Press release courtesy of Penn State Sports Information
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., June 1, 2015 - Just past the 100-day mark until college football returns, Phil Steele's College Football Preview has announced its preseason All-America and All-Big Ten squads. Senior defensive tackle Anthony Zettel (West Branch, Mich.) headlined the group earning first-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten, while nine total Nittany Lions earned spots on one of four all-conference teams.
Along with Zettel, sophomore wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (Fredericksburg, Va.) and senior cornerback Jordan Lucas (New Rochelle, N.Y.) each landed on the first team. Junior defensive tackle Austin Johnson (Galloway, N.J.) and junior linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White (Philadelphia) were selected to the second team. The trio of senior tight end Kyle Carter (Bear, Del.), junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg (Palmyra, Va.) and junior running back Akeel Lynch (Toronto, Ontario) were selected to the third team, and senior center Angelo Mangiro (Roxbury, N.J.) was the lone Nittany Lion on the fourth team.
After moving from defensive end to defensive tackle in 2014, Zettel enjoyed his most productive season on the field in the blue and white. A fourth-team All-America selection by Athlon Sports and an All-Big Ten first-team pick by both the coaches and media, Zettel logged career-best totals with 17 tackles-for-loss and 8.0 sacks. His 16.0 career sacks rank tied for No. 15 in Penn State history and his 27.0 career TFLs are just five shy of entering the top-15 in the PSU record books.
Zettel was the only FBS player to rank among the national leaders in sacks and interceptions per game in 2014. The athletic defensive lineman nabbed three interceptions, the most by a PSU defensive lineman since at least 1959, to tie for the team lead in the category and added one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and eight pass deflections.
Hamilton earned third-team Freshman All-America accolades from Athlon Sports last season after leading the Big Ten and ranking 28th nationally with 6.3 receptions per game. His 82 receptions set the school record for catches by a freshman and rank No. 2 on the all-time charts behind Allen Robinson's school-record 97 catches from 2013. He became the third straight Penn State wide receiver to lead the Big Ten in receptions and was named second-team All-Big Ten following his first season on the field. His 899 yards also set the PSU freshman record, while his 14-catch effort vs. Ohio State are the most catches in a game by a Nittany Lion in program history.
An honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection last season, Lucas is the unquestioned leader of the secondary. His 58 stops in 2014 ranked third on the team and his nine pass breakups ranked among the best in the Big Ten. Lucas notched a career-best 2.0 sacks last season, including a key fourth quarter takedown of Tyler Murphy in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl victory over Boston College. Lucas closed the season strong, making 20 stops in his final three games, including a season-high-tying seven stops against the Eagles in the overtime bowl victory.
Johnson highlighted his breakout 2014 campaign with honorable-mention all-conference honors after setting career highs in tackles, fumble recoveries, pass breakups and tackles for loss. His 49 stops were tops among Penn State defensive linemen, while his two fumble recoveries led the team and ranked tied for seventh in the Big Ten. His 49 stops more than doubled his previous career-best of 27, while his 6.0 tackles for loss doubled his 3.0 TFLs from his rookie campaign.
After piling up a team- and career-best 11 stops vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Wartman-White ended the season as the team's second-leading tackler behind All-American Mike Hull. His 75 tackles more than doubled his previous career high with his 6.2 stops per game ranking 28th in the conference. He grabbed his first career interception at Indiana in 2014, helping secure the Nittany Lions victory, and added 3.5 tackles for loss.
A 10-yard jump ball resulted in the game-tying touchdown and ensuing game-winning extra point in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl vs. Boston College and capped a 16-catch season for Carter. He grabbed three passes in the postseason victory for the Nittany Lions and enters his senior campaign with 67 career receptions and 828 receiving yards. Carter has twice been named to the John Mackey Award Watch List, given to the nation's top tight end.
Entering the season poised to become the top passer in Penn State history, Hackenberg capped his sophomore season by breaking or tying nine PSU single game bowl records. He has stated all 25 career games under center and enters the season ranked No. 3 in career passing yards (5,932), attempts (876) and completions (501), and is No. 4 in career total offense (5,770). He is one of just eight Nittany Lions to amass over 5,000 passing yards and is the only Penn State signal caller to break the 400-yard mark in a game, throwing for a school-record 454 yards in a victory over UCF at the Croke Park Classic in Dublin. Ireland. In 2014, Hackenberg led the Big Ten with 20.7 completions per game, ranking 23rd nationally, and finished second in the conference and 39th nationally with 2,977 passing yards.
A breakout sophomore season was capped by a 75-yard effort, which included a 35-yard burst midway through the fourth quarter of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which set up the game tying score vs. Boston College. He ended the season with 678 yards on 147 carries with four touchdowns - all career-high totals - and made 10 catches out of the backfield. He appeared in all 12 games last season, making his first two career starts. He boasted a pair of 100-yard rushing games in 2014, including a career-best 137 yards and one touchdown at Illinois.
Mangiro was the leader of a young offensive line corps in 2014, starting every game and making starts at three different positions. He made 10 starts at center, two at right tackle and one at left guard. His efforts up front helped Penn State amass over 300 yards of total offense on seven occasions in 2014, including 453 yards vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Mangiro was instrumental in protecting Hackenberg, who continued to climb the career passing charts, ending the season ranked among the top three in passing yards, attempts and completions.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., June 1, 2015 - Just past the 100-day mark until college football returns, Phil Steele's College Football Preview has announced its preseason All-America and All-Big Ten squads. Senior defensive tackle Anthony Zettel (West Branch, Mich.) headlined the group earning first-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten, while nine total Nittany Lions earned spots on one of four all-conference teams.
Along with Zettel, sophomore wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (Fredericksburg, Va.) and senior cornerback Jordan Lucas (New Rochelle, N.Y.) each landed on the first team. Junior defensive tackle Austin Johnson (Galloway, N.J.) and junior linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White (Philadelphia) were selected to the second team. The trio of senior tight end Kyle Carter (Bear, Del.), junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg (Palmyra, Va.) and junior running back Akeel Lynch (Toronto, Ontario) were selected to the third team, and senior center Angelo Mangiro (Roxbury, N.J.) was the lone Nittany Lion on the fourth team.
After moving from defensive end to defensive tackle in 2014, Zettel enjoyed his most productive season on the field in the blue and white. A fourth-team All-America selection by Athlon Sports and an All-Big Ten first-team pick by both the coaches and media, Zettel logged career-best totals with 17 tackles-for-loss and 8.0 sacks. His 16.0 career sacks rank tied for No. 15 in Penn State history and his 27.0 career TFLs are just five shy of entering the top-15 in the PSU record books.
Zettel was the only FBS player to rank among the national leaders in sacks and interceptions per game in 2014. The athletic defensive lineman nabbed three interceptions, the most by a PSU defensive lineman since at least 1959, to tie for the team lead in the category and added one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and eight pass deflections.
Hamilton earned third-team Freshman All-America accolades from Athlon Sports last season after leading the Big Ten and ranking 28th nationally with 6.3 receptions per game. His 82 receptions set the school record for catches by a freshman and rank No. 2 on the all-time charts behind Allen Robinson's school-record 97 catches from 2013. He became the third straight Penn State wide receiver to lead the Big Ten in receptions and was named second-team All-Big Ten following his first season on the field. His 899 yards also set the PSU freshman record, while his 14-catch effort vs. Ohio State are the most catches in a game by a Nittany Lion in program history.
An honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection last season, Lucas is the unquestioned leader of the secondary. His 58 stops in 2014 ranked third on the team and his nine pass breakups ranked among the best in the Big Ten. Lucas notched a career-best 2.0 sacks last season, including a key fourth quarter takedown of Tyler Murphy in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl victory over Boston College. Lucas closed the season strong, making 20 stops in his final three games, including a season-high-tying seven stops against the Eagles in the overtime bowl victory.
Johnson highlighted his breakout 2014 campaign with honorable-mention all-conference honors after setting career highs in tackles, fumble recoveries, pass breakups and tackles for loss. His 49 stops were tops among Penn State defensive linemen, while his two fumble recoveries led the team and ranked tied for seventh in the Big Ten. His 49 stops more than doubled his previous career-best of 27, while his 6.0 tackles for loss doubled his 3.0 TFLs from his rookie campaign.
After piling up a team- and career-best 11 stops vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Wartman-White ended the season as the team's second-leading tackler behind All-American Mike Hull. His 75 tackles more than doubled his previous career high with his 6.2 stops per game ranking 28th in the conference. He grabbed his first career interception at Indiana in 2014, helping secure the Nittany Lions victory, and added 3.5 tackles for loss.
A 10-yard jump ball resulted in the game-tying touchdown and ensuing game-winning extra point in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl vs. Boston College and capped a 16-catch season for Carter. He grabbed three passes in the postseason victory for the Nittany Lions and enters his senior campaign with 67 career receptions and 828 receiving yards. Carter has twice been named to the John Mackey Award Watch List, given to the nation's top tight end.
Entering the season poised to become the top passer in Penn State history, Hackenberg capped his sophomore season by breaking or tying nine PSU single game bowl records. He has stated all 25 career games under center and enters the season ranked No. 3 in career passing yards (5,932), attempts (876) and completions (501), and is No. 4 in career total offense (5,770). He is one of just eight Nittany Lions to amass over 5,000 passing yards and is the only Penn State signal caller to break the 400-yard mark in a game, throwing for a school-record 454 yards in a victory over UCF at the Croke Park Classic in Dublin. Ireland. In 2014, Hackenberg led the Big Ten with 20.7 completions per game, ranking 23rd nationally, and finished second in the conference and 39th nationally with 2,977 passing yards.
A breakout sophomore season was capped by a 75-yard effort, which included a 35-yard burst midway through the fourth quarter of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which set up the game tying score vs. Boston College. He ended the season with 678 yards on 147 carries with four touchdowns - all career-high totals - and made 10 catches out of the backfield. He appeared in all 12 games last season, making his first two career starts. He boasted a pair of 100-yard rushing games in 2014, including a career-best 137 yards and one touchdown at Illinois.
Mangiro was the leader of a young offensive line corps in 2014, starting every game and making starts at three different positions. He made 10 starts at center, two at right tackle and one at left guard. His efforts up front helped Penn State amass over 300 yards of total offense on seven occasions in 2014, including 453 yards vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Mangiro was instrumental in protecting Hackenberg, who continued to climb the career passing charts, ending the season ranked among the top three in passing yards, attempts and completions.
