OHIO STATE SEASON FOOTBALL TICKET RENEWALS DECREASED 4 TO 5 PERCENT
"We were down by about 4 or 5 percent," Smith said. "So we usually renew at about 97 or 98 percent. This time, we renewed at 94 to 95 percent. So we had some extra inventory."
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/20...pen-practice-james-franklin-sean-clifford-bsd
- Sean Clifford was bombarded with reporters the majority of the time, so instead I talked with Will Levis to see how he was dealing with the ongoing competition. He was quite candid with me saying that while he’s always prepared as if he was the starting QB, he didn’t necessarily think he’d be in this position heading into his redshirt freshman year. Not that he didn’t think his talent warranted it, but more so that the depth chart when he committed was not exactly conducive to seeing the field this quickly.
- I asked him if there were any wide receivers that he really enjoys throwing to, and while he ended up naming a bunch of them (good teammate alert), the first name out of his mouth was Justin Shorter. Just saying. If Levis is to be believed, the “Lion” package may not be dead with Tommy Stevens’ departure. Who knows if we’ll see it this year, but Levis said there have been conversations about him playing it.
- Matt McGloin was there as a part of the media (HappyValley.com), but I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions anyway. The big takeaway — big fan of what James Franklin has done and is doing. He said he wished he could have played for Franklin.
- Liked what I saw from the running backs. Ricky Slade is so unbelievably quick. Pretty fun watching him do lateral movement drills because it’s just so effortless for him. He’s done a nice job adding on some more weight too. Thick thighs.
- Goes without saying, but Penn State got two really good running backs in the 2019 class. There are times where you can point out a freshman based on their look or tentativeness going through a drill — not the case with Cain or Ford. I was of the mindset that only one (most likely Cain) would see action in more than four games this year, but Ford looked really good. Both seemed like they belong right there with Slade and Journey Brown.
- I thought Rasheed Walker looked a little out of sorts during the spring game, but he looked much more under control on Saturday evening. I’m sure there will be some growing pains, but that dude has all the talent in the world, and just from the spring to summer it looks like he’s become more comfortable.
- You know how I said Noah Cain and Devyn Ford didn’t look like true freshmen? Caedan Wallace joins them in that camp. Man, does he look good physically. Despite being viewed as a guard for much of the recruiting process, Limegrover had Wallace at right tackle and he didn’t look out of place there. Like I said earlier, I think he’s on the Rasheed Walker plan of getting some action in four games.
- Shane Simmons gets his own bullet because after what had to be a frustrating 2018 for him, he looked fantastic on Saturday. Spence was throwing him a lot of praise during drills, and that kid must have lived in the weight room this offseason — his lower body is high-key thicc. Looks like he didn’t lose an ounce of explosiveness despite adding a good deal of mass, either.
- Speaking of true freshmen, Adisa Isaac is another one of those freshmen that looks like he belongs. He’s still a bit undersized, but his quickness pops. Toss in the ever improving Jayson Oweh too, and there’s very valid reasons to think this group might be the best in the Big Ten.
- Like Shane Simmons got his own bullet, so does Damion Barber. Man, talk about a body transformation. The first time I saw No. 90, I didn’t even think it was Barber. He looks like a legitimate defensive tackle now. Very excited to see him get some game action this fall.
- The only freshman to be with the second team back seven? Cornerback Keaton Ellis. Goes without saying, but a redshirt seems highly unlikely there.
- Beyond the back seven stuff, I saw some other safety drills. JUCO transfer Jaquan Brisker stuck out physically and athletically. Smooth, lanky athlete that is well put together. Lamont Wade looked good as well — it was from a distance, but he looked more defined than the previous times I saw him. Looked a bit more fluid than usual, too. Will be a fun battle.
I think it’s fair to predict that Barber and Hansard will battle it out to be the fourth defensive tackle in camp. I’m not the one you’re talking about, but Barber was a really, really good player at Harrisburg and if he maintains his explosiveness with the weight he’s added to move inside, he could be a really nice player at DT.
Was just about to post this..."Miss Snyder", CJ is my new favorite for the 2019 team
Interesting tidbit about Freshman DT Darkwa from Germany. CJF said they found out his team never practiced more than 2 days during game weeks. Whole new world for this young man @ PSU (lol). CJF also indicated that they have been impressed with Darkwa thus far. I guess better than they thought.
It looks like the legend is in order down to the decimal and we are in 7th ahead of Texas, Michigan, and Clemson.To be clear, looks like PSU basically tied for 5th in the country in blue chip ratio.
