Penn State Saturday six-pack: Get to know a new 2023 target; mock draft update, and more

Welcome to the weekend, Penn State fans!

There are no recruits on campus today as the NCAA dead period continues. We also have no basketball to discuss.

But, there are plenty of other topics to get to in this Saturday’s six pack. Away we go.

1. THON weekend is here

Penn State football and athletics as a whole are involved in THON this weekend.

The annual dance marathon to raise money for Four Diamonds and the fight against pediatric cancer is already underway. Two field hockey players and two men’s soccer players are representing the Lions on the dance floor. You can learn more about donating to their efforts below, courtesy of Penn State Athletics:

• Brianna O’Donnell (field hockey, junior, Lansdale, Pa.)
  • Donate to Brianna’s fundraising efforts: https://bit.ly/ODonnellFundraising
• Hannah Zemaitis (field hockey, senior, Camp Hill, Pa.)
  • Donate to Hannah’s fundraising efforts: https://bit.ly/ZemaitisFundraising
• Femi Awodesu (men’s soccer, sophomore, Philadelphia, Pa.)
  • Donate to Femi’s fundraising efforts: https://bit.ly/AwodesuFundraising
• Ben Liscum (men’s soccer, freshman, Lewisburg, Pa.)
  • Donate to Ben’s fundraising efforts: https://bit.ly/LiscumFundraising

Penn State football is apart of athlete hour. And, assuming there is a Saturday night pep rally, the freshmen will likely be dancing in that, as well. Stay tuned for updates later today.

2. Another first-round grade for Dotson

Longtime ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay posted a new mock draft this week.

It contained good news yet again for former Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson.

McShay has the Pa., native and All-American landing with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 30. He also suggests that end and fellow Lions All-American Arnold Ebiketie could be a fit there for the AFC franchise, as well.

“Dotson is lightning quick in and out of his breaks, and despite a 5-foot-11 frame, he can pluck on the run and produce after the catch,” McShay writes.

“He’d be a great possession receiver for Mahomes after catching 91 passes in 2021, including at least five in 11 of 12 games. Dotson would be the sixth receiver here, and it’d be the third straight class of at least five first-rounders. That has never been done.”

3. Meet Penn State target Jaybron Harvey

Penn State is one of many schools in the mix for Class of 2023 end Jaybron Harvey.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Durham, N.C., native has offers from all over. Now, the junior is interested in learning more about the Lions after they joined the race to land him earlier this month.

On film, it’s not hard to see why so many programs are interested in the edge rusher.

“The best part of my game is getting off the ball,” Harvey told BWI. ” I can read the snap count. I’m explosive off the ball. If you cant reach me, you cant block me, but I can be physical and bull rush too.”

Harvey’s dad lives in Pennsylvania, which means the defender definitely wants to see Penn State at some point in the future. He’s still working on mapping out his visit plan at this point.

4. Will the Big Ten end up on NBC?

The Big Ten has been in the news this week because of its television contract.

ESPN is currently in an exclusive negotiating window with the conference. However, that is expected to expire without an agreement. It means that the Big Ten can go to an open market and fetch as much money as possible.

Front Office Sports reports that the eventual deal could be worth more than a billion dollars annually. And, NBC could be the outlet that provides it.

“If I’m ESPN or Fox, I’m looking over my shoulder because NBC is going to go hard after the Big Ten,” a source told the outlet.

NBC currently has rights to Notre Dame football. If it lands the Big Ten, it will rival ESPN’s SEC package for the best college football programming in the country. If that’s the goal, it will have to pay up, which would obviously benefit schools like Penn State in the long run.

We’ll see how it plays out. But, it’s something to watch closely.

5. A fact about James Franklin’s Penn State tenure

Each year, the folks over at FootballScoop rank college football coaches by longevity at their current school.

Where do you think Penn State coach James Franklin lands on that list?

Take a moment to think about it. We’ll give some space before you scroll for the answer.

Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz leads the pack nationally and in the Big Ten. That shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s led the Hawkeyes since 1998. The next longest-tenured coach is Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, who was hired in 2004.

Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald comes next after Ferentz in the Big Ten. He’s been with the Wildcats since 2006.

Then, we find Franklin’s spot on the list. Hired by Penn State in Jan. 2014, he’s third in the conference and No. 18 overall.

You can see the full list at the link above.

6. Odds and ends

–Penn State wrestling holds its home finale on Sunday. The Lions face Rider at 2 p.m. ET on BTN+.

–Lions Class of 2023 commit Alex Birchmeier looks to defend his Virginia state wrestling title today. The heavyweight is the favorite to do so.

–Monday marks one month until spring practice. The pads will be on again soon, Penn State fans! Enjoy your weekend.