Penn State football rounds out graduate assistant staff ahead of 2022 season
Penn State football has rounded out its list of graduate assistants ahead of the 2022 season.
The Nittany Lions now list Dwayne Scott as an offensive graduate assistant and Byrce Jones as a defensive one. They join returning graduate assistants David Parker and Deion Barnes, who assist the offense and defense, respectively.
All told, it all but fills out head coach James Franklin’s staff ahead of his latest season in charge of the Nittany Lions. Penn State has also added or replaced a number of analysts since the turn of the calendar year and made additions in its recruiting department, as well.
Meet the new guys
Scott was with the Nittany Lions throughout spring practice. He played under current Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein at Boston College. He took the spot of former Lions lineman Wendy Laurent, who left his GA role in State College to become the tight ends coach at Dartmouth. Scott has already connected well with recruits. He’s not allowed to travel to see them but can converse with them electronically and interact during on-campus visits.
“Down to earth coach!” Georgia four-star Class of 2024 tackle Daniel Calhoun told BWI. “The way he relates his message, [it] sounds like he keeps it 100. They like the way I play. They WANT me at Penn State!!!”
Jones, then, also played at Boston College. He ultimately transferred to Akron, however. The University Heights, Ohio native started four games for the Zips and played in all 12 during the 2016 season. He also ran track at the Mid-American Conference school an Academic All-MAC selection. He said in an interview with XFL.com that coaching was what he wanted to do once his playing days ended. Jones will now do that at Penn State.
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“Anything to stay around the game of football,” Jones said. “It’s one thing I love more than anything. I’d love to be around it and share the knowledge with athletes younger than me and people who want to get to where I am or where I’ve been.
“I love working with kids. They put the fun back into it. They allow you to remember how much you loved it when you were a kid and why you are still doing it to this day.”
Schools are allowed to have four graduate assistants total. And, they can only hold that role for two seasons. However, anyone who was a GA during the 2020 season is eligible to stay on for a third season. That’s how Penn State kept Barnes in his same role for this fall.
Penn State opens its 2022 season at Purdue on Thur., Sept. 1.
