Happy Friday everyone! I've actually been meaning to write this post all week, but I couldn't find the time. Give me a break, it's hard out here for a robot. Anyway, this will be a little bit different than my normal posts, but it's relatively short so hopefully you'll all give me a pass.
First, since we've been talking about watch lists so much recently, I figured I'd give you all some closure by posting this watch list roundup by the guys over at the Big Ten Blog on ESPN. They do a great job of explaining how pointless these watch lists/awards are, but why college football fans still enjoy them. As you can see, Penn State is well represented. Not bad for a team that the "experts" predicted wouldn't be competitive for "at least 10 years."
Next, let's get the recruiting news out of the way. The Nittany Lions picked up their 18th commitment for the 2015 class in 4-star WR Irvin Charles, and their 1st commitment for the 2016 class in 4-star RB Miles Sanders. Yet another NJ kid, Charles continues to demonstrate the coaching staff's focus on elite skill position players who can make a difference right away. As for Sanders, he has yet to play in his Junior season of high school ball, so let's save the excitement for next year. Still, a nice pick up, and since he's from Pittsburgh, it shows that James Franklin is serious about dominating the state.
Now, on to the real reason for this post. In a recent 247Sports article analyzing NFL draft success by college, I noticed the following: Penn State is tied for 36th nationally (7th in conference) for producing 1st round draft picks, 18th nationally (5th in conference) for number of overall draft picks, and tied for 6th nationally (1st in conference) for number of Pro Bowl selections. The only conclusion I can draw from this is that Penn Staters are wildly undervalued in the draft process. It begs the question, why are NFL teams so seemingly reluctant to take Penn State players in the early rounds of the draft (specifically in the 1st round) in spite of their proven track record of success at the next level? I honestly don't have an answer for you, but the numbers don't lie. Now, since 2011 you might be able to put some of the blame for this on the Sandusky scandal and it's lingering damage to Penn State's reputation (fair or not), but these statistics go back to 2005, six years before the scandal broke! One position exemplifies this trend like no other, and it's the position Penn State is most famous for: Linebacker. Since 2005 no Penn State linebacker has been drafted in the 1st round, yet we're tied for 4th nationally in total linebackers drafted and 2nd outright for most Pro Bowl linebackers. In fact, anyone who follows the pro game would instantly recognize the following players as some of the best linebackers in the NFL since 2000 - Brandon Short, LaVar Arrington, Paul Posluszny, Tamba Hali, Dan Connor, Sean Lee, Josh Hull, Nathan Stupar, Navorro Bowman, Michael Mauti, and Gerald Hodges. That's a list that basically no other school can match.
Meanwhile, as Penn State appears to be undervalued in the NFL draft process, the usual suspects of the college football world (Alabama, Oklahoma, USC, Texas, Ohio State, LSU, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, etc) seem to be overvalued. Although in most cases they were near the top of each list, the percentage of players actually panning out in the NFL is shockingly low. For example, USC had 14 first rounders, 69 total draft picks, and 9 Pro Bowlers, while Alabama had 16 first rounders, 53 total draft picks, and 7 Pro Bowlers, and Big Ten rival Ohio State had 14 first rounders, 52 total draft picks, but only 3 Pro Bowlers. Now, compare that to Penn State's measly 4 first rounders and 36 total draft picks that somehow produced 6 Pro Bowlers!
So what's my point? In most years, Penn State doesn't get the kind of talent that other big name programs do, yet they tend to keep up pretty well when it comes to producing NFL draft picks. But more importantly, the next time you see a star Penn State player get taken in the 4th round or later, don't be mad. Instead, take solace in the fact that Penn State can statistically back up the argument that their players are worth a heck of a lot more bang for the buck.
Keep it here on the blog all offseason for all the latest news and notes regarding all things Penn State football. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!
Friday, July 25, 2014
Friday, July 18, 2014
Watch Lists
Last week on the blog, we looked at Nittany Lions who were named to the Maxwell, Bednarik, and Mackey Award watch lists. Of course, college football is a hype driven sport, so today we have even more watch lists to report! Let's make this easy and go in the order they were announced.
First, the only returning starter on the offensive line, Donovan Smith, was named to the Outland Trophy watch list. This is presented to the nation's top interior lineman (offensive or defensive). Devon Still was a finalist in 2011.
Jordan Lucas picked up his 2nd preseason honor when he was named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list, given to the best defensive back in the country. Expectations are really picking up for the young cornerback, and combined with veteran safety Adrian Amos, last year's weakness on defense might be a strength in 2014.
Not long after that, Mike Hull grabbed his first recognition of the preseason, being named to the Butkus Award watch list for best linebacker. He continues a rather storied history of Penn State linebackers who have either been finalists for, or won the award. As if you needed anymore evidence why we're Linebacker U.
Like Lucas, Christian Hackenberg notched a second watch list appearance, this time for the Davey O'Brien Award, presented to the nation's best quarterback. I will admit that I can't properly examine QB technique, but every expert out there who can has done nothing but rave about the sophmore sensation. If Hack is even half as good as advertised (and that patchwork offensive line can keep him upright) I think we can expect fireworks this season!
Last but not least, 2/3 of Penn State's monster running attack were named to the Doak Walker Award watch list, given to the nation's top running back. Seniors Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton were each recognized for their talents, but it's highly unlikely either will win the award. Having two star backs means half the stats for each, and makes national attention hard to come by.
Finally, a quick scheduling update before I end on James Franklin news because, well, everybody loves James Franklin... except the SEC, but who cares about them? Here's a great little piece about the coach's first 6 months as the head Lion. And then, I give you the top 22 James Franklin tweets!
That's all for now, but keep it here for the rest of the offseason. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!
First, the only returning starter on the offensive line, Donovan Smith, was named to the Outland Trophy watch list. This is presented to the nation's top interior lineman (offensive or defensive). Devon Still was a finalist in 2011.
Jordan Lucas picked up his 2nd preseason honor when he was named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list, given to the best defensive back in the country. Expectations are really picking up for the young cornerback, and combined with veteran safety Adrian Amos, last year's weakness on defense might be a strength in 2014.
Not long after that, Mike Hull grabbed his first recognition of the preseason, being named to the Butkus Award watch list for best linebacker. He continues a rather storied history of Penn State linebackers who have either been finalists for, or won the award. As if you needed anymore evidence why we're Linebacker U.
Like Lucas, Christian Hackenberg notched a second watch list appearance, this time for the Davey O'Brien Award, presented to the nation's best quarterback. I will admit that I can't properly examine QB technique, but every expert out there who can has done nothing but rave about the sophmore sensation. If Hack is even half as good as advertised (and that patchwork offensive line can keep him upright) I think we can expect fireworks this season!
Last but not least, 2/3 of Penn State's monster running attack were named to the Doak Walker Award watch list, given to the nation's top running back. Seniors Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton were each recognized for their talents, but it's highly unlikely either will win the award. Having two star backs means half the stats for each, and makes national attention hard to come by.
Finally, a quick scheduling update before I end on James Franklin news because, well, everybody loves James Franklin... except the SEC, but who cares about them? Here's a great little piece about the coach's first 6 months as the head Lion. And then, I give you the top 22 James Franklin tweets!
That's all for now, but keep it here for the rest of the offseason. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!
Monday, July 7, 2014
2014 Pump Up Videos
The offseason presses on, and while the news is still slow, the anticipation continues to rise as we are now less than 2 months away from the start of the 2014 Penn State football season! Everything kicks off on August 30th in Dublin, Ireland against the Golden Knights of Central Florida. With all of that said, there is a little bit of news to report, so let's get to it.
First, a big congratulations to QB Christian Hackenberg on being named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list, and CB Jordan Lucas on being named to the Bednarik Award preseason watch list! Getting on these lists is basically the biggest honor a player can receive in the offseason, so both of these men should be proud. Clearly their play is getting noticed around the country instead of just in Happy Valley. Learn more about each award here.
TE Jesse James is also getting some media love these days as the Sporting News decided to add him to their Preseason All-Big Ten First Team. I'm a little bit surprised to see only one Nittany Lion on the First Team, but in the long run these preseason all-conference teams mean almost nothing. The biggest thing to see will be if James can live up to this newly discovered hype and make it on the POST season All-Big Ten team. Good luck to him!
In recruiting news, the Lions picked up an interesting recruit in NJ combination S/WR/LB Manny Bowen. He's either a high 3-star or a low 4-star player, depending on who you ask. Either way, he's a great pick up, especially if he pans out at LB over his other positions. Meanwhile, 2015 QB recruit Brandon Wimbush is "turning heads" at the Elite 11 quarterback competition. This camp is held annually in Oregon near Nike headquarters and serves as a showcase for the best QB recruits in the nation. Former 5-star recruit Christian Hackenberg dominated the Elite 11 when he was there just 2 short years ago and from the looks of it, Wimbush is trying to follow in Hack's footsteps. Is Penn State on its way to becoming the next Quarterback U? Probably not, but it's great to see the QB play improving at a school with limited history at that position.
Finally, to hold you over for the next 54 days, and to get you excited about the upcoming season, I've compiled a list of the 4 best "pump up" videos floating around the interwebs. If you're not ready for some football after watching these, then you probably never will be. Enjoy!
Lion King
We Are
Who We Are
Pump Up 2014
Keep it here all offseason for all the latest news and notes about Penn State football. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!
Update from 7/8
Here's more on Brandon Wimbush's impressive performance at the Elite 11, which is part of a group of camps collectively called The Opening. He'll get to build some chemistry and work out with 3 other Penn State commits from the 2015 recruiting class: DT Adam McLean, RB Saquon Barkley, and WR Juwan Johnson.
Another watch list came out today, this time for the Mackey Award, presented to the nation's best tight end. With the embarrassment of riches Penn State has at TE, it's no surprise that 2 Lions made it on this watch list: Jesse James and Kyle Carter. Congrats gentlemen!
Speaking of Kyle Carter, he's part of an extremely talented group of Penn Staters who dubbed themselves the "Supa Six" two years ago when they arrived on campus. Recently, this video surfaced on YouTube detailing their already storied careers; feel free to introduce yourself to them.
First, a big congratulations to QB Christian Hackenberg on being named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list, and CB Jordan Lucas on being named to the Bednarik Award preseason watch list! Getting on these lists is basically the biggest honor a player can receive in the offseason, so both of these men should be proud. Clearly their play is getting noticed around the country instead of just in Happy Valley. Learn more about each award here.
TE Jesse James is also getting some media love these days as the Sporting News decided to add him to their Preseason All-Big Ten First Team. I'm a little bit surprised to see only one Nittany Lion on the First Team, but in the long run these preseason all-conference teams mean almost nothing. The biggest thing to see will be if James can live up to this newly discovered hype and make it on the POST season All-Big Ten team. Good luck to him!
In recruiting news, the Lions picked up an interesting recruit in NJ combination S/WR/LB Manny Bowen. He's either a high 3-star or a low 4-star player, depending on who you ask. Either way, he's a great pick up, especially if he pans out at LB over his other positions. Meanwhile, 2015 QB recruit Brandon Wimbush is "turning heads" at the Elite 11 quarterback competition. This camp is held annually in Oregon near Nike headquarters and serves as a showcase for the best QB recruits in the nation. Former 5-star recruit Christian Hackenberg dominated the Elite 11 when he was there just 2 short years ago and from the looks of it, Wimbush is trying to follow in Hack's footsteps. Is Penn State on its way to becoming the next Quarterback U? Probably not, but it's great to see the QB play improving at a school with limited history at that position.
Finally, to hold you over for the next 54 days, and to get you excited about the upcoming season, I've compiled a list of the 4 best "pump up" videos floating around the interwebs. If you're not ready for some football after watching these, then you probably never will be. Enjoy!
Lion King
We Are
Who We Are
Pump Up 2014
Keep it here all offseason for all the latest news and notes about Penn State football. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!
Update from 7/8
Here's more on Brandon Wimbush's impressive performance at the Elite 11, which is part of a group of camps collectively called The Opening. He'll get to build some chemistry and work out with 3 other Penn State commits from the 2015 recruiting class: DT Adam McLean, RB Saquon Barkley, and WR Juwan Johnson.
Another watch list came out today, this time for the Mackey Award, presented to the nation's best tight end. With the embarrassment of riches Penn State has at TE, it's no surprise that 2 Lions made it on this watch list: Jesse James and Kyle Carter. Congrats gentlemen!
Speaking of Kyle Carter, he's part of an extremely talented group of Penn Staters who dubbed themselves the "Supa Six" two years ago when they arrived on campus. Recently, this video surfaced on YouTube detailing their already storied careers; feel free to introduce yourself to them.
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