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

Latest Episodes:

Wrestling Show: Big Ten Tournament preview, Penn State chances of postseason crown Mar 08, 2024

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Welcome to Big Ten tournament weekend, Penn State wrestling fans. The No. 1 Nittany Lions look to win another conference crown this weekend in College Park, Md. It would mark their second consecutive one after ending a drought that dated back to 2019 in 2023. Head coach Cael Sanderson’s side has multiple top seeds and 10 entrants set to compete at the event.

“I think everyone’s looking good,” Sanderson said back on Monday. “You know, we just have a couple more days of hard training, and then it’s just getting ready to compete and just go do what we do.

“I don’t think anybody’s peaked yet. I think everybody has their eyes set on the bigger events at the end. But yeah, there’s some different things, everyone’s different. Obviously, different levels of experience. And then weight management is different. So that obviously factors into the training of each individual. I think our our guys are excited and at peace and ready to roll.”

It goes without saying that all on hand are aiming to qualify for nationals. But, while that is the focus, there’s no question that the top topic of conversation throughout the tournament will be the health and ongoing status of Penn State 174-pound three-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci. He was hurt at the end of his about against Edinboro two Sundays ago. But, Sanderson seemed optimistic when meeting with reporters earlier this week.

“We trust our trainer, Dan Monthley, and our doctors and as we’ve said, Carter’s a competitor and he’ll be good to go,” Sanderson said. “I think he’s doing good.

“The first day was tough for him because we didn’t really know where he was and he was in a lot of pain. Usually, that’s a good thing. If you know knees and injuries and stuff, if there’s no pain that’s usually more of a concern because that means something’s no longer there. He’s doing good.”

A new episode of the Blue-White Illustrated wrestling podcast starts with the latest on Starocci. From there, host Thomas Frank Carr and reporter Greg Pickel offer a weight-by-weight breakdown of the tournament in addition to making predictions for how each Nittany Lion will fare.

Watch the show in the embedded video player above. Want to listen to it? Podcast links: SPOTIFY, APPLE.

Blue-White Illustrated will have complete coverage of the Penn State wrestling postseason push. The team will try to qualify all 10 starters for nationals at Big Tens. Then, it will take its contingent to Kansas City, Mo., for nationals March 21-23. Bracket information will be announced by the NCAA for that tournament on Wed., March 13.

Penn State Wrestling Show Previews The Big Ten Tournament

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BWI Live: Five Burning Questions for Penn State Spring Football Mar 06, 2024

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Penn State football opens up spring practice next week, and today, on the BWI Live Show, we’re discussing five burning questions we have for spring ball. Join the show at 10 a.m. on YouTube as we go through the top things that Penn State football needs to find out about itself during the 15 practices in March and April. If you can’t make it to the live show, catch us on replay on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel, or in the video player embedded in this article.

Now is a great time to sign up for Blue White Illustrated and the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel. Don’t miss our exclusive interivews, breaking news and more on YouTube. And of course, you’ll get premium inside information into practice and recruiting you can’t get anywhere else. YouTube viewers can use promo code PSU1 at sign up to get two months for one dollar.

How quickly will Abdul Carter take to defensive end?

We start the show discussing Penn State star defender Abdul Carter’s move to defensive end. The discussion centers around how quickly Carter can take to the position, not the chances of success. We discuss what factors will play into that transition on the show. Here’s an excerpt from the article outlining our five questions.

How will he take to defensive line coach Deion Barnes’ teaching as a pass rusher? Carter has the physical skills and instincts to be an elite pass rusher. But learning the nuances of the position still takes time. That training has likely already started.

Penn State defense under Tom Allen and the wide receiver room

Some of the other questions we discussed on the show deal with the new Penn State defensive scheme under new coordinator Tom Allen. We’ve discussed his tendencies and preferences at Indiana this offseason, but today, we reverse the question. How will Allen adapt to the talent at Penn State? Will he change aspects of his scheme, personnel deployment or alignments with more talented and well-rounded players?

Finally, we discuss the top question for the spring. What will the Penn State receiver room do over the next two months? While we center the conversation around the top receiver and if the team can find a leader, the conversation goes deeper than that. What are the combinations of players that make sense? Who will fight for a spot in the two-deep, and will any of the team's young receivers step up to challenge the veterans? Join the show to hear what we think heading into the start of camp.

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Five Burning Questions for Penn State Spring Football

BWI Interviews: Penn State quarterback Drew Allar discusses new offense, his areas of improvement for 2024 Mar 05, 2024

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Penn State starting quarterback Drew Allar sat down with the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel this week to discuss several topics, including the team's offseason work under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, his personal progress this offseason and what he thinks the team will be like this year, based on the offensive installation they've done so far.

Check out his full conversation here or on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel. Spring football is just around the corner, and you don't want to miss practice highlights, coach interviews, and more!

Allar discusses how the Penn State offense will feel different this year

One of the major themes that both Allar and his fellow quarterbacks have expressed this offseason is that the offense will feel very different than last season. Former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich used motion during his time at Penn State, but not the way Kotelnicki does. That's been the emphasis so far.

"I think there's gonna be a lot more things that we do on the front end for us that are going to, you know, make the defense communicate, and it's gotta be more beneficial for us. Like helping guys get open from a schematic standpoint and getting them better, favorable matchups in a sense, and just making the defense beyond on their toes and always making them communicate," Allar said.

"So I'm really looking forward to getting into spring ball and, you know, going against Coach Allen and their defensive system."

What it takes to be great

If there's one thing that sticks out about Allar's play from last season is that he wasn't a game-changing quarterback. From a broad view of production, Allar was good last year but didn't elevate his teammates beyond the issues that plagued the offense. We discussed what it takes for a quarterback to be great and if the Penn State starter thinks he's there yet.

"I think what makes a quarterback and Lee is you know, his work habits and his preparation, away from the facility. You know, doing the right things away from the facility, being on time to meetings, always being prepared, and really being like a coach out there on the field," Allar said when defining what makes a quarterback elite in his mind.

"And then, I think honestly, it's playing within the system, and then when things break down, just doing the best you can to take care of the ball and make those make those plays happen."

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Penn State QB Drew Allar discusses new offense, his areas of improvement for 2024

BWI Live: Drew Allar interview reaction, Mailbag Mar 05, 2024

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The Penn State Nittany Lions are on spring break, but we got to hear from starting quarterback Drew Allar on Monday. He sat down with Blue White Illustrated before the break, which you can watch by clicking here.

On today’s BWI Live Show, we discuss Allar’s comments. Senior Editor Nate Bauer joins the show to discuss what Allar meant when discussing the offense, his development, and what went wrong last season.

Penn State is working hard now to make things easy later

On today’s show, we dig into what Allar meant by putting the defense in conflict and what the new offense can do to create doubt in the defense’s mind.

“I think there’s gonna be a lot more things that we do on the front end for us that are going to, you know, make the defense communicate, and it’s gotta be more beneficial for us. Like helping guys get open from a schematic standpoint and getting them better, favorable matchups in a sense, and just making the defense beyond on their toes and always making them communicate,” Allar said.

Bauer wanted to know more about what new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki brings to Penn State that will put the defense on its heels the way Allar describes. We put context to that conversation.

BWI Mailbag

We also hear from you, the fans on today’s show. It’s the weekly BWI Mailbag show featuring questions from the Live Chat and the Blue White Illustrated Message board. Here is a sampling of today’s questions.

How do you think recent rule changes (helmet communication and two-minute warnings) will affect PSU football and CJF?

What are the chances that they can do the West side demo and construction in time that no season ticket holders on the West side end up having to miss some games?

With it being said that King Mack is looking like he’s staying at safety, who do you guys think will be competing for the nickel role?

We discuss those questions, plus more, to end the show. If you want to get a question on a future episode, the best way to do so is to join Blue White Illustrated. We put out a weekly call for mailbag questions on the Lions Den Message Forum where you can submit your buringing Penn State sports questions. The best are read and answered on the show.

Programming Note: There won’t be a Thursday BWI Live Recruiting Show this week. Next week, head coach James Franklin will open up spring practice, and due to his press conference, our Tuesday show is moving to Monday.

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How will new college football rules affect Penn State? | BWI Mailbag

Recruiting Show: A big year for Pennsylvania in recruiting? | Penn State validated in On300 Update Feb 29, 2024

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Snyder and Power: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/on3-scouting-director-charles-power-breaks-down-quarterback-matt-zollers-following-on300-rankings-update/

The Penn State Football recruiting class of 2025 got a major boost this week the release of the updated On300 rankings. The team jumped to 11th in the national rankings after several committed players took a big step forward in the rankings. We'll discuss that, and which targets will visits Happy Valley in the next four months during the spring and summer periods.

Recruiting insider Ryan Snyder sits down to talk for an hour on the BWI Live Recruiting Show today starting at 10 a.m. on YouTube. This week's major discussion topic is Pennsylvania quarterback Matt Zollers' meteoric rise in the recruiting rankings. We discuss that news, plus Zollers' timeline for commitment.

If you can't join the show live, check the replay embedded in this article or on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel. We'll have exclusive interviews, breaking news, and discussion all offseason long!

Zollers makes big announcement, Penn State official visits lining up

It wasn't just the players in Penn State's current committed class that got a big bump in the latest update from the On3 national scouting team. The team's top targets in the region also made significant gains in the rankings. The most notable was four-star quarterback Matt Zollers, who climbed all the way to 17th overall. Snyder will discuss his conversation with Charles Power, head of On3 scouting.

Here's a clip from that conversation.

“I think when you look at the quarterback class, Matt Zollers is a really impressive prospect in a vacuum, but when you look at the quarterback position as a group, which is really how we start our process, ranking within each position group first, I think he stacks up really well within the quarterback group nationally,” said On3 Scouting Director Charles Power.

Check out the rest of the interview here.

But the good news kept flowing for Penn State. The team has one of four official visits set for top 100 linebacker Ty Jackson this summer. The Florida native has Penn State on a short list of top schools and is a top target for the team. We'll discuss how the Lions stack up to the competition in his list of schools. The conversation continues with other official and spring visits Snyder thinks are important.

On300 Udpate -A strong year in PA?

It wasn't just Zollers that skyrocketed up the recruiting boards. Several in-state prospects that are at the top of Penn State's checklist also make gains in the latest On3 update. We'll discuss where committed linebacker Alex Tatsch, lineman Michael Carroll, and tight end Andrew Olesh all fell in the recent update.

Finally, we'll be taking your thoughts and questions on the show! Join us live at 10 a.m. on YouTube Tuesday through Friday to discuss Penn State football, recruiting and wrestling with the leader in Penn State sports!

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A big year for Pennsylvania in recruiting? | Penn State validated in On300 Update

BWI Live: Penn State NFL Combine Preview Feb 28, 2024

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Penn State offense drills: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/one-drill-that-were-watching-for-each-penn-state-player-on-offense-during-the-nfl-combine/

Penn State defense drills: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/one-drill-were-interested-in-for-each-penn-state-defensive-player-at-the-2024-nfl-combine/

The on-field testing for the 2024 NFL Combine starts on Thursday afternoon. Ten Penn State Nittany Lions will run, jump, catch and participate in on-field drills in front of 32 team scouts this weekend. We’re previewing the event by giving one drill that will be important for each Penn State player on today’s BWI Live Show.

Join us at 10 a.m. as we discuss each player’s scouting profile, and break down the potential of recent Penn State Class of 2025 commit Lyrick Samuel. Finally, we’ll discuss how the Penn State safety position is a perfect fit with new defensive coordinator Tom Alen.

If you can’t join us live, check out the show’s replay on the Blue-White Illustrated YouTube Channel or embedded here in this article.

One drill for each Penn State football player at the NFL Combine

It’s been a few years since Penn State has had a standout performance at the NFL Combine. The Nittany Lions have developed a reputation for consistently sending impressive athletes to the Combine under head coach James Franklin. We discuss what goes into that reputation and then preview which players might show out this week. Here’s an excerpt from the defensive breakdown earlier this week.

Adisa Isaac – broad jump

There is no great test for functional strength at the Combine. Doing a max squat would be dangerous, and that doesn’t even gauge explosive power as much as raw strength, which are two different things. But for an undersized defensive end like Adisa Isaac, the broad jump is a fine proxy. The broad jump measures explosive lower body power for the athlete. Isaac showed great power through contact last year and at the Senior Bowl, but putting a number to that will be informative.

Expect him to stand out at the Combine in the rest of his testing drills.

Offensive Players

Projected top-ten pick Olu Fashanu doesn’t have to do any drill he doesn’t want to at the Combine because his stock is already high enough to be selective. But that doesn’t mean we’re not curious to learn certain things about his skills if he does participate.

But the most interesting offensive athlete at the Combine is tight end Theo Johnson. The big-bodied pass-catcher needs to show he’s a dynamic athlete to make up for his inconsistent blocking. Here’s one area we focus on during the show.

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BWI Live: Power Ranking the Penn State offensive positions before Spring Football Feb 27, 2024

Show notes

Spring football is just around the corner and today on the BWI Live YouTube Show, we're previewing the action! Join us today at 10 a.m. on YouTube as we power rank the Penn State offensive positions ahead of spring ball. Which positions are set up for success this year? And which ones will need to work to improve before the start of the season? We're going through that this week, plus previewing the NFL Combine and taking your questions in the BWI Mailbag.

If you haven't subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube and enable notifications. That way you'll be alerted when there's new content, breaking news and interviews from the leader in Penn State football and recruiting coverage.

Penn State max testing week

Later this week we'll step inside the Lasch Building weight room to see Penn State football put on a different kind of show. The team has max testing week this week and squats are the main attraction during the week-long test. However, the team is testing other lifts, including power cleans. Sophomore linebacker Tony Rojas released a video on Tuesday of his personal record on the lift of 350 pounds, which you can check out here.

We'll discuss the progress of the second-year Penn State linebacker. It's also NFL Combine week where the former Nittany Lions will be putting on their own athletic show for scouts and GMs in Indianpolis. We'll preview that event and discuss Blue White Illustrated's coverage of the process. If you want a primer for the Combine, check out our previews.

Spring Football Preview

Max testing week means that spring football is just around the corner. The team will break winter conditioning and then go on Spring Break with the rest of Penn State next week. After that, football is officially back!

We're getting ready for another round of Penn State football by power ranking the team's offensive positions ahead of camp. Which unit has the most promise? And which ones can gain the most ground? We're dissecting the offense under new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki this week. Check out next week's Tuesday show for a breakdown of the defensive unit.

BWI Mailbag

Finally, we're ending the show with you as the star! The BWI Mailbag is back and we're taking questions from the live chat, plus the message board. Not a member of Blue White Illustrated? Sign up now to get access to the Lions Den and submit a question on the weekly mailbag chat thread.

BWI Live: Former Penn State O-Lineman Landon Tengwall discusses winter workouts, Olu Fashanu Feb 27, 2024

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We have a special edition of the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Show today. Former Penn State offensive lineman Landon Tengwall joins the program to sit down with host Thomas Frank Carr and discuss what it's like to be a Nittany Lion during winter workouts. He's also here to talk O-line and preview the spring football competition across the starting five. Finally, he'll give his thoughts on the three players Penn State is sending to the NFL Combine this week.

Join the show to hear the conversation and to get insight on the part of the year few get access to. If you can't catch the pre-recorded interview live, you can watch it embedded in this article or on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Page.

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Tengwall describes Penn State Winter Workouts

Penn State is ending the toughest part of the college football calendar this week. In February, the team goes through organized Winter Workouts that test each player's mental and physical capabilities. We discuss what that process is like from someone who has gone through it. Few people get the insight into what it's like to be a Nittany Lion at this time of year, and Tengwall tells listeners what the team is building instead of just muscle.

Next, we discuss spring football and the offensive line. The team has three open positions at left tackle, center, and right guard heading into the year, so Tengwall previews each position and the players competing for a starting job.

We discuss how hard it is for Anthony Donkoh to go from left guard to right tackle in a month, coming from a player who shifted between positions his freshman year, too.

He'll give his thoughts on the center competition and what Nick Dawkins means to the team and the O-line room. We touch on left tackle, Drew Shelton's maturation into an expected starter, and the understanding that Penn State fans need to have with Shelton as he replaces an All-American.

NFL Combine Preview

Finally, we discuss what makes Olu Fashanu such a great player. Tengwall played next to the future top NFL pick for two-plus seasons and had a front-row view of the talent fans, and media are discovering in-depth during the draft process.

But Fashanu isn't the only lineman going to the NFL Combine this week. Both right tackle Caedan Wallace and center Hunter Nourzad will show the NFL their skills. Tengwall discusses his expectations for Wallace to wow scouts with his athletic prowess.

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Former Penn State O-Lineman Landon Tengwall discusses winter workouts, Olu Fashanu

Recruiting Show: Penn State Football Recruiting Spring Preview Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

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Snyder on Finney: https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/penn-state-football-cornerback-recruit-brandon-finney-sets-spring-visit-schedule/

We're just weeks away from spring football practice, so Penn State recruiting is winding back up after a month off. On today's BWI Live Recruiting Show, we're previewing spring recruiting. Recruiting insiders Sean Fitz and Ryan Snyder sit down to discuss the important names that will impact the team's recruiting efforts starting in March.

Join BWI Live Tuesday through Friday at 10 a.m. on YouTube! You can ask questions of our experts and give your thoughts on the team's Class of 2025 recruiting efforts. If you can't make today's live show, you can always catch the replay on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel or in the embedded video.

Penn State recruiting heading into spring football

The Penn State football recruiting class of 2025 is currently third in the Big Ten and 13th nationally. They also have the second-most recruits behind Notre Dame, with 12 players committed.

So, with a sound base heading into the spring, is Penn State poised to strike at high-level talent? Fitz and Snyder will give their thoughts about the class and where things can go from here. Snyder also gives his thoughts on the most recent commit, four-star wideout Lyric Samuel.

Spring recruiting preview

The names and dates for the upcoming spring football recruiting season, where hundreds of prospects will filter through campus, is filling up. On today's show we'll detail which notable players are coming to campus. Some of the names that fans will want to watch are the names they arleady know. Can Penn State seal the deal with quarterback Matt Zollers? How long will Michael Carroll take to make a decision on his college choice?

The team has severl high-profile national recuits coming to campus this spring. FInd out more about Kansas tight end Linkon Cure, southern cornerback Onis Konanbonny and 2026 defensive end Kevin Ford.

The team also has several regional prospects confirming visits this week. Find out more about Jeff Exinor and Brandon Finney of McDonogh high school.

Penn State Football Recruiting Spring Preview

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BWI Live: How Will Penn State Replace Abdul Carter At Linebacker? Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

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The Penn State defense is undergoing some changes for the upcoming season and we’re previewing what that might look like during spring football. The BWI Live show looks at how the Nittany Lions may replace Abdul Carter at defensive end and what Tony Rojas playing Sam linebacker means for the spring.

We’re also discussing the shift in how the team will play on the back end with new defensive coordinator Tom Allen taking over the squad. What will he prioritize from a defensive perspective in order to generate turnovers? And how does that affect the safety position? It’s all defense all day on the BWI Live show! Join us at 10 a.m. Tuesday through Friday to get the latest on Penn State football, recruiting and wrestling.

If you can’t catch the show live, check it out on replay here, embedded in the article, or on the Blue-White Illustrated YouTube Channel.

Penn State is moving Abdul Carter to edge

Penn State made the decision this offseason to move its most famous defender to a different position. We’ve discussed the pros and cons of Carter’s move to the defensive end here on the site; now we add some context to that conversation on the show.

https://www.on3.com/teams/penn-state-nittany-lions/news/penn-state-linebacker-abdul-carter-moves-to-defensive-end/

But, the inherent advantage of having Carter at linebacker was sneaking an extra edge defender on the field. The Penn State defense had a Bizzaro lineup in 2023, thanks to Carter and Kobe King’s size in the box. Both players checked in at 250 pounds, meaning that it was like having a bonus defensive lineman when either run-blitzed an interior gap. This doesn’t mean that young linebackers like Tony Rojas, Kaveion Keys, or Keon Wylie can’t play the run skillfully, but it does change the nature of the team’s front seven. Also, while Carter’s off-ball instincts weren’t exceptional last season, he became more proficient as the season wore on. His first quarter against Ole Miss hinted at a Micah Parsons-level bowl breakout before an injury ended his day early.

Next, we dive further into the ramifications of moving Carter on the linebacker position. Will Penn State play three linebackers in 2024? Or will Allen shift the defense to a two-linebacker look? There’s plenty of ways this can go, which we discuss on the show.

Penn State defensive shift in coverages

Lastly, we detail some of the potential changes that Allen could make in the defensive structure. We discuss the difference between a man coverage-focused defense and the potential results of a zone coverage defense.

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How does Penn State replace Abdul Carter at linebacker?