Penn State among teams with most returning production in 2024: Newsstand
Penn State news, notes, and updates for Feb. 7 include a look at returning production across college football in 2024, headlines of the day, and more.
It’s time to dive into Wednesday’s top tweets and headlines about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.
Penn State tweets of the day
We start with college football returning production rankings, which is an annual staple from ESPN’s Bill Connelly. Penn State checks in at No. 23 nationally with 70 percent of its overall production from 2023 returning in 2024. Only two schools, Virginia Tech and Iowa State, have more than 80 percent at 86 and 85, respectively. It goes without saying that those two programs lead the way in the rankings. Of the 21 between them and the Lions, Northwestern (No. 6 with 76 percent), Rutgers (No. 8 with 74 percent), Minnesota, and Wisconsin (Nos. 19 and 20 with 70 percent) are the only Big Ten schools ahead of head coach James Franklin’s program. Penn State faces the Scarlet Knights, Golden Gophers, and Badgers this fall.
“On average, teams returning at least 80% of production improve by about 6.4 adjusted points per game in the following season’s SP+ ratings,” Connelly writes. “That’s a pretty significant jump! For a team ranked 25th in SP+ last year, adding 6.4 points to its rating would have bumped it to about 13th. And if we lower the bar to just 70% returning production — a bar 25 teams currently clear — that’s been enough to boost teams by an average of 4.0 points since 2014.”
Top 10
- 1Hot
Carson Beck
Latest on Georgia QB status for Sugar Bowl
- 2
Most valuable college programs
Ranking the athletic departments
- 3
Nick Saban
Questioning sustainability of NIL, unlimited transfers
- 4
Shane Gillis
Actor named CGD picker
- 5
Steve Sarkisian
Texas HC rips Vandy QB ruling
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Using BWI’s projected depth chart before the Peach Bowl, Penn State is returning, at minimum, it starting quarterback, co-starters at running back, numerous receivers and tight ends with experience, two offensive linemen with multiple starts in 2023, both starting defensive tackles plus other depth, defensive end co-starer Dani Dennis-Sutton, two of three starting linebackers, both starting safeties, and the first-team kicker and long snapper.
Headlines of the day
Updated 2024 mock draft projections for a few of Penn State’s most gifted prospects: Flounders, PennLive
Penn State wrestling: Why does music play during matches now at Rec Hall? Cael Sanderson explains: Pickel, BWI
Penn State’s Super Bowl Legacy Continues in Las Vegas: Wogenrich, SI
PSU makes top four for four-star Class of 2025 quarterback Matt Zollers: Pickel, BWI
Evaluating NFL draft stock of Penn State players after postseason all-star games: Haas, Daily Collegian
T-Frank’s Film Room: How Penn State OC Andy Kotelnicki used two RBs at Kansas: Carr, BWI
Andy Staples explains why Dartmouth ruling could lead college athletes to unionize: Vessels, On3
Quote of the day
“Rec Hall is like awkwardly quiet. We need some noise in there. I did hear a couple people this time saying, ‘Turn the music off.’ If people made more noise, we would turn the music off. It’s just so quiet in there. You can hear a 4-year-old kid up in the corner yell, ‘We Are,’ and if that’s the case, it’s too quiet. It’s awkward. This is a sporting event. Let’s make some noise.”
–PSU coach Cael Sanderson on the program’s decision to play music during matches at its last two home dual meets.
