Allgaier on JRM's strength: 'We have a great mix of everybody'
On Tuesday night, Gavin McKenna officially announced his commitment to Penn State University. After an incredible run in major junior with the Medicine Hat Tigers, McKenna began to receive the 'generational' label that stars like Connor Bedard, Connor McDavid, and Sidney Crosby had before him.
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USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Trio of Penn State players named to Maxwell Award watch list
With college football's conference media days in the rearview mirror and the start of the new season less than a month away, watch list season is in full bloom. With raised expectations for team success in 2025, Penn State is already being well-represented on some high-profile award watch lists this summer, including the Maxwell Award. This week saw three of Penn State's finest named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award by the Maxwell Football Club. The three players representing Penn State on the list are quarterback Drew Allar, and running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. All three offensive stars chose to return to Penn State this season to attend to some unfinished business. Allar, Singleton, and Allen give Penn State one of the top backfields in college football coming back this season and are a big reason why the Nittany Lions are being labeled a top preseason Big Ten and national championship contender. Singleton was named a preseason All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation for the 2025 season after a being an honorable mention All-Big Ten player on offense and special teams as a return specialist. Singleton will start the season as the nation's leading rusher returning this season with 2,912 career rushing yards and 32 career rushing touchdowns. Allen earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season despite playing in the same backfield and splitting playing time with Singleton. Allen has rushed for 2,877 yards in his career with 24 rushing touchdowns and an average of 5.1 yards per rushing attempt. Only Singleton has more career rushing yards among players returning in 2025 across the nation. Head coach James Franklin believes these two could end their careers taking over the top two spots in the Penn State rushing record book when all is said and done. Allar was a Davey O'Brien semifinalist last season after passing for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushing for 302 yards and six touchdowns. He will enter the 2025 season ranked sixth in all-time in Penn State history wiht 6,302 career passing yards. Allar was an honorable mention All-BigTen player a season ago after leading the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten championship game and a run to the semifinal in the College Football Playoff. The Maxwell Award is presented to the nation's college football player of the year and has been awarded annually since 1937. The Heisman Trophy may be the most notable individual award in college football, but the Maxwell Award is a high honor as well. Penn State has had seven all-time winners of the Maxwell Award, tied with Notre Dame for the most. Penn State's previous winners are Richie Lucas (1959), Glenn Ressler (1964), Mike Reid (1969), John Cappelletti (1973), Chuck Fusina (1978), Kerry Collins (1994), and Larry Johnson (2002). Last year's winner of the Maxwell Award was Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. The last Big Ten player to win the award was Penn State's Larry Johnson in 2002. Although it is worth recognizing that USC and Washington had back-to-back winners with Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. in 2002 and 2023, respectively, as members of the Pac-12. Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canada Names National Development Team Roster For Summer Series
For the second straight summer, Hockey Canada will lean on youth at the August 13-16 Summer Series against USA with their national development team roster. Canada named a 23-player roster for the three-game series against USA's Collegiate Select roster including 12 members of their national development team roster from last season that won silver at the 2024 Women's Euro Hockey Tour's Six Nations tournament. 'We are excited to return to the international stage with a strong group of athletes who bring both experience and fresh energy to our development team,' said national development team head coach Alison Domenico. 'It is an honour to be back behind the bench, and our staff is eager to continue guiding our talented athletes as they take the next steps in their growth within our program.' Among the returnees to their roster are captain Jocelyn Amos, Tova Henderson, Jordan Baxter, Avi Adam, Claire Murdoch, Hailey MacLeod, Ava Murphy, Ashley Messier, Emma Pais, Madeline Palumbo, Sarah Paul, Sara Swiderski, and Emma Venusio. Adding to their national team experience are a large group of U-18 national team players including Mackenze Alexander, Eloise Caron, Hannah Clark, Piper Grober, Makayla Watson, and Alyssa Regalado, who all played in the NCAA last season. Canada also named five players who will make their NCAA debuts this season including goaltender Rhyah Stewart, and forwards Maxine Cimeroni, Sienna D'Alessandro, Sara Manness, and Stryker Zablocki. Notably absent from their 2025 roster is standout Caitlin Kraemer. The omission likely means Kraemer is either recovering from injury, or will be part of Canada's senior national team centralizations. Eve Gascon was also not named to their roster again as she'll be with the senior national team. Alex Law was the only other player not returning, but she struggled last season with Boston University. From last year's national development team that played in the Women's Euro Hockey Tour, seven players were selected in the 2025 PWHL Draft, including first-round picks Nicole Gosling, Kendall Cooper, and Jenna Buglioni, and second-round picks Anne Cherkowski and Hannah Murphy. Other PWHL picks from Canada's national development team were Sarah Wozniewicz and Maya Labad. USA Hockey Unveils National Festival Roster Providing Sneak Peek At Olympic Hopefuls USA Hockey is bringing together 76 professional and college players for their 2025 National Festival slated for August 3-9 in Lake Placid.
USA Today
12 hours ago
- USA Today
Drew Allar's growth from 3-star recruit to Penn State's leader
From Underdog to Top Dog James Franklin didn't hesitate when asked about Drew Allar at Big Ten Media Days. He's proud of him. Not just for what he does on the field, but for how far he's come since high school. 'Drew has made tremendous growth every single year,' Franklin said. 'All the way back to recruiting.' He reminded everyone that Allar wasn't always seen as a surefire star. 'When we first started recruiting, [he] was a three-star recruit, kind of a throwback recruit,' Franklin said. 'Kept getting better, kept moving up the charts.' Some recruiting services had Drew Allar as the top-rated quarterback in the nation. That alone shows the type of work Allar put in before even stepping on campus. Franklin also pointed out how Allar had to sit and learn his freshman year as a backup behind an NFL quarterback. He didn't complain. He got better. 'He's now 6'5", 235 pounds, can make every throw on the field,' Franklin said. 'He's shown that he can hurt people with his feet and has really, really made tremendous strides as a leader.' That leadership is a huge part of why Franklin is so high on him heading into the 2025 season. 'He's willing to have tough conversations with his teammates,' he said. 'He's holding himself to a high standard.' Allar already had first-round NFL Draft buzz last season, but chose to return to Penn State for one more year. That decision says everything. 'Unfinished business collectively as a team but also as an individual,' Franklin said. For Franklin, Allar represents what Penn State is all about—doing things the right way and playing for the team, not just yourself. 'He's really what it's all about,' Franklin said. 'It's team, team, team. It's community. It's Penn State.' Now, heading into his third straight year as the starting quarterback, Allar is on track to graduate this fall. He already has more than 800 completions, 50-plus touchdowns, and fewer than 10 interceptions—stats that put him in rare company since 1956. The stage is set for Allar to not only lead but also to take the final leap. Franklin and the rest of Penn State believe he's ready. And honestly, after everything Allar's shown on and off the field, it's hard not to believe it too.
