Skip to main content
penn-state logo

Blue-White Game Takeaways: A freshman stands out, thoughts on wide receivers, more

Screen Shot 2021-11-15 at 6.02.01 PMby:BWI Staff•about 15 hours
NCAA Football: Penn State Blue-White Spring Game
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws a pass during a warm up prior to the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images)

By Greg Pickel

Penn State has finished spring practice. The Nittany Lions played four quarters on Saturday at Beaver Stadium during the 2025 Blue-White Game. Team White, which was made up of mostly key reserves, beat Team Blue, which had almost all of the starters, 10-0 on a windy and mostly sunny day here. Find our top takeaways below.

1. The starting offense did not have its finest day

Senior starting quarterback Drew Allar threw his two best throws of the day on his fourth drive. He found Kyron Hudson wide open for 15 yards and then hit Devonte Ross for 14 a few plays later. It was all part of the best drive of the day for Team Blue. Over the course of 12 plays, they marched from their own 25 to the White Team one-yard-line. Quinton Martin Jr., found paydirt on fourth and goal from the one. But, the two-point try was no good as Allar was forced to chuck it out of the end zone, leading to the Team White 10, Team 8 outcome.

The drive was a good example of Allar’s day overall. He had some good moments but also plenty of iffy ones. One pass was picked off by Vaboue Toure.

All in all, one spring scrimmage is nothing to build a full opinion of his progress on. All signs say he took the step forward necessary to keep improving as the season approaches. But, it wasn’t all pretty for No. 14 on this day.

2. Daryus Dixson came to play

Penn State freshman cornerback Daryus Dixson made the two most memorable plays of the day. He popped Josiah Brown following a fourth quarter completion. It was the kind of hit you could hear from a mile away. Earlier in the day, the new Nittany Lion had pass breakups opposite both Brown and Ross. He was sticky in coverage and, while the Lions’ cornerback room is deep, the former four-star from Santa Ana., Calif., made a big first impression and will push for playing time.

3. First thoughts on the Penn State receivers room

You can see the speed with Devonte Ross and the veteran presence of Kyron Hudson when both are in pads on the field. Ross can be used on end-arounds and reverses and also posses a good set of hands. Hudson, at one point, sat beautifully in a zone between defenders for a big gain. Each looked the part. Tyseer Denmark, at one point, came across the formation, caught a pass from Ethan Grunkemeyer, and turned on the afterburners for a gain of 31. And, Lyrick Samuel had the catch of the day, as he beat a defensive back deep for a 40-yard touchdown.

While neither team overly impressed in the passing game, the receivers took advantage of the opportunities given to them and, in many cases, quite literally ran with them. It was a good showing for a group that will continue to worry fans until the season arrives.

4. Odds and ends

–Ross and Denmark are leading the way for punt return duties. We’ll see if Zion Tracy gets back in the mix later this year. He missed the spring due to injury.

–Was this the last Penn State Blue-White game? We’ll have to wait and see. But, I wouldn’t rule it out. Schools across the country have decided to cancel them this year. The Lions forged on with theirs. But, that doesn’t mean they need to continue to do so.

–The backup quarterback battle is going to be fun to watch. Grunkemeyer and Jaxon Smolik both had strong moments on Saturday. That fight should go down to the wire.

You may also like