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[DaytonRickster]

A front page article indicates the writer believes there are FOUR PSU position groups set for future success. Which ones do you believe are set for continued success?
My take for success beyond 2026:
-Cornerback
-TE
-My surprise pick for 2027 & beyond: DE (Kemanjou, Granville, Ford, Guertin)

Not sure about a 4th position group.

What say you?

 

[Marshall2323]

A front page article indicates the writer believes there are FOUR PSU position groups set for future success. Which ones do you believe are set for continued success?
My take:
-Cornerback
-TE
-My surprise pick for 2027 & beyond: DE (Kemanjou, Granville, Ford, Guertin)

Not sure about a 4th position group.

What say you?

The big question is how does the author define success?
I'll be interested to see where QB pressures come from. I don't think ISU had many sacks last year. I know its a new coordinator and scheme. Lots of potential but no past production to rely on.

 

[Bison13]

A front page article indicates the writer believes there are FOUR PSU position groups set for future success. Which ones do you believe are set for continued success?
My take:
-Cornerback
-TE
-My surprise pick for 2027 & beyond: DE (Kemanjou, Granville, Ford, Guertin)

Not sure about a 4th position group.

What say you?

OL, brought some solid young guys with them from ISU, Goodman is RSFR, Riker and Harbour are RSSO. That group should be a strength this fall and beyond

 

[LB99]

OL, brought some solid young guys with them from ISU, Goodman is RSFR, Riker and Harbour are RSSO. That group should be a strength this fall and beyond

You beat me to it. Between the guys that stayed and the guys that came with Campbell, the OL has a chance to be very solid and pretty deep.

 

[PSUForever]

You beat me to it. Between the guys that stayed and the guys that came with Campbell, the OL has a chance to be very solid and pretty deep.

Hopefully the OL is nasty and physical.

 

[OptionBob]

My "outsider" opinion is as follows:

1. TE -- a popular choice with Brahmer, Rap, Burkle, and Alexander

2. RB -- my San Antonio, TX bias is showing here, but I think Peoples is going to be a great RB for Penn State. Martin is very good and Hanson might be just as good as Martin (I admit that I have seen no ISU games). Add a speedster like Wallace ...

3. DE -- Ezeogu seems poised to be a dominant force; if another Texas boy, Granville, is healthy and Kemajou improves as expected, I see no reason why this position will be anything but a strength.

4. Secondary -- I'm neither smart enough nor informed enough to know who actually ends up playing CB or S. But whoever the staff throws on the field will be fast and aggressive with considerable experience.

 

[rigi19041]

Cb, te, ol, and dt.

 

[DaytonRickster]

OL, brought some solid young guys with them from ISU, Goodman is RSFR, Riker and Harbour are RSSO. That group should be a strength this fall and beyond

I believe Buhr is a Junior and of course Cousins, if they both decide on another year at PSU that would bode well for the OL.

 

[LB99]

My "outsider" opinion is as follows:

1. TE -- a popular choice with Brahmer, Rap, Burkle, and Alexander

2. RB -- my San Antonio, TX bias is showing here, but I think Peoples is going to be a great RB for Penn State. Martin is very good and Hanson might be just as good as Martin (I admit that I have seen no ISU games). Add a speedster like Wallace ...

3. DE -- Ezeogu seems poised to be a dominant force; if another Texas boy, Granville, is healthy and Kemajou improves as expected, I see no reason why this position will be anything but a strength.

4. Secondary -- I'm neither smart enough nor informed enough to know who actually ends up playing CB or S. But whoever the staff throws on the field will be fast and aggressive with considerable experience.

FWIW, I just heard Tyler Donahue of 24/7 say on a Tengwell podcast that freshman DE Jackson Ford is already up to 260-265 pounds and looks the part of a guy who could earn some reps very early on in his PSU career.

 

[DaytonRickster]

FWIW, I just heard Tyler Donahue of 24/7 say on a Tengwell podcast that freshman DE Jackson Ford is already up to 260-265 pounds and looks the part of a guy who could earn some reps very early on in his PSU career.

That would be a needed boost to the DE position.

 

[LB99]

FYI. This was pretty encouraging.

 

[LB99]

I believe Buhr is a Junior and of course Cousins, if they both decide on another year at PSU that would bode well for the OL.

Donkoh is only a RS JR as well. I’m hearing all the rave reviews on the transfer center Riker, but don’t count out Dominic Rulli. He’s been in the program for several years and has played well when he got an opportunity.

 

[LB99]

My "outsider" opinion is as follows:

1. TE -- a popular choice with Brahmer, Rap, Burkle, and Alexander

2. RB -- my San Antonio, TX bias is showing here, but I think Peoples is going to be a great RB for Penn State. Martin is very good and Hanson might be just as good as Martin (I admit that I have seen no ISU games). Add a speedster like Wallace ...

3. DE -- Ezeogu seems poised to be a dominant force; if another Texas boy, Granville, is healthy and Kemajou improves as expected, I see no reason why this position will be anything but a strength.

4. Secondary -- I'm neither smart enough nor informed enough to know who actually ends up playing CB or S. But whoever the staff throws on the field will be fast and aggressive with considerable experience.

Interesting tidbit. In the 2024 recruiting rankings, Peoples was ranked the #7 ranked RB recruit in the country and Martin was #8.

 

[PSUForever]

That would be a needed boost to the DE position.

To me, the biggest key to the DE position is Granville not only recovering from his injury but playing like an All B10 performer.

 

[LMTLION]

OL, brought some solid young guys with them from ISU, Goodman is RSFR, Riker and Harbour are RSSO. That group should be a strength this fall and beyond

Traut got a lot of love over the years, but the oline stunk it up in ‘25. I recall the LT video last year demonstrating how disorganized they were, even vs the cupcakes. I think it will be one of the better position groups over the next few years under better leadership.

 

[PSUForever]

FYI. This was pretty encouraging.

Wow, Donahue is really high on Ikenna Ezeogu-DE. He essentially say he is our best D Lineman among all DEs and DTs and can play both DT or DE.

 

[LB99]

Wow, Donahue is really high on Ikenna Ezeogu-DE. He essentially say he is our best D Lineman among all DEs and DTs and can play both DT or DE.

He also said they are going to mix up DL formations and you could see, for instance, Granville slide to the inside on some formations.

 

[PSUHarry]

Hopefully the OL is nasty and physical.

We are promised this every year and are pretty consistently disappointed.

 

[PSUHarry]

Traut got a lot of love over the years, but the oline stunk it up in ‘25. I recall the LT video last year demonstrating how disorganized they were, even vs the cupcakes. I think it will be one of the better position groups over the next few years under better leadership.

And how do we know there is better leadership?

 

[LB99]

And how do we know there is better leadership?

We don’t. We just have to wait and see, but Campbell’s reputation is that his teams are disciplined and well coached. The OL coach is from his previous staff, so here’s to hoping it’s a polished product with better results.

 

[PSUForever]

We are promised this every year and are pretty consistently disappointed.

Different coach who is known for physical teams unlike his predecessor.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Who's crying now?

 

[LB99]

Wow, Donahue is really high on Ikenna Ezeogu-DE. He essentially say he is our best D Lineman among all DEs and DTs and can play both DT or DE.

He really likes the DT from Ok St also. I have said for several years that the one piece that the PSU defense was missing was a game changing DT ala Christian Wilkins. If this kid is that player, it could be a huge step in the right direction for the defense. He’s only a RS So also, so if he is the guy we are missing and he likes it at PSU, he could make an impact for a few years.

 

[PSU4U]

A front page article indicates the writer believes there are FOUR PSU position groups set for future success. Which ones do you believe are set for continued success?
My take for success beyond 2026:
-Cornerback
-TE
-My surprise pick for 2027 & beyond: DE (Kemanjou, Granville, Ford, Guertin)

Not sure about a 4th position group.

What say you?

There are some great observations and thoughts in this thread. I'm just obsessed with the belief that this team is going to be very solid across the board this season and hopefully produce at least a 10 win season. Having said that I'll keep reading.

 

[Marshall2323]

Different coach who is known for physical teams unlike his predecessor.

Average record over a decade in the Big 12 is 5-4. You play to win the game. Reminds me of George Chuvalo, longtime Canadian heavyweight boxing champion. Very physical, never knocked down in 93 fights. Lost to Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Patterson, Jimmy Ellis, Buster Mathus, Jerry Quarry etc.

 

[Chumboshifko1]

Average record over a decade in the Big 12 is 5-4. You play to win the game. Reminds me of George Chuvalo, longtime Canadian heavyweight boxing champion. Very physical, never knocked down in 93 fights. Lost to Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Patterson, Jimmy Ellis, Buster Mathus, Jerry Quarry etc.

Kinda like you.

 

[Marshall2323]

And how do we know there is better leadership?

It's really about a "better" schedule. Wait till 2027 schedule is posted and reality sets in. PSU's 2027 recruiting class is now rated at 8th in the Big Ten conference. Ohio State and Oregon are attracting talent rated an average of 91+, PSU 88+.
In the Civil War, the Army of Northern Virginia had a brilliant leader, Robert E. Lee. He lacked the resources of his opponent. How'd that work out?

 

[BobPSU92]

It’s not which position groups will be good. It’s which position groups will suck less than the others.

 

[PSUHarry]

Different coach who is known for physical teams unlike his predecessor.

Not seeing the track record you speak of from a wins/losses standpoint.

 

[PSUHarry]

We don’t. We just have to wait and see, but Campbell’s reputation is that his teams are disciplined and well coached. The OL coach is from his previous staff, so here’s to hoping it’s a polished product with better results.

We will see but Jimmy’s and Joes probably have more impact.

 

[Nitt1300]

1. The high rollers in the luxury suites- they will have better catering, nicer seats and up graded bathrooms
2. The BOT and friends- graft and corruption opportunities abound
3. Alumni who stopped writing checks to support this crap- money to spend elsewhere
4. Paid per click "expert" bloggers

 

[bdgan]

FWIW, I just heard Tyler Donahue of 24/7 say on a Tengwell podcast that freshman DE Jackson Ford is already up to 260-265 pounds and looks the part of a guy who could earn some reps very early on in his PSU career.

I don't expect much of a contribution from Ford as a true freshman.

Granville & Kemajou should be good. I don't know why everybody is forgetting about Arrington.

 

[bdgan]

I’m hearing all the rave reviews on the transfer center Riker

I hope you're correct about Riker because C is a critical position. My question is why was he only ranked 350th in the transfer portal?

 

[bdgan]

To me, the biggest key to the DE position is Granville not only recovering from his injury but playing like an All B10 performer.

All B10 is a tall order for a guy who hasn't played. I'd be happy if he does well enough to earn honorable mention.

 

[LB99]

I don't expect much of a contribution from Ford as a true freshman.

Granville & Kemajou should be good. I don't know why everybody is forgetting about Arrington.

I don’t expect a lot of Ford as a Tr Fr either, but he was mentioned as having potential to get on the field early. Arrington didn’t play much last year and now has been moved to DE despite being a bit undersized for the position. The transition may take a bit for him to get comfortable. He may be used strictly as a third and long, rush the passer scenario player.

 

[bdgan]

Wow, Donahue is really high on Ikenna Ezeogu-DE. He essentially say he is our best D Lineman among all DEs and DTs and can play both DT or DE.

Ezeogu was rated # 898 and #92 edge. He's a redshirt senior so he would have to be a very late bloomer.

 

[Bison13]

I hope you're correct about Riker because C is a critical position. My question is why was he only ranked 350th in the transfer portal?

I hope he’s as good as all the talk is claiming as well, there as with everything from every school at this time of year you never know if it’s true or BS.
Generally out of the 22 Starting Positions Center ranks last in value so that’s part of the ranking plus combine that with where he played and his size being a little bit small I think that’s where his portal rank comes from.

 

[LB99]

I hope you're correct about Riker because C is a critical position. My question is why was he only ranked 350th in the transfer portal?

Probably because of all the reasons Bison stated. However, he was the #18th ranked IOL transfer prospect in the portal and only one of a handful from non P4 schools. He was also a second team Fr All American by The Athletic. Donahue says he has already put on 25 lbs at PSU. The kid came out of nowhere to be honest, but if he has the upside that everyone thinks he does, they may have found a good one. Donahue thinks other schools will be kicking themselves for not pursuing him more. If not, Rulli is waiting in the wings with experience and Cousins has played some C in his past as well.

 

[LB99]

We will see but Jimmy’s and Joes probably have more impact.

I think it takes both. You need talented athletic guys and solid knowledge from an OL coach. OL is an area where I am pretty optimistic. They have a good mix of highly recruited, talented guys (Goodman and Cousins) to go along with some seasoned, experienced college level guys (Donkoh, Riker, Rulli, Buhr)and some younger high ceiling guys (Alicene, Kuol, Onoh, Sexton, Harbour). If they gel early, this has the potential to be a pretty good OL with some depth. If Donkoh can stay healthy, he may be a pretty high draft pick next spring.

I’m looking forward to an offense that has an identity and I think that identity will start with the OL and run game. If they can gel early and set the run game successfully, the offense should be effective.

 

[LMTLION]

There are some great observations and thoughts in this thread. I'm just obsessed with the belief that this team is going to be very solid across the board this season and hopefully produce at least a 10 win season. Having said that I'll keep reading.

I am convinced we will win 10 games as well as the team seems to have a lot of PSU and ISU Cylion experience. If we make it to the playoffs and have a chance with an experienced team, it would because a couple guys make the next step and become the true gamebreaker type that opposing defenses need to worry about that we’ve only had once in the last several years (Tyler Warren.). Sowell and Howard are both 4.4 40 guys and could be those guys, and I think Brahmer could be as well. Maybe Peoples too. Becht has to stay healthy. He played through significant injury for a chunk of last season, and that’s where their season went a little sideways for a bit. Reportedly he is completely healed.