Penn State coach James Franklin says Jordan van den Berg 'may be the most improved guy in our program': Newsstand
Penn State news, notes, and updates for July 13 include a major shoutout from James Franklin to a Lions defender, plus West Virginia’s first depth chart ahead of the team’s Week 1 clash with the Lions and more.
It’s time to dive into Thursday’s top tweets and headlines about the Nittany Lions and college athletics.
Penn State tweets of the day
We start with a big statement from James Franklin about a big-bodied defender. Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg tweeted a video of himself completing a 380-pound power clean on Wednesday. Franklin responded to it by saying the 6-foot-3, 301-pound native of South Africa “might be the most improved guy in our program, VERY proud of him!”
It’s high praise for a player who will have his most significant role to date as a Nittany Lion this fall.
In other news, West Virginia coach Neal Brown and various players will speak at Big 12 Media Days on Thursday. Before that, the program released its 2023 media guide, which included a preseason depth chart. There are a few Penn State connections on it. The list includes:
–One-time transfer commitment Devin Carter is listed as the first-team ‘Z’ receiver. The former N.C. State pass catcher was briefly committed to the Lions this offseason (his pledge came moments after the Rose Bowl win) before flipping to WVU.
–Former top Class of 2023 target Rodney Gallagher is listed as the No. 2 ‘H’ receiver.
–Previous Penn State defender Fatorma Mulbah, who transferred to West Virginia after the 2022 season, is the third-team nose tackle.
–Linebacker Lance Dixon, who starts year three in Morgantown after starting his career in State College, is in a three-man race to be the starting ‘SPEAR’ linebacker. He has 55 tackles for WVU through two seasons.
Headlines of the day
Pat Freiermuth’s biggest 2023 challenge could be Steelers’ rookie Darnell Washington: Luciew, PennLive
Which Penn State players will join James Franklin at Big Ten Media Days?: Pickel, BWI
Penn State Plans ‘Huge Investment’ in Baseball: Wogenrich, SI
Top underclassman confirms he’ll attend Penn State’s Lasch Bash Barbecue: Snyder, BWI
Drew Allar balancing NIL, Penn State football ahead of massive training camp: Woloson, Daily Collegian
The five most pivotal Penn State players not named Drew Allar: Fitz, BWI
Why Iowa Is the Most Interesting Game on Penn State’s Home Schedule: Jones, Statecollege.com
Quote of the day
“We all have personal goals and team goals, but one of the biggest things is just focusing on our day-to-day process. Getting better each day and having the opportunity to go 1-0 every week is one of the biggest things that we stress throughout the program.”
–PSU QB Drew Allar to the Daily Collegian on the Lions’ focus as preseason camp nears.
