The Early Standouts as Penn State Begins Winter Workouts
A month after its Rose Bowl victory over Utah, Penn State returned to the weight room Tuesday to begin winter workouts. Which means the coaching staff returned to social media to highlight some Lions old and new making an impact off the field.
The most interesting mention comes from new receivers coach Marques Hagans, who introduced another new addition. Transfer receiver Malik McClain, who recently arrived from Florida State, is a two-year veteran of the Seminoles' offense and was the team's newcomer of the year in 2021. Penn State looks for the 6-4 receiver to make a quick impact in its offense.
At quarterback, offensive coordinator and position coach Mike Yurcich continued his praise for Beau Pribula. The freshman, who redshirted last season, certainly isn't conceding the starting spot to Drew Allar.
Last December, Yurcich called Pribula an "unbelievable quarterback" whose "inner drive, that competitiveness, is as good as I've ever been around."
Running back Nicholas Singleton isn't resting after being named Big Ten freshman of the year. The 1,000-yard rusher drew praise from position coach Ja'Juan Seider for his "great leadership."
Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein picked veteran tackle Caedan Wallace, who is part of a line stacked with experience. Wallace has started 27 games for the Lions and returns with some position flexibility.
At tight end, redshirt freshman Khalil Dinkins earned the nod from assistant coach Ty Howle. Dinkins (6-4, 238) played in eight games, including the Rose Bowl, last season and seeks a larger role at tight end with Brenton Strange headed to the NFL.
Defensive end Adisa Isaac, who returns as the team's tackles-for-loss leader (11), was assistant coach John Scott Jr.'s pick as the leader of the defensive front. With Isaac, Chop Robinson and Dani Dennis-Sutton, the Lions are equipped with an imposing pass-rush trio for next season.
Does Penn State have another freshman linebacker to watch? Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz hinted at that, selecting Tony Rojas as his top performer at linebacker. Rojas, a 6-2, 195-pound linebacker from Virginia, was a standout two-way player at Fairfax High, where he rushed for 2,239 yards and made 13 sacks as a senior.
A transfer player impressed cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, who nominated Storm Duck as his top day-one performer. Duck transferred to Penn State from North Carolina, where he was named all-ACC last season. Duck will contend for Joey Porter Jr.'s vacated starting role.
As Penn State seeks to replace kicker Jake Pinegar, special teams coordinator Stacy Collins chose Sander Sahaydak as his top specialist. Sahaydak handled some kickoffs last season, and went 1-for-2 on field-goal attempts. He'll have plenty of competition for the spot.
Penn State will hold eight sessions of winter workouts and begin spring drills in March. The Blue-White Game is scheduled for April 15.
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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
