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Penn State adds preferred walk-on kicker to Class of 2025: Newsstand

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•05/03/24•

GregPickel

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Penn State special teams coordinator Justin Lustig (Photo credit: Sean Fitz/BWI)

Penn State news, notes, and updates for May 3 include a new walk-on commitment, a recap of a busy day for portal losses, and more.

It’s time to dive into Friday’s top tweets and headlines about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.

Penn State tweets of the day

We start with a new preferred walk-on commitment in the Class of 2025. Central York specialist Matthew Parker has picked Penn State. He was previously committed to West Virginia but backed away from that pledge in April. Parker was a PA Football Writers Association Class 6A all-state pick in 2023. Parker made a 54-yard free kick field goal in 2023, which stands as a Keystone State record.

We move on to a recap of what was the busiest day of the spring for Penn State and the last portal window before the 2024 season. For clarification purposes, undergraduates had to declare their intention to enter the portal with Penn State by the end of the day on Tuesday. However, the university then has 48 hours to submit a player’s paperwork to the NCAA so that his name appears in the portal. That’s the reason why five Nittany Lions went into the portal on Thursday even though it is technically closed.

As for the group that went in, it is headlined by second-year safety King Mack. The Florida native used a year of eligibility in 2023 while seeing time in all 13 games, mostly on special teams. He was part of a group of first-year players who showed enough to be starters on kick coverage teams while also being good enough to be part of the second-team defense.

Mack was joined in moving on Thursday by receiver Malik McClain, walk-on running back David Kency Jr., running back London Montgomery, and offensive lineman Golden Israel-Achumba. None of that group saw significant playing time in 2023. And, it was going to be hard to come by in 2024. McClain, though, likely had the best chance of playing due to the unsettled nature of the program’s receivers room. Since spring practice ended, it has lost McClain, KeAndre Lambert-Smith (who is now at Auburn), and Malick Meiga.

Headlines of the day

2024 NFL Draft takeaways | What lies ahead for the 8 former Nittany Lions?: Linderman, Daily Collegian

3 thoughts on Carter Starocci’s return to Penn State wrestling in 2024-2025: Pickel, BWI

On3’s guide to top NFL Draft picks as recruits: Power

What’s Penn State’s plan at tight end following another new offer in the 2025 class?: Snyder, BWI

Penn State may explore more Beaver Stadium concerts. Will traffic issues improve?: Centre Daily Times

Deep Dive: Penn State QB commit Bekkem Kritza: Fitz, BWI

Why the spring transfer portal window didn’t alter the 2024 national championship picture: Simonton, On3

Quote of the day

“I like coach Terry Smith. He always tries to get me up there when he can so I can see how they run things and go around there. I like their DB group. I talk to some of the guys when I get up there. They are telling me how they like it.”

–Four-star 2026 CB Elbert Hill on PSU to On3’s Chad Simmons.

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