UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State football hosted its annual Blue-White spring game on Saturday, April 26. While the format was different in 2025, there were still takeaways from both sides of the ball.
The day started with a kicking competition; teams were rewarded for successful kickoffs. The Blue Team, the presumed starters, won the event and gained two points. Next was the seven-on-seven section, each team got a couple of reps without an offensive line.
When the real game started, the first half was thud, so players were able to hit, but not hard enough to knock people over.
Right from the start, the quarterback two battle between Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkmeyer was on display. Smolik seemingly won the day, with multiple nice drives including a long touchdown to freshman Lyrick Samuel.
The redshirt sophomore was effective with his feet and was able to find receivers downfield when he was on the move. The only knock on Smolik could be how quickly he left the pocket at times.
Also garnering attention were the receivers. Transfers Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross seemed to be as advertised. Ross showcased his speed and deep threat ability with a few nice grabs. If Ross and Allar can get their chemistry up, they could be a dangerous duo.
Hudson also showed off his talents, specifically his ability to beat zones and his speed. Multiple times, Hudson found space in the middle of the field for first downs. The trait that sticks out the most is how he plucks at the ball. When the ball is in the air, he goes and gets it instead of waiting for it to come to him.
Two homegrown talents also had good games at the receiver position, despite running with the White Team. Tyseer Denmark, who was on punt returns, also had a span in the third quarter where it was like he was the only player on the field.
The aforementioned Samuel also played really well. James Franklin has talked about him throughout spring football as a playmaker. While he is listed at just 187 pounds and 6’4,” if he can put on more weight this summer, he could have a role in 2025.
The final position that caught people’s attention was the linebackers. Tony Roajs did not see the field due to an injury and Dom DeLuca did not play that much, most likely because he is a set starter.
It was obvious that the linebacker room was feeling the losses of Beckham Dee and Ta’Mere Robinson to the portal. Franklin was adamant after the game that he would give the portal a strong look for another backer.
“So if there is a linebacker out there that wants to come and be a part of our program and play for the LBU, the most historic linebacker program in the history of college football, there’s an opportunity here to join the room and compete,” Franklin said.
