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Penn State practice sights and sounds; Lions called PA's top team: Newsstand

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel08/13/25GregPickel
penn-state-football-yvan-kemajou
PSU defensive lineman Yvan Kemajou. (Pickel/BWI)

Penn State news and notes for Aug. 13 include updates from the Lions’ latest preseason practice and a rundown of every state’s best team.

The Nittany Lions were on the fields outside of Holuba Hall for the 11th of 25 days of drills leading up to the opener with Nevada on Tuesday. Head coach James Franklin is happy with where his team is at. But, more work remains before game one.

“We got pretty much everything in now,” he said. “There’s not a whole lot more we’ll be putting in. So, we can refine things. We got to play cleaner. I like what we’re doing. But there’s just too many missed assignments and things like that. Bad football will get you beat long before good football will win you games. And we’ve done a good job of that. But, we got to get those things cleaned up right now and start refining the other things.”

In other news, David Cobb of CBS Sports names Penn State the top college football team in Pennsylvania. It’s hardly surprising news, seeing that the Lions are No. 2 in the preseason Associated Press top 25 and No. 3 in the initial USA Today Coaches Poll.

“Penn State and Pitt haven’t played since 2019, but we don’t need a head-to-head showdown to know who runs the state,” Cobb writes. “The Nittany Lions are coming off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance and look well-equipped to compete for a national championship in 2025.”

Penn State headlines of the day

Which Penn State freshmen are inching closer to earning green-light status for the 2025 season?: Pickel, BWI

Will Penn State have a new punt returner in 2025?: Buy or sell: Pickel, BWI

Penn State Camp Report: QB battle update, depth chart clues, and contact drills: Carr, BWI

Penn State in the NFL roundup: ‘No deal in sight’ for Micah Parsons; will Chris Godwin be ready for Week 1?: Pickel, BWI

See Amare Campbell, Cortez Harris, Malachi Goodman, and more Penn State freshmen and transfers in action at practice: PHOTOS: Pickel, BWI

Physical, assertive, and dominant: Penn State offensive line sets tone for offense: Bauer, BWI

Trimmings: Five Penn State commits who will see their rating rise this fall: Fitz, BWI

Quote of the day

“Yeah, I think we’re all surprised. “I mean, we knew he was a talent, right? Tall, long, athletic, high-level basketball player, quarterback. His senior year, he moves to defensive end, blows up, gets some offers. We offer. He commits. Everybody else still comes after him. Got a great family, and they held true. And you know, we still didn’t know what we were going to get. Because, you only play one year of defensive end, it’s a long way from the quarterback position. But his physicality and his explosiveness and his motor have been impressive. Everybody’s talking about him, you know? It’s early. But, he’s flashed, and there’s a lot of excitement about his ability.

PSU coach James Franklin on freshman DE Chaz Coleman.