BWI Live: A Penn State football podcast from Blue White Illustrated

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BWI Daily: Top 10 Penn Staters that need to crush winter workouts Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football enters its winter conditioning period during the spring semester of 2022. Every offseason it's a critical time of year for player development, and this year is no different. The mantra in football has always been "bigger, faster, stronger," so every player needs to improve at this time of year. With a disappointing 2021 in the rearview mirror, several players need to take full advantage of the winter conditioning period and take the next step. Host Thomas Frank Carr has his top-10 players that need to do that this offseason.

He starts at 10 with an unlikely position and player when you think of winter lifting. Yet, slot corner Daequan Hardy begins the list for several key reasons, including usage pattern, size, and playing style. His development can also help one particular problem that the Penn State defense has this offseason. It's a problem that will populate the list with candidates.

The players coming in at number nine and eight are here because they need to make up for lost ground. Two Penn State contributors have struggled to overcome injuries and need this time of year to make real strides on their way back. Both are presumed healthy at this point and can be starters in 2022 with the proper recovery and advancement in their physical skills.

The following three Penn State players on the list are younger players who need to keep their developmental curve going. The first player, coming in seventh, is a presumed starter in 2022 and needs to make good the promise of his potential from last season. The following two are dark-horse candidates to win playing time next season if they take a serious step forward in their physical development. Both are along the line of scrimmage, and one is possibly the key to unlocking a best-case scenario on the offensive line.

The player checking in at number four on the list is similar to the previous group but is much more of a wildcard. It's clear from his profile that he will need to get bigger and stronger before starting, but it's unknown if he has the skills to do so just yet. Nevertheless, if this player delivers on a high-profile recruiting ranking, he can change Penn State's plans in the offseason and alter the starting lineup on defense in a positive way.

Of the final three players, two were defacto starters last season and are likely top of mind when thinking of Penn State defenders that need to get bigger this offseason. The other is here for a practical and symbolic reason regarding what he means to Penn State's future.

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Recruiting Pod: All-American Bowl recap, junior days set to begin and transfer portal talk Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

The first Blue-White Illustrated recruiting podcast of 2022 is now live.

Hosts Ryan Snyder and Greg Pickel are back from seeing current and future Penn State football players on the road to end the 2021 season. The pair kickoff this week's episode with a quick recap of Georgia's win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff title game.

From there, the hosts dive into a recap of the Lions' four signees at the All-American Bowl. Who stood out to Snyder the most?

After that, Ryan and Greg breakdown where Penn State stands in the transfer portal before taking a closer look at the January enrollees who are now on campus. They close the show by looking ahead to the first of three Penn State Junior Days on the horizon.

BWI Daily: Evaluating the All-star game performers Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

Penn State Football has six players participating in two all-star games over the last two weekends. Running back Kaytron Allen and offensive lineman Drew Shelton played for team Icon in the Under Armour Next game in Florida two weekends ago. Receiver Kaden Saunders was a participant in the week of practice, but he was nicked up in practice and was held out of the game.

This past Saturday, four future Penn Stater's took part in the All-America Bowl in San Antonio. Quarterback Drew Allar, running back Nick Singleton, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, and linebacker Keon Wylie started for the East squad after a week of practice.

While the games provide us another opportunity to evaluate and learn about the players participating, they are not events that should dramatically swing perception. With that in mind, we'll take a look at the film for several of the players and give you evaluations on each player's performance in their respective games.

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BWI Live: Spring Semester staring for Penn State Football Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

The spring semester for Penn State starts today, which means the Penn State football team is already back at it, gearing up for spring football. While there is truly no offseason in college football, today is an important transition that officially signals the end of 2021 and the preparation for 2022 beginning in earnest. It’s also means that several highly-anticipated football players are now on campus and started their collegiate careers.

To help kick off the offseason, BWI Live is back for their weekly Monday show. Dave Eckert, Nate Bauer, and Thomas Frank Carr will discuss the weekend’s news and look forward to winter conditioning.

Penn State has several key players enrolling early and starting class today. The gang will talk about which players stand out to them and how that group can influence next season. They also discuss which players might be hurt the most by not enrolling early and getting a jump start on their careers. The Nittany Lions have had several players, including cornerback Cam Miller, not enroll early as planned.

It’s also been an offseason of change so far for Penn State football. The trio will discuss what’s happened this offseason, with several critical departures within the program, and evaluate how head coach James Franklin and his staffhave managedthe change. They will also look forward to see if any changes, good or bad, are on the horizon for the Nittany Lions.

Tune in at noon to the BWI Live show, only on YouTube!

BWI Daily: All-America Bowl Update with Ryan Snyder Jan 07, 2022

Show notes

Four future Penn State football players are down in San Antonio for the All-America Bowl all-star game. Five-star quarterback Drew Allar, five-star running back Nick Singleton, four-star defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, and four-star linebacker Keon Wylie are in attendance, representing Penn State's Class of 2022. Representing Blue White Illustrated; recruiting insider Ryan Snyder joins the show to discuss what he's seen this week.

Snyder has been at practice this week and joins the BWI Daily Edition to give his insights into practice, his interviews with the players, and who has stood out.

They start by talking about what players already committed to universities, like Penn State's representatives, gain from an event like the All-America Bowl. Then, Snyder gives his thoughts about what makes this week of competition valuable to the individuals and how it can help them as players.

From there, they discuss quarterback Drew Allar's week on center stage. As with most camps, quarterbacks have the most performance chances, and Allar has been a standout. So how good has he been? First, Snyder gives a glowing review of his skills and then shares his conversations with Allar about what the week has been like for him.

Next, they focus Dennis-Sutton, who has also been a name on evaluators' lips this week. He shares what his colleagues in San Antonio have said about Dennis-Sutton and adds his own thoughts. Next Sndyer and T-Frank disucss the possiblity of Dennis-Sutton being available for the Penn State defense early in his career. Snyder asked the senior defensive end that question and shares Dennis-Sutton's answer.

Another player who contributes early for Penn State is running back Nick Singleton. Unlike Allar and Dennis-Sutton, tailbacks have a more challenging time standing out in walkthroughs. Has Singleton broken that mold? Snyder shares his thoughts about Singleton and his profile as a freshman contributor once he gets to Penn State.

Finally, they discuss linebacker Keon Wylie. Like Singleton, linebackers have a tough time standing out in a primarily 7-on-7 environment, so Snyder says less about the Imhotep graduate. Despite that, he's the leading player that Synder is looking forward to watching during the game on Saturday because he'll exclusively be playing linebacker for the first time in his career.

They wrap up with the schedule for the rest of the week and some final thoughts on this weekend's event.

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BWI Daily: Will there be an open competition at QB in 2022? Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football entered its 2022 offseason with tumultuous news, with the eventual loss of two coordinators. It continued with six starter opt-outs of the Outback Bowl and has concluded with several players leaving the program early for the NFL. So with all of that change happening, what can Nittany Lions fans expect for 2022?

Blue White Illustrated reporter Dave Eckert joins the BWI Daily Edition to discuss that exact topic. He has a list of 22 things to be optimistic about in 2022 for Penn State football, and he joins the show to talk about a few highlights from the list. Host Thomas Frank Carr also asks him to answer a listener-submitted question about the quarterback room in 2022. Finally, they finish the show talking about Penn State Basketball's big win on the road last night against Northwestern.

The burning question on every fans' mind heading into the offseason is about Penn State's future at quarterback. Starter Sean Clifford announced that he would return for a sixth year shortly after the season, and some are worried that head coach James Franklin will not open up his job to competition. So will redshirt freshman Christian Veilleux or incoming freshmen Drew Allar and Beau Pribula have a real shot at unseating the incumbent? Eckert gives his thoughts on the matter. T-Frank is skeptical of Eckert's conclusion and shares his concerns about the subject.

Next, they discuss three of Eckert's 22 reasons to be positive in 2022. What are his thoughts on the offense, youth, and transfers? Dave thinks that big things could be in store for the Nittany Lions on that side of the ball. Afterward, T-Frank adds one of his reasons to be positive based on what he saw in the Outback Bowl.

Finally, they wrap up by talking about Penn State basketball's 74-70 win over Northwestern on Wednesday. The Nittany Lions have now won two Big Ten games in a row and have gotten solid play from key players. They discuss Seth Lundy's big night and what Dave thinks has changed since the team got a key player back from injury.

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BWI Daily: What impact can PJ Mustipher's return have on the team in 2022? Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

It's been a week of announcements for Penn State Football:

More came yesterday in defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, returning for a fifth year in 2022.

Penn State quickly replaced special teams coordinator Joe Lorig in Boise State's Stacy Collins.

Punter Jordan Stout announced he was leaving the program for the NFL.

So how does Penn State replace the player that served as their kickoff specialist, punter, and field goal kicker?

Senior editor Nate Bauer once again joins the BWI Daily edition to talk about those three moves, along with long snapper Chris Stoll announcing that he was also coming back to Penn State for one final season.

They start with Mustipher, the four-year contributor for the Nittany Lions returning for an extra fifth year of eligibility. Unfortunately, not much is known about the nature of Mustihper's injury, which he suffered in the first quarter against Iowa. Since his injury happened in October, can he be ready to participate fully for Penn State next season?

T-Frank and Bauer go through that, along with what Mustipher gets from coming back to Penn State, outside of just one more year of games. They also speculate about the nature of his injury and how that sets a possible timeline for his return. T-Frank cautions fans from expecting the same player they saw in 2021 and explains why. Bauer also brings up the intangible benefits of bringing back a leader like Mustpher and how he can help, even if he's less than fully healthy.

After the lengthy discussion about Mustipher, the duo examined Collins' resume and why Penn State hired him away from Boise State, where he served as the speical team's coordinator. Next, T-Frank and Bauer look at his resume and examine all the different stops and job titles he's collected along the way. T-Frank also explains how two of his job titles with Penn State say the same thing.

Finally, the duo discusses punter Jordan Stout's announcement that he's headed to the NFL. The Penn State do-it-all special teamer leaves a void on kickoffs, punting, and field goals. Bauer takes you through the names and backgrounds of all potential candidates to replace him. Last but not least, they discuss the importance of long snapper Chris Stoll coming back for his sixth year of eligibility.

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BWI Daily: Key players and personnel leaving the program Jan 04, 2022

Show notes

Penn State's offseason of change continues this week, and this time it's not just players opting for the NFL Draft. Yes, Rasheed Walker declared for the NFL on Monday. But that day also brought the news that Penn State would officially lose special teams coordiantor, Joe Lorig, to Oregon, and behind-the-scenes administrator Michael Hazel was leaving to join Brent Pry at Virginia Tech.

While Walker's departure is clear, what effect will the other two have on the program? Senior Editor Nate Bauer joins host Thomas Frank Carr to discuss the impact of all three leaving the program.

They start with Walker, the most accessible and understandable departure from Penn State. After T-Frank explains that Walker did not have a quality season one would expect from a player heading to the next level, he asks a question. What are we missing in this conversation? There have been several players this offseason that fans, media, and some observers have questioned their move to the NFL. T-Frank and Bauer discuss the possible motivations and factors that make players like Walker, or linebacker Brandon Smith, leave with remaining eligibility. Not every decision has to do with the on-field play.

Next, they discuss Lorig's move from Happy Valley to Eugene. Despite "only" being a special team's coordiantor, Bauer thinks that Lorig's departure will be hard for head coach James Franklin to fill. According to Bauer, the former Western Oregon defensive back was singular in his career ambition, and that focus on his unit will be hard to replace. Finally, they discuss how speical teams have changed and how rules have shifted the focus and priority for that phase of football.

Finally, they get into the murky waters of the behind-the-scenes business in college football. Bauer does his best to describe what Hazel did while at Penn State, which is a challenging task. He then explains how Hazel has been key to Franklin's process as a coach and how he's been with Franklin longer than any current assistant on the staff. Filling that role will be complicated and an intriguing story this offseason.

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BWI Daily: Breaking down Penn State's offensive performance in the Outback Bowl Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football continued their second-half spiral with a 24-10 loss to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on New Years Day. It was the team's sixth loss in the final eight games and the fourth time they failed to crack 20 points during that time. How did things get so bad for the Nittany Lions offense? Film analyst for Blue White Illustrated and host of the BWI Daily Edition, Thomas Frank Carr, looked at the film and answers.

He starts with his scouting report of Arkansas, which depicts a defense that wants to play with two different styles of attack based on what type of quarterback it is playing. Penn State knew this about Arkansas and crafted a game plan to beat both defense styles. But, unfortunately, it didn't work because of one key component; the quarterback.

T-Frank explains how Arkansas rendered Clifford ineffective early in the game, which caused a cascade of problems for the Penn State offense. Next, he provides stats to back that up and quotes from head coach James Franklin.

Aside from Clifford, several other familiar characters from Penn State's struggles surfaced in the game. For example, how did Juice Scruggs fare at center? How did that change affect communication with the offensive line? T-Frank explains what he saw on film and how it all ties together.

Finally, T-Frank examines the Penn State running game. He starts with a quote from James Franklin about not running the ball enough. Next, T-Frank explains how simply criticizing the design or scheme of the offense isn't the whole story. He shows how offensive coordinator Mike Yurich designed some specific runs that exposed the defense but followed that up with alarming numbers in the run game.

All of that, along with the strengths of the Arkansas defense, led to a day that Penn State fans will want to forget soon. All of this begs the question for the offseason; how does it get better?

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BWI Live: Monday Recap of Outback Bowl Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

Penn State dropped their final game on Saturday, losing 24-10 to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. The BWI Live crew is back to recap the game and look forward to the 2022 offseason.

Join host Thomas Frank Carr, senior editor Nate Bauer, and reporter Dave Eckert as they make sense of the 2021 season and the Outback Bowl debacle. They'll take your questions and give perspective on a disappointing year for Penn State Football.

Join the BWI Live Show Monday at noon, only on YouTube!

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