

Thousands of people flocked to downtown State College on a sunny Saturday afternoon to celebrate Pride and the LGBTQ community.



Presented by Centre LGBTQA Support Network, Downtown State College Improvement District and State College Borough, the third annual State College Pride <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/community/parade-festival-among-state-college-pride-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">included</a> a parade of colorful floats and marchers through town and a festival in Sidney Friedman Park, among other events throughout the weekend.



State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, served as grand marshal of the parade and festival. A frequent visitor to Centre County, Kenyatta is the first openly LGBTQ person of color elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.



He called 2023 &#8220;probably the most important year for Pride in a really long time,&#8221; noting a vocal anti-LGBTQ contingent and legislation in a number of states, particularly related to transgender individuals. 



&#8220;In this moment, in this Pride year, what we are doing right now, showing up with joy in our hearts, showing up for and with each other in real community, that is critical right now,&#8221; Kenyatta said. &#8220;Because this is actually what our communities look like. This is actually where most people are&#8230; Do not believe the noise and the nonsense that most people are as hateful and vitriolic as some of the politicians who unfortunately get elected&#8230;. For Pride, it’s really critical for us as a community that we recognize our joy does not exist in contrast to their hatred.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-kenyatta-lane-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424953"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, State College Pride grand marshal, and Judge Timika Lane lead the 2023 Pride parade. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Pennsylvania, Kenyatta said, should aspire to be the best place to live, raise a family and retire for everyone, including LGBTQ people.



&#8220;We deserve to be happy, to be joyous, to be just who you are every single day, no matter what they’re talking about, no matter what they’re doing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You just be who the hell you are.&#8221;



State College Mayor Ezra Nanes acknowledged that some in attendance may be feeling scared, worried or uncertain because of events nationally. 



&#8220;It’s OK to feel that,&#8221; Nanes said. &#8220;I want you to know that me, Ezra Nanes, my family, the Borough of State College, we are here for you. We will always be here for you. We’re going to keep building on the amazing work that you’ve already done, that we’ve already done together.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-3-1024x751.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424937"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-8-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424942"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Nanes issued a proclamation last week declaring June as Pride Month in the borough, and as the parent of an LGBTQ child, he called Pride &#8220;not just principle,&#8221; but also personal.



&#8220;One of the greatest joys in life, whether you’re a parent or a sibling or just an adult with a child in your life that matters, is supporting that child in discovering who they are,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think that’s a really important principle of what Pride is, that we all believe in helping people discover themselves, not telling them who they should be.&#8221;



State Rep. Paul Takac, D-Lemont, said Pride is also personal for him and his family and called it a &#8220;joyful occasion.



&#8220;This represents the absolute best of what State College is and can be,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This sets the standard for what every day should be like. You are not only seen, you are not only accepted, but you should be celebrated and you should be loved. If we could bottle today and make every day like that, wouldn’t this be a better world, a better place to be?&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-1-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424935" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424935"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-2-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424936" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424936"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-4-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424938" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-4-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424938"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-5-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424939" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-5-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424939"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-6-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424940" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-6-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424940"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-7-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424941" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-7-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424941"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-10-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424944" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-10-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424944"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-11-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424945" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-11-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424945"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-12-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424947" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-12-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424947"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-16-scaled.jpeg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424957" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-16-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-424957"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-15-scaled.jpeg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424956" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-15-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-424956"/></a></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/pride-2023-14-scaled.jpeg"><img decoding="async" data-id="424955" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-14-scaled.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-424955"/></a></figure>
<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">Scenes from the 2023 Pride parade in downtown State College. Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Timika Lane, a Philadelphia judge who is running for Pennsylvania Superior Court in November, emphasized the importance of individuals making their voices heard to ensure all are treated with dignity and respect.



&#8220;We have to decide in Pennsylvania, what is it going to be? Are we going to be a place of love or are we going to be a place of hate?&#8230; Your voice matters,&#8221; Lane said.



Kenyatta urged those in attendance to be true to themselves, knowing that it will inspire someone else to do the same.



&#8220;If we lift each other up, if we encourage each other to be brave, if we remind ourselves that we are the majority of this commonwealth, that we are the majority of this nation, when we do that then we will continue to pull this nation closer to making the ideals of freedom, justice and fairness real for everybody,&#8221; he said. &#8220;No matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter who you love, no matter how you worship or choose not to, here in Pennsylvania it’s about you getting a fair shot and a fair shake. We’re going to keep doing that together.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-9-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424943"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



State College Pride has grown substantially since it was first held in 2021. Last year it drew an estimated 4,000 people and organizers expected that number would increase again for the third edition.



The <a href="https://www.centrelgbtqa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centre LGBTQA Support Network</a> (CLSN), which was founded in 2014, has been instrumental in that, as well as in providing resources year round. Sue Marshall, a founding member and current board secretary, said planning for next year&#8217;s Pride will start next week.



In the shorter term, however, CLSN will be celebrating another advancement. A long-planned LGBTQ center for downtown State College will open sometime in August at the corner of Calder Way and South Pugh Street, Marshall said.



&#8220;We can’t wait,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We will have a big opening celebration.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-anchor-arrow-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424949"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Community members danced while Anchor &amp; Arrow played at the 2023 State College Pride festival on Saturday, June 10, in Sidney Friedman Park. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>

‘Showing Up with Joy in Our Hearts.’ State College Celebrates Pride

There may be just one person who claims not to know who will start at quarterback for Penn State football when the team begins its season against West Virginia on Sept. 2.



While Drew Allar has been set as the presumed successor to longtime starting quarterback Sean Clifford since the day that he stepped onto Penn State’s campus in January 2022, James Franklin didn’t declare a winner to the Nittany Lions’ quarterback competition with 86 days until the season opener.



“We have competition at every single position, every single year, returning starter or not,” Franklin told the media on Thursday. “I think that’s the right thing to do.”



Allar’s competition at the position is Beau Pribula, who, like Allar, was a member of the Nittany Lions’ recruiting Class of 2022. The difference between the two was that Allar was a five-star recruit by the time he arrived on campus. Pribula was a three-star.



More recently, Allar took snaps behind Clifford in the 2022 season. The youngster played in enough games that he was unable to take a redshirt season. By contrast, Pribula didn’t take a snap in a Penn State game until the Blue-White Game in April, when he attempted 22 of his 27 passes with second-string players.



Franklin’s hesitation to name a starter isn’t surprising. Entering his 10th year with Penn State, Franklin wants competition at the position. It’s likely that Allar will only stick around Penn State for two more years. Franklin will need someone to step up when the Ohio native is gone.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-statecollege-com wp-block-embed-statecollege-com"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/penn-state-sports/no-starting-quarterback-yet-dont-worry-franklin-history-suggests-late-august-announcement/
</div></figure>



It’s a situation that Franklin has had before. From 2016-17, he had running backs Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders on the same roster. Barkley was a shout for a Heisman candidate in college, and when Sanders turned pro, he reached last season’s Super Bowl as the starting running back for the Philadelphia Eagles.



At Penn State, Barkley was the evident starter. But Franklin said that competition between the two made them both better. If Franklin has his way, the same will happen to Allar and Pribula.



“I think at times there may have been some frustration with that, but I truly believe that type of competition in college really set them up to be successful in the NFL,” Franklin said. “[Barkley] always had somebody behind him trying to take reps away from him. And [Sanders], as a young player, was trying to overtake [Barkley]. So I think that is a healthy position to be in.”



Franklin also has to answer the question of how he’ll use each quarterback. As Mike Yurcich, Penn State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach said at the same press conference, each quarterback has different styles. Gameplans have to be tailored to those styles.



Allar’s been described as a quarterback who’s steady in the pocket. Teammates have raved about his ability to place passes in locations where only a receiver can catch them. Allar can be mobile but his arm is what really sets him apart from the pack.



Pribula, however, is described as athletic. He’s the quarterback that Franklin and Yurcich could turn to when they need to push a pile or in a situation that calls for a mobile quarterback. He’s the Nittany Lions’ alternate.



However Franklin plays the two quarterbacks, it will likely be some time before Penn State fans have an answer to the question that’s hung over the program for more than a year. Franklin noted that he wanted Clifford to compete for a starting role for the six years that the recent&nbsp;<a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/04/29/sean-clifford-drafted-no-149-overall-by-green-bay-packers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NFL draftee</a>&nbsp;spent in Happy Valley. The same will apply to Allar.



If Franklin has 86 days to name a starter against the Mountaineers, he may just use all 86.

‘We Have Competition at Every Single Position’: Penn State Quarterback Question Still Unanswered

Three-star offensive lineman Caleb Brewer committed to Penn State football&#8217;s 2024 class on Saturday night, he announced via Twitter. Brewer’s commitment comes hours after he visited Penn State for Saturday’s Blue-White game.



Brewer hails from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, where he played tight end, offensive line, and defensive line. He’s listed as the No. 8 overall player in Pennsylvania, according to 247Sports.



Upon arrival at Penn State, it’s likely that Brewer will spend his time on the offensive line. He tagged offensive line coach Phil Trautwein in his commitment post and said that Trautwein made the decision to come to Happy Valley an easy one.



Brewer is the ninth player to join Penn State’s recruiting Class of 2024 and the fourth to commit to the Nittany Lions since the start of April. Recently, James Franklin secured&nbsp;<a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/04/07/four-star-athlete-quinton-martin-commits-to-penn-state-football/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quinton Martin</a>, the top recruit in Pennsylvania in the Class of 2024.



Brewer committed to Penn State over a number of programs, including Michigan, Pitt, and Tennessee. To see what he can bring to Penn State, check out his Hudl account&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16630764/Caleb-Brewer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.

Penn State Football: Nittany Lions Add Offensive Lineman to 2024 Class

A spring scrimmage is the perfect thing to overreact to, so here are five observations you should take only somewhat seriously.



Good Introduction: True freshman linebacker Tony Rojas was a name that had generated plenty of buzz this spring and he lived up to the billing on Saturday with a game-high nine tackles, six of them solo. He also broke up one pass and had a half tackle for a loss. The Blue-White game isn&#8217;t always the best way to gauge someone based on their numbers given how little some players see the field [standout linebacker Abdul Carter had one tackle all day] but Rojas certainly showcased some exciting athleticism and ability. Kevin Winston Jr also had a solid afternoon as he enters his sophomore season at safety. On the offensive side of the ball Kaden Saunders pulled down four catches for 57 yards while Cristian Driver and Anthony Ivey did good things in the receiving game as well. Omari Evans&#8217; five catches for 80-yards was the days real bright spot among relatively new faces.



Coverage: Spring scrimmages are never really intended to open the playbook wide nor are they intended to wow the playoff selection committee, so when you say that Penn State&#8217;s coverage units looked good there some grain of salt that comes with this. That being said, Penn State&#8217;s coverage units didn&#8217;t get blown out of the water either. The Nittany Lions will miss Ji&#8217;Ayir Brown and Joey Porter Jr but this group looks plenty capable without them. Time will tell how things really unfold when an offense is really truly trying to score, but it wasn&#8217;t a bad first impression either. Check back in about six or seven months when Kalen King is getting the same kind of draft talk that Porter Jr did. All told Penn State broke up seven passes, a solid number for a unit that led the nation in that category last season.



Smooth With It: Everyone will find out this season if Omari Evans is Penn State&#8217;s third receiver [or who knows, even better] but Evans certainly looked the part of the competent third option on Saturday. Evans caught passes with relative ease and had a smoothness about his game that was a reminder of a young Jahan Dotson. Evans has a long way to go to match Dotson&#8217;s skill and reliability but he was getting open on a day not many people were. The speedster is likely to have some big plays this season with his track abilities and quickness, but if he can pair that with being an every-down option, Penn State will have something a bit more like KJ Hamler.



Next Step: Dani Dennis-Sutton and Abdul Carter both look like players ready to take that next step into superstardom. James Franklin called Dennis-Sutton &#8216;unblockable&#8217; on Saturday at defensive end and Carter is simply bigger, older and wiser at linebacker than he was a year ago. Dennis-Sutton ended the afternoon with two tackles for a loss in a fairly brief afternoon of work. Neither had to deal with Olu Fashanu on the offensive line who didn&#8217;t play on Sunday, but both look the part even more than before. Penn State&#8217;s defense is already giving off elite vibes and those two will have as much to do with it as anybody.



Not That Special: The Blue-White game doesn&#8217;t include any aspect of a return game but punting against absolutely nobody the punting game looked far from threatening and kickoffs were &#8220;acceptable&#8221; at best. Alex Bacchetta averaged 33.4 yards per punt with a long of 38 on five attempts. Mitchell Groh punted just once for 38 and Riley Thompson boomed a 62-yarder. Penn State has won and controlled plenty of games the last decade on the legs of good punters and positive field position, it might not matter in the early going, but the Nittany Lions don&#8217;t need bad punts flipping the field against a team like Ohio State or Michigan. There&#8217;s time to sort this out, but a sub 40-yard average won&#8217;t cut it. Credit to Alex Felkins for making a 22-yarder, can&#8217;t knock a guy for doing his job the only time he&#8217;s asked to.

Penn State Football: 5 Blue-White Takeaways

As Penn State left the field on Saturday afternoon it marked the opening of the second transfer portal window which is slated to close again on Sunday, April 30th. For a program like Penn State, it&#8217;s a great opportunity to address the sorts of needs that could turn cautiously optimistic seasons into legitimate conference title runs. So what is coach James Franklin after?



&#8220;We&#8217;re in a good place right now. But I think we need some more depth and more competition at [defensive tackle]. I think we need some more depth and competition at wide receiver,&#8221; Franklin said following the Blue White game. 



&#8220;I do think we could get to West Virginia or game four or game five, I think we could have six guys that we feel good about. But it&#8217;s not competitive right now. We&#8217;re trying to figure out who the third is, although a guy stepped up today [Omari Evans.] I want there to be legitimate competition at every position. And then besides that, we will not turn down a great player at any position. So, the coaches were talking about how the phones are buzzing. It&#8217;s all over the place right now. It&#8217;s crazy. I addressed it with our team in the locker room afterwards. But those two positions specifically, and then a great difference maker in any position.&#8221;



Time will tell if Penn State has any departures in the portal, the Nittany Lions managed to navigate the first portal opening with fairly little meaningful roster damage while also picking up Kent State transfer receiver Dante Cephas who will join the program this summer. Cephas will give the main rotation of KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Trey Wallace an additional option however the hierarchy pans out. Evan&#8217;s performance on Saturday also threw his name into the hat, but what appears to have been an up-and-down spring for the receivers&#8217; group, it&#8217;s hard to know if Evans posted a breakout game or simply the latest iteration of &#8220;it&#8217;s your turn to play well today&#8221; in a line of work Franklin would appreciate consistency.



On the defensive tackle front Penn State has quality options in Dvon Ellies, Coziah Izzard, Zane Durant and Hakeem Beamon. Davon Townley Jr and Jordan van den Berg pose interesting options as well but Franklin&#8217;s perpetual interest in adding more depth to that room likely speaks to its development as much as fulfilling Penn State&#8217;s proclivity for rotational pieces.



It stands to reason that as the spring comes to a close and players find their place on the depth chart that Penn State will see an unavoidable departure or two, the question of course is how the portal shopping goes for incoming talent. Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, Happy Valley is always an appealing place to call your new home.

Penn State Football: As Spring Window Opens, Franklin Outlines Portal Needs

As sophomore receiver Omari Evans patched together a five-reception, 80-yard and one touchdown performance last weekend as part of Penn State&#8217;s Blue-White spring scrimmage, it was the latest entry in the Nittany Lions&#8217; ongoing efforts to find a No. 3 receiver.



Heading into the summer, longtime wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith looks to pair with incoming Kent State transfer Dante Cephas as an order-to-be-determined one/two combo. Lambert-Smith a familiar staple in the Nittany Lions&#8217; offense over the last three seasons while the equally veteran Cephas will look to continue Penn State&#8217;s growing tradition of finding talented receivers in the portal.



&#8220;He showed up and was suddenly a track guy, you know, and now he&#8217;s done a really good job in the weight room,&#8221; Franklin said after the game of Evans, who has a long history of track and field success in high school as well as playing multiple positions in football. &#8220;He&#8217;s strong and he&#8217;s physical, and he&#8217;s getting more and more confident day by day. As you guys know, we&#8217;ve talked about it a lot. We need somebody to step up in that third wide receiver role. For the last week and a half, we moved him into that spot and obviously today was something to build on. There&#8217;s no doubt about it. He&#8217;s got all the tools.&#8221;



An interesting question in the coming months will be what exactly Penn State wants out of its third receiver. Over the previous nine seasons of James Franklin&#8217;s tenure, Penn State&#8217;s No. 3 receiver has actually been third on the team in receptions just once. In fact on five occasions two different players [running back or tight end] have hauled in more catches than a third-highest catch total by an actual receiver. Nevertheless, finding a legitimate threat &#8211; Penn State&#8217;s No. 3 receiver has caught seven touchdowns over the past two seasons &#8211; remains.



&#8220;I thought Kaden Saunders did some things and [Anthony] Ivey did some things, and Malik McClain did some things,&#8221; Franklin added on his younger receivers.



All told Penn State doesn&#8217;t need that much from its No. 3 receiver, on average the No. 3 wideout has averaged 23.1 receptions per season, 324 yards and just two touchdowns. These averages are dragged down a bit by a seven-game COVID-19 season in 2020 (Lambert-Smith posted a 15 reception, 138 yard season at No. 3 that year) but the general point remains. Be reliable — especially in games when the No. 1 or No. 2 guys might be a point of defensive emphasis — but don&#8217;t expect to carry too much of the load.



Penn State&#8217;s third-highest pass catching receiver (running backs and tight ends excluded])each season since 2014.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>2022: KeAndre Lambert-Smith [24 receptions, 389 yards, 4 touchdowns]</li>



<li>2021: KeAndre Lambert-Smith [34 receptions, 521 yards, 3 touchdowns]</li>



<li>2020: KeAndrew Lambert-Smith [15 receptions, 138 yards, 0 touchdowns]</li>



<li>2019: Justin Shorter [12 receptions, 137 yards, 0 touchdowns]</li>



<li>2018: DeAndre Thompkins [25 receptions, 329 yards, 2 touchdowns]</li>



<li>2017: DeAndre Thompkins [28 receptions, 443 yards, 3 touchdowns]</li>



<li>2016: DeAndre Thompkins [27 receptions, 440 yards, 1 touchdown]</li>



<li>2015: Geno Lewis [17 receptions, 196 yards, 3 touchdowns]</li>



<li>2014: Chris Godwin [26 receptions, 338 yards, 2 touchdowns]</li>
</ul>

As Penn State Tries to Find One for 2023, a Look at No. 3 Receivers of the Past

In a change from recent years Penn State football named three captains following the conclusion of spring practice including State College native Keaton Ellis, Nittany Lion head coach James Franklin announced on Saturday.



&#8220;Last year we had veteran, strong leaders that have been around forever,&#8221; Franklin said. &#8220;We had guys that had been multiple year captains. So, it’s obviously something that we need to be aware of. But, it’s going to be different than it was last year. Instead of there being four to six really strong voices in the locker room, there may be 12 to 16 that aren’t as strong as those four to six but still have the same impact spread out. We did name three captains today. We will wait until we get through training camp and then possibly add three more on offense, defense and special teams. It gives us a really good understanding of who the team sees as leaders right now going into the summer and lean on them and still leave it open to add another offense, defense and special teams.&#8221;



When asked, Franklin noted that offensive lineman Olu Fashanu (offense), safety Keaton Ellis (defense) and linebacker Dominic DeLuca (special teams) would be the first three bestowed with the captaincy. Fashanu returned to Penn State this offseason despite being a projected Top 10 draft choice while Dominic DeLuca enters his redshirt sophomore season as a special teams coverage ace.



For his part Ellis is one of the oldest members of Penn State&#8217;s defense looking to reprise his starting safety role. The senior and State College native has played in 43 games while at Penn State making 72 tackles and defending 13 passes. Last season Ellis set career-highs in both areas.



The trio of captains were announced much earlier than in recent years. Prior to the 2022 season Penn State announced its seven captains in late August just ahead of the season. With the Nittany Lions looking to replace all seven captains, figuring out leadership roles earlier than usual was a clear objective for Franklin and his staff from the outset of spring ball.



“I want to be a leader for this team,” <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/penn-state-football/penn-state-football-for-state-college-native-keaton-ellis-its-time-for-one-final-run/">Ellis told StateCollege.com earlier this spring. </a>“Talking to the coaches about just setting a standard for what leading is. Everybody’s different, so it doesn’t have to look like somebody else and how they lead you. It’s you and I feel like I’ll set the standard and lead by example by how I’m working on my business. I’m just trying to gain the respect of everybody in the program and just care for care for everybody. Make sure everybody is taken care of and holding people accountable. In order to do that, you have to hold yourself accountable.”

State College Native Keaton Ellis Among Three Newly Minted Penn State Captains

Football returned to Beaver Stadium Saturday afternoon for Penn State football’s annual Blue-White game, resulting in a 10-0 shutout propelling the Blue Team over the White squad. For the first time since 2019, the matchup returned to its traditional scrimmage format.&nbsp;



Drew Allar and Beau Pribula battled it out at the quarterback spot, but after settling down, Allar ultimately found his rhythm. The former five-star commodity finished the battle by completing 19-of-30 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Omari Evans proved to be his most reliable target, picking up five catches for 80 yards, including the lone touchdown score.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-it-happened">How It Happened</h3>



Drew Allar began the contest sluggishly for the Blue Team, going 0-for-2 during a quick three-and-out on the first possession of the scrimmage.



Beau Pribula, however, came out firing and delivered a quick seven-yard strike to Malik McClain over the middle of the field. Pribula stepped up in the pocket on the very next play and targeted redshirt sophomore Liam Clifford, but Johnny Dixon laid a big hit on the receiver and the ball came free.&nbsp;



White eventually was forced to punt the ball back to Blue, where Allar started to find his rhythm.



Kaytron Allen received his first touch of the game with six minutes left in the first period, resulting in a five-yard gain over the middle. Allar followed up the gain with a keeper that was good for three yards, and then the Ohio native completed his first pass of the game on a four-yard swing the Omari Evans.&nbsp;



After back-to-back short running plays, Allar found a wide-open Evans on a crossing route, who was able to dash to the end zone from 28 yards out for the game’s first score. After Alex Felkins’ extra point, the Blue Team led 7-0.



The White Team was not able to answer on a drive that saw both Curtis Jacobs and Kalen King record a sack, which resulted in the White Team going backward over three plays.&nbsp;



In the opening drive of the second quarter, Pribula took reps with the Blue Team and mounted a run-heavy drive. Evans continued to play a big role for the Blue Team and caught a 22-yard strike from Pribula in the corner, and he was ultimately dropped at the three-yard line by safety Mehki Flowers. The Blue Team couldn’t cash in on the big play and had to settle for a Felkins field goal that pushed the Blue Team’s lead to 10-0.



Early enrollee gunslinger Jaxon Smolik got his first chance in a Nittany Lion uniform after the three-point drive, but it finished in a three-and-out distinction with negative yardage for the White Team.



The Blue squad gave up a sack early in their next drive leading to a 3rd-and-13 set. Allar found Khalil for seven yards and set up a 4th-and-6. Then, Allar overthrew an open Kaden Saunders on the conversion attempt, and the Blue Team turned the ball over to the White Team on downs.



Pribula struggled during the White Team’s next drive, starting 0-for-2 along with an intentional grounding call. It then set up a lengthy 3rd-and-19 try, but Tank Smith couldn’t convert the long-yardage scenario.&nbsp;



The Blue Team found itself back with the ball back at its own 35-yard line with just under a minute left in the half. Miscommunication between Allar and Allen resulted in an incompletion, and Allar nearly threw an interception on the very next play.&nbsp;



Shortly after, Allar redeemed himself and delivered a 17-yard beauty to Kaden Saunders that gave the Blue Team a fresh set of downs. With time running down in the first half, Allar saw the pocket collapse but managed to step up and toss a deep ball to Tyler Johnson who made a diving grab. The second-year product came up short of the endzone, but the Blue Team took a 10-0 lead to the locker room at the half.



Pribula and the White Team started the second half with the ball at the 25-yard line. After an Amiel Davis rush and an eight-yard completion to Trey Wallace, the White Team found themselves with a fresh set of downs.



Davis broke off yet again for an eight-yard rush that set up a 4th-and-2 that was later converted by Davis on a 5 yard gain. The drive stalled after the second first down when Pribula overthrew McClain on 3rd-and-14.&nbsp;



The Blue Team then retained possession on its own nine-yard line after a 34-yard punt by redshirt freshman Alex Bacchetta. Singleton then fired off three rushes that resulted in 11 yards and a first down for the Blue Team.



Allar continued to find his targets throughout the rest of the drive, as he founds Evans once again for 19 yards, taking the Blue Team down to their own 40-yard line.



The third quarter came to an end with the Blue Team still leading 10-0.



Allar opened up the fourth quarter with a 16-yard completion to Saunders, and Tank Smith followed it up with a 13-yard rush up the middle. Tony Rojas got involved for the White Team’s defense on a 2nd-and-14, breaking up a pass from Allar at the line of scrimmage. Smith was unable to find the line to gain on a fourth-down conversion attempt, and Blue gave the ball back to White.



The Blue Team’s defense ruled the next drive, notching two sacks and a hurry during a drive that only went backward for Pribula and the White Team.



The Blue Team took advantage of a favorable field position, as Allar completed a 23-yard pass to Saunders and followed it up with a sidearm heave. The tough throw concluded with a catch by Saunders, who toted the rock down to the 25-yard line.



Blue couldn’t find the end zone in four chances from the 9-yard line, as Tony Rojas and the White defense completed a goal-line stand, preventing an Anthony Ivey touchdown.



With limited clock remaining, White took the field on offensive back with a minute remaining on their own two-yard line. Despite the bad starting positions, three completions and a 15-yard illegal use of hands penalty quickly moved the White Team past midfield with just under 30 seconds remaining.&nbsp;



However, Pribula took a shot downfield that was intercepted by redshirt freshman safety Jashaun Green, giving the ball back to the Blue Team with seven seconds remaining.



Allar looked to air the ball out but ended up dumping it to Joey Schlaffer in the closing seconds, who gained four yards and ended the game with the score still at 10-0.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Takeaways:</h3>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Drew Allar received a chorus of groans after his first two pass attempts dropped to the turf. But shortly after the tough start, Allar quickly calmed himself down and found his targets for some big plays. Allar finished the game with 202 yards through the air, including a promising touchdown toss to Omari Evans on his fourth read.</li>



<li>Early enrollee Tony Rojas stepped up during his first time in a Penn State uniform. Rojas proved to be a tough cover defensively for any Blue player to get past, notching six solo tackles and a half-stop in the backfield for a loss.</li>



<li>Omari Evans made his case for the third starting spot at wide receiver during the spring game. Evans had multiple big plays through the air, with his longest being a 28-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Evans finished the game with 80 receiving yards and a score.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What’s Next?</h3>



Penn State will open its 2023 campaign at Beaver Stadium against West Virginia on Saturday, September 2. The matchup’s start time and TV network will be announced at a later date.

Blue Knocks Off White 10-0 in 2023 Blue-White Game

Sometimes a team shows up to spring practice prepackaged for success. In 2017, the Nittany Lions came out of the box already national title contenders, there wasn&#8217;t much to sort out. It was a matter of public record: this team was going to be good.



Enter the 2023 edition of the Blue White game and the take-home feeling is somewhere in between. There&#8217;s no question the Nittany Lions have talent, the question will be how quickly it can grow into it.



Spring scrimmages are by their very nature not designed to showcase the depth of offensive and defensive playbooks. As such estimating the developmental road ahead from one slightly rushed scrimmage is entirely guesswork. Penn State didn&#8217;t once pull out the T-Formation it made popular in 2022, the defense wasn&#8217;t overly exotic and the offense wasn&#8217;t trying to revolutionize the game. There&#8217;s only so much to go off of. This rings especially true for a team just hours away from finally having a break from football, mostly trying to get out of a 15 practice stretch with no new bumps or bruises.



If you were looking to be wowed by quarterback Drew Allar his most impressive throw of a day was a side-armed completion that gain a total of one yard. Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton were fine but totaled 10 carries which will likely amount to a third of what they should have any given Saturday in the fall. One might have wanted to see more out of the offensive line, but it&#8217;s hard to put too much stock in any single units&#8217; performance when practices are often more about observing broad themes rather than drilling down on all the finer details.



And the theme from Saturday? This team seems talented, but it will have to do a lot of growing to get to where it wants to go.



&#8220;We have to be very intentional about what we do between now and West Virginia,&#8221; Penn State coach James Franklin said after the game. &#8220;They&#8217;ve got to have a personal plan. What do I need to get better at? What do I do well, what do I need t work on to be a more complete player?&#8221;



The first step in that process is an internal evaluation period that will consume no small part of Franklin&#8217;s next two weeks. It is tedious but necessary work as the Nittany Lion coaching staff looks to hone in on what will make this team tick.



&#8220;Monday and Tuesday all day, the players will be meeting with their position coaches,&#8221; Franklin said. &#8220;They will get feedback from their position coaches. The coaches will get feedback from the players. We have players fill out the document beforehand to come in and answer some questions for the position coach to discuss with them so they get really good feedback from their position coach. The strength coaches are all broken down and they have a position on offense and defense. The strength coaches will do the same thing. They&#8217;ll break down where they&#8217;re at, where they need to focus on and what they need to work on in a development plan.&#8221;



Then come the spring ball exit interviews.



&#8220;And then I meet with every single player on the team,&#8221; Franklin added. &#8220;I&#8217;ll meet with every single one. Review the document from the strength staff, review a document from the academic staff, the training staff, their position coach so they understand kind of holistically where they&#8217;re at. And then I give them specific feedback as well. And then I also get feedback on the staff. What do they think about their position coach, what are they think about the coordinator when they think about the strength staff? What do they think about that feedback is important and I kind of tally it all up &#8230; there&#8217;s a ton of information that we&#8217;re able to get that as a part of my evaluation process, not just for the players but for the staff. So that&#8217;ll be a grind. But I think that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re gonna have to do and be very intentional. We go through the tape from spring, make all the cut ups so when we get off the road from spring recruiting we&#8217;ll go through the cut ups and start to come up with what is our identity going to be now on offense, defense and special teams based on what we did well this spring. And then obviously right now the analysts and GA&#8217;s on Monday we&#8217;ll start working on breaking down our first core opponents as well. So there&#8217;s a ton of work to be done.&#8221;



In the big picture Penn State is relatively fortunate that its 2023 schedule allows for at least some degree of developmental patience. The Nittany Lions would be ill advised to take anything for granted ahead of then, but a Week 4 meeting against Iowa looks to be the first real legitimate test of the season. Penn State doesn&#8217;t face Ohio State until October 21st with an off week and an out of conference meeting against UMass in the lead-up to that contest. For their part, Big Ten defending champs Michigan don&#8217;t arrive in State College mid November. Even if Penn State isn&#8217;t quite ready to knock off either or both teams this season, the Nittany Lions stand to lock down 9+ regular season wins if they can get a slew of younger talent up to speed.



Starting with presumed starting quarterback Drew Allar.



&#8220;It&#8217;s about putting in as much work as we can between now and fall camp,&#8221; Allar said. &#8220;I think that&#8217;s gonna be the biggest thing &#8230; it&#8217;s really going to be on us as a players in May through June, July, to really get this thing narrowed down and focus on what we really want to get good at as offense. We&#8217;ll have like our exit interviews this week that will be with the coaches and then they&#8217;ll tell us their input and ask us for our opinions. So then off of that we can just work [and] I think the amount of work that we&#8217;ve got to put in is going to pay huge dividends for us.&#8221;



Allar&#8217;s development will be as key as anything that happens this summer. The 19 year-old sophomore is effectively a half decade younger than his predecessor Sean Clifford. Whatever Clifford&#8217;s shortcomings might have been, he had seen everything and as was deft as they come at orchestrating all the various game management aspects of being a starting quarterback. Clifford was rarely shaken in his resolve whereas Allar and onlookers will find out together what kind of mettle Allar has in those key moments. Penn State will be well served to feed its two-headed running back monster plenty to help Allar get his feet under him, and Penn State&#8217;s receivers&#8217; room will be well served to develop quickly enough that Allar&#8217;s passes are met with equally as competent hands. The arrival of Kent State transfer wideout Dante Cephas will help things in that regard a bit, but he and Allar will need to develop a rapport quickly.



All told things went about as expected on Saturday, you can see the reasons why fans, coaches and players are optimistic about what this team can become. You can also see that this group will need to grow into the talent it has. Fortunately &#8211; or unfortunately &#8211; it has about four months to get a full head of steam into that growth.

Nittany Lions Have Talent; Key to 2023 Will Be Growing into It

Penn State Blue-White Game

<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_mob_300v_5" 
class="adapex-mobile adapex-300-250 text-center">
</div>



<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_300v_1" 
class="adapex-desktop-tablet adapex-300-250 text-center"></div>



<div class="sidebar-accuweather">
 <div id="accuWeatherConnectApp" style="margin: auto; width: 300px; height: 530px"></div>
 <script src="https://www.accuweather.com/widgets/connect/bootstrap.js" data-partner="web_lazerpro_con_adc" data-key="1c7a30ab4a4b447687bf90d9e3f9a789" data-layout="vertical" data-adtype="connatix-elements" data-strategy="standard" data-connatixplayerid="8a4f35c9-33b1-44b5-a2bc-6bd4150d25b5" data-location="335315" async></script>
 
</div>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="/weather/">State College Weather</a></div>
</div>



<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_mob_300v_6" 
class="adapex-mobile adapex-300-250 text-center">

</div>



<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_300v_2" 
class="adapex-desktop-tablet adapex-300-250 text-center">
</div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is trending widget</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Upcoming community events</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recent columns</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Vehicle of the day</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CTA</h2>







<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Favorite Links</h2>


<nav class="is-vertical wp-block-navigation is-layout-flex wp-container-core-navigation-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-navigation-is-layout-flex" aria-label="Footer"><ul class="wp-block-navigation__container is-vertical wp-block-navigation"><li class=" wp-block-navigation-item s:33:&quot;s:25:&quot;s:17:&quot;a:1:{i:0;s:0:&quot;&quot;;}&quot;;&quot;;&quot;; wp-block-navigation-link"><a class="wp-block-navigation-item__content" href="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/brand-guide/">Brand Guide</a></li><li class=" wp-block-navigation-item s:33:&quot;s:25:&quot;s:17:&quot;a:1:{i:0;s:0:&quot;&quot;;}&quot;;&quot;;&quot;; wp-block-navigation-link"><a class="wp-block-navigation-item__content" href="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/core-values/">Core Values</a></li><li class=" wp-block-navigation-item s:33:&quot;s:25:&quot;s:17:&quot;a:1:{i:0;s:0:&quot;&quot;;}&quot;;&quot;;&quot;; wp-block-navigation-link"><a class="wp-block-navigation-item__content" href="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/contact-us/">Contact Us</a></li></ul></nav>


<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_300v_3" 
class="adapex-desktop-tablet adapex-300-250 text-center">
</div>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button">See news happening?</a></div>
</div>



<div data-aaad="true" 
data-aa-adunit="/22181265/stc_sticky_siderail" 
class="adapex-desktop-tablet adapex--sticky adapex-300-250 text-center">

</div>