Penn State Saturday six pack: Thoughts on Lions injury news, other topics of the week
Penn State football is at the midway point of summer workouts. What’s new with the program? We cover injury news, recruiting, and more in a fresh Saturday six pack. Want to discuss the top topics of the week? Join us inside The Lions Den forum to do so!
1. Penn State end Zuriah Fisher missing significant time will challenge the Lions’ defensive line depth
Blue-White Illustrated first reported back on Thursday that redshirt senior defensive end Zuriah Fisher will miss “significant time” in 2024 due to an undisclosed injury. First things first: It’s hard not to feel bad for the Aliquippa native. He missed all but two games in 2022 due to a different injury and finally played a full season last year. It was supposed to be a springboard into what could have been his final year in blue and white. Instead, it’s back to rehab and recovery. The loss of Fisher for however long he is out for is not a death blow to the Penn State defensive line. But, he was trending in a great direction during the spring and figured to be a top backup at worst. Now, someone else must fill that role. The talent is there for any of Smith Vilbert, Amin Vanover, or Jameial Lyons to do it. But, they must do it on game days consistently.
2. Lions’ Class of 2025 gets a boost but suffers a loss
Much of the talk surrounding the Penn State Class of 2025 in June has been negative. Top targets have ended up going elsewhere and commitments did not flow in following official visits like they did at some other schools. That changed this week, however, until Friday. New Jersey four-star cornerback Jahmir Joseph picked the Lions fresh off of his official visit last weekend. Then, Florida four-star safety Antonio Branch did the same about three weeks after his 48-hour all-expenses-paid trip to State College, even though he had another stop on deck. It was a nice shot in the arm for the Lions and their fans. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, of course. Alvin Henderson’s decommitment proved that. And, the misses hurt. But adding a pair of four stars to the class in the same week is nothing to sneeze at.
3. A thought on the Penn State roster update: Offense
In case you missed our coverage on it, Penn State updated its official roster this week at the midway point of summer workouts. Thomas Frank Carr and Nate Bauer covered the notable news overall. Here, we’ll dial in on one player that stood out to us most on each side of the ball. On offense, we couldn’t help but notice that Anthony Donkoh and Nolan Rucci both packed on some pounds this offseason. The former is up to 336 from 328. And, the latter jumped from 305 to 317, which is yet another indication of how well he’s embraced the nutrition and strength and conditioning programs since transferring in from Wisconsin.
We still make Donkoh the favorite to be the opening game starter for Penn State at right tackle come August. But a bulked-up Rucci won’t go to No. 2 on the depth chart without putting up a fight during preseason camp.
4. A thought on the Lions’ roster update: Defense
Moving to first-year coordinator Tom Allen’s side of the ball, veteran defensive tackle Coziah Izzard rising from 302 to 310 pounds caught our attention. Penn State has plenty of experienced bodies at that position. But it’s hard to say any of them have reached their full potential yet, and most come close to doing so for the Lions’ to be at their best in the middle of the defensive line. Izzard, as much as anyone else, can be the big body Allen needs at defensive tackle. The size is there. Now, we’ll see if the play can match it.
5. What fruit will this official visit weekend bear for Penn State?
Penn State is amid its final official visit weekend of June before a dead period starts on Monday. What will the Lions gain, if anything, in the Class of 2025? Swaying North Carolina four-star safety JaDon Blair away from On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine leader Notre Dame is arguably the top priority. But, could the program net a pledge from, say, New Jersey three-star receiver Braswell Thomas or Lions legacy and linebacker LaVar Arrington II? It’s a huge visit weekend for receivers, so that also means second-year position coach Marques Hagans has a big few days on tap to try and add major talent to his room.
6. Final word
Whether you’re attending a graduation party or wedding, doing yard work or hanging around the house, golfing or gardening, or anything in between, enjoy it! The countdown to kickoff is right around the 70-day mark. Before we know it, Aug. 31 will be here. We can’t wait but don’t want to wish the summer away, either. For us, it’s a time to get ready for the fall. And for Penn State, it’s a chance to lay the foundation for what it hopes is a CFP-caliber season.
The post Penn State Saturday six pack: Thoughts on Lions injury news, other topics of the week appeared first on On3.
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