James Franklin among most influential Black figures in college football; 2 Lions called top 50 draft prospects: Newsstand
Penn State news, notes, and updates for March 1 include recognition for James Franklin, an NFL Draft update on two former players, plus much 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 James Franklin. The 10th-year leader of the Nittany Lions is the fourth most influential Black figure in college football, according to a piece from Richard Johnson of Sports Illustrated.
“So far, the best bet to be the first Black coach to win an FBS national championship remains Franklin, whose Nittany Lions will likely enter the season as a dark-horse College Football Playoff team,” Johnson writes. “The consistent roadblocks will stand in their way: Ohio State and Michigan, but a new quarterback and plenty of returning talent offers optimism that this is the year Penn State can get over the humps.”
In other news, NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah has released his updated top-50 prospects list ahead of this year’s selection process. A pair of ex-Nittany Lions were included. Corner Joey Porter Jr., is first. He checks in at No. 12 overall.
Top 10
- 1New
Blurred out QB
Vols protect INT thrower
- 2Hot
Top 25 WR units
Ranking the pass catchers
- 3
OLB rankings
Top 25 in college football
- 4
College Football Playoff
Ranking Top 32 teams for 2025
- 5Trending
Top 25 College QBs
Ranking best '25 signal callers
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“Porter Jr. has elite size, length and speed for the position,” Jeremiah writes. “He is at his best in press coverage, where he can use his rare arm length to re-route wideouts. He has a great feel for working around pass catchers to poke the ball away.”
Safety Ji’Ayir Brown, then, was No. 40 overall.
“Brown is an explosive athlete who was utilized all over the Nittany Lions’ defense in 2022,” Jeremiah writes. “He lines up in the deep half, deep middle, in the box and in the slot. He has outstanding range and instincts against the pass, with the ability to match up with, and mirror, TEs all over the field.”
Headlines of the day
Where ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. landing in the NFL draft: McGonigal, PennLive
Penn State returns two of game’s Top 10 linebackers in 2023: Bauer, BWI
A Penn State Tournament Rally? It’s Happened Before: Wogenrich, SI
Deep Dive: Penn State OT prospect Kevin Heywood: Fitz, BWI
Campus Ink’s Penn State NIL Store is officially active: Engle, Daily Collegian
Penn State lands a throwback in Kari Jackson: T-Frank’s Film Room
Penn State Wrestling Ready to Roll Heading into Big Ten Championships: Wagner, Statecollege.com
Quote of the day
“Manny was huge. He’s always been someone that I stayed in contact with heavily throughout the whole recruiting process. I built a great relationship with Manny personally and I trust what he’s building there. He came up to the school a couple of times. We got on the phone a lot on FaceTime. I think we have a great connection.”
