4 things we learned about Penn State football on BTN's camp special

Penn State football welcomed the Big Ten Network to campus on Tuesday. It’s an annual tradition for Howard Griffith, Gerry DiNardo, and other BTN staffers to roll into State College to produce an hour-long show about the Nittany Lions. This year, they will see all 18 teams in the expanded conference before kickoff. In 2024, Griffith and DiNardo were joined by host Dave Revsine and former PAC-12 Network commentator Yogi Roth. The 60-minute program featured interviews with head coach James Franklin, coordinators Andy Kotelnicki and Tom Allen, running back Nicholas Singleton and quarterback Drew Allar, and defensive end Abdul Carter, in addition to thoughts from the show’s hosts. Our top takeaways, along with a re-air schedule, are below.

1. Receivers, receivers, receivers

We know: You are not surprised to read that the big talking point on Wednesday morning following Tuesday night’s episode is what was said about the receivers. Roth brought them up in the show’s open. Franklin was asked about them, too.

“Well, we got a ton of confidence in those guys athletically,” the 11th-year leader of the Lions said. “And I think this camp was really important to get a rhythm, to build confidence in them, in the system as well. And then playing really well early in the season to take that confidence into Big Ten play. If you look at us, we went to the portal a little bit, not a ton of it. It’s because we believe in the guys in the room and the commitment and the development they’ve made since the end of last season.”

There’s no question that the group has put in work to improve. But will it show up on game day? That’s still the big curiosity for fans, reporters, and the BTN staff.

“At wide receiver, you know, I think they’re behind,” DiNardo said. “They’ve got to develop some depth at wide receiver, and they need to find a playmaker at wide receiver. Otherwise, their best players and the chance for explosive plays is going to be the run game, which I don’t think that’s what they really want. They want to be more balanced.”

More: Trimmings: What’s next for Penn State recruiting in the Class of 2025?

Added Roth in the show’s closing segment:

“I go to that [receivers],” Roth said when asked for his big takeaway from the day. “I call it the circle guy. Like, if you’re calling a game, who am I going to circle on a got to have it down? I don’t know who that’s going to be because if I’m playing this team, as a defensive coordinator, I’m adding another guy to the box, and I’m not letting these backs beat me or this tight end.

“I’m finding ways and saying you got to win outside the numbers. And I imagine that’s where they’re challenged. Andy [Kotelnicki] talked about it. They have that chip. He loves it. They’re feeding into it. So, I can’t wait because that situation will arise many times on critical downs and distance.”

2. The word of the day was physical

By our count, there were at least 15 different mentions of how physical Tuesday’s practice was. DiNardo called the level of physicality on display one of his top takeaways. Roth called it one of the most physical practice he’s “seen in years.”

“I’ve not been around a more physical football team in our preparation,” Allen told BTN. “These guys just keep battling, and they work, and then they’ll hit you, and they just keep coming back. And, it’s both sides of the ball obviously sharpening each other.”

Added Roth, when talking about the defense specifically but the practice in general:

“I think the standard has been risen. I really do. It was one of the most physical practices I’ve seen. Most places have a physical period. They had an entirely physical practice. Offensive defensive line, making sure guys are tackling, and doing it in a smart way.”

If its toughness Penn State hopes to instill this month, it appears to be working.

“It was a physical practice today,” Franklin said. “And I’m starting to believe that we can be that type of team.”

3. Lining up

As expected, plenty of time was spent discussing the Penn State fronts on both sides of the ball. The BTN staff was especially impressed with third-year defensive tackle Zane Durant when talking about the defensive line. And, obviously Abdul Carter received tons of praise. On the other side of the ball, DiNardo repeatedly expressed concern about the Lions needing to replace three starers from a year ago. But, Kotelnicki believes the team is close to settling on its starting five.

“The evaluation process here is ongoing,” Kotelnicki said. “I think one of the cool things about this place, and Coach talks about being competitive and wants it to be the most competitive environment called football. That’s a true thing. Like every day we’re competing and evaluating. So it’ll be a little bit yet, but I’m pleased.”

4. Penn State odds and ends from the BTN camp special

First, here’s the re-run schedule. Find more listings on the BTN website here:

Aug 6
Football Training Camp: Penn State (LIVE)

Aug. 7
12:00am
Football Training Camp: Penn State (REPLAY)

5:00am
Football Training Camp: Penn State (REPLAY)

11:00am
Football Training Camp: Penn State (REPLAY)

6 pm
Football Training Camp: Penn State (REPLAY)

Aug 8
3 am
Football Training Camp: Penn State (REPLAY)

1 p.m.
Football Training Camp: Penn State (REPLAY)

7 pm
Football Training Camp: Penn State (REPLAY)

Check out our running recap inside the Lions Den message board for more info. Here are some quick hitters:

–As promised by the BWI team all offseason, Kotelnicki’s offense will feature plenty of motions and shifts. We saw that on the cutup clips aired when the crew was talking. The goal is to give opposing defenses plenty to think about presnap.

–Prep for the opener at West Virginia will start in some sense in about a week’s time.

–Roth is a tremendous addition to the BTN team. You will enjoy hearing him on the network’s studio programming and also calling games.