The fastest Nittany Lion? 3 things we learned from Penn State football media day

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2 days ago

STATE COLLEGE − Drew Allar was more mobile last season, a better quarterback runner, so to speak.
And offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki expects even more improvement in that part of his Penn State football quarterback's game for this increasingly hyped and anticipated fall.
For the team that expects its highest preseason ranking in more than 25 years.
Allar significantly increased his rushing attempts (96) and net yards (302) and improved his rushing average (3.1 per carry) in 2024.
Recently, Allar has talked about tailoring his nutrition and workouts to cut down on body fat and weight (down to between 230 and 235 pounds) to become even quicker and even more durable.
'Now, he's moving awesome," Kotelnicki said during Saturday's annual media day sessions.
He broke into a good-story-to-come smile.
"He's wearing sweatpants in practice and I said, 'Dude, you got to wear shorts because you got great hamstrings now. You know what I mean? Show those things off.'"
Here are four things we learned about this College Football Playoff favorite during the first week of preseason practice:
Penn State football: The fastest Nittany Lion? It's a defensive back
Running back Nick Singleton may own the best power-speed combination on the team.
Transfer receiver Devonte Ross arrives with top-end lateral quickness. He expects to be a big-play, downfield burner.
But the fastest Nittany Lion? By pure speed metrics, tops on the team reportedly comes from the defensive back room.
Junior cornerback Elliot Washington claims a stunning 4.29-second 40-yard dash. Junior safety King Mack boasts a 4.31. Corners Audavion Collins and Zion Tracy are close behind.
"Having a corner that runs 4.3 and having a safety that runs 4.3, that's literally cutting the field down in half (on defense)," Mack said. "I can honestly say having the fastest (defensive back) corps in college football, there's going to be a lot of plays made this year. "
Why people should be talking more about Khalil Dinkins
The Penn State tight end room is transitioning from one superstar (Tyler Warren in 2024) to an expected time share among three promising performers (Khalil Dinkins, Luke Reynolds, Andrew Rappleyea).
The leader is Dinkins, the senior who is receiving increasingly rave reviews for his blocking. He expects to improve, too, upon his 14 receptions and two touchdowns last season.
"He did all the dirty work last year," Franklin said.
"(He's) big, strong, physical, and his improvement in so many areas since he stepped on campus has been dramatic. I think he's got a very bright future. He's going to have a great year for us and I think he's going to have a chance to play for a long time in the NFL."
Healthy Tony Rojas trending at Linebacker U.
Tony Rojas couldn't be himself on the field during most of last season.
He still impressed as the team's fifth-leading tackler (58) and making three interceptions, including the one he returned for a touchdown in the the playoffs.
"Tony really played most of last year with a (shoulder) injury ...," Franklin said. "So being able to have an off-season surgery and get him right ... He is strong (now), he is fast, he is confident.
"So he's in a really good place, and we're anticipating him having a big year, but he's still got to go out and do it. He's been very intentional all summer. Been impressive so far in camp."
New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is seeing Rojas in on-field for the first time this week. Rojas did not participate in spring drills.
"Just in a couple of days, very impressed," Knowles said. "He seems to have developed physically in the offseason. Not only that but he's picked things up quickly, which is tough to do when you don't get the reps on the field.
"He's able to perform within the scheme and utilize his talents in a away, he kind of jumped out in the first two days."Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at [e-mail] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football media day: Drew Allar's big improvement for 2025