Deep defensive line, up-and-down day from Drew Allar among takeaways from Penn State spring game

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — On a gusty Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium, Penn State’s annual spring football game was dominated by the White squad in a 27-0 win over the Blue team. Featuring plenty of starters from last season’s team, the White team included starting quarterback Drew Allar, who completed 15-of-32 passes for 202 yards and a late fourth-quarter touchdown to tight end Andrew Rappleyea.

With spring football concluding for the Nittany Lions, there were a few notable takeaways from Saturday’s game.

Penn State’s returning duo at running back, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, did not participate in the spring game, leaving the door open for others to get live game action. One of those who took full advantage was freshman running back Quinton Martin, who scored two of the game’s three touchdowns for the White team. The first, a 9-yard run, came early in the second quarter. The other, a 12-yard burst through the middle, came in the fourth quarter.

After the game, coach James Franklin said Martin “had some bumps and bruises, so he missed a decent amount of time this spring,” but has a chance to earn a role with a strong training camp in the summer, despite the talent Penn State has at the position.

“I do think he’s got really good vision, but I think between now and West Virginia, he’s got a lot of work to do, and I think he’ll do it,” Franklin said, referring to the Aug. 31 season opener at Morgantown, W.Va. “I think he’ll have a chance of competing to be in that rotation in training camp.”

Allen, who led the team in rushing yards last season with 902, was sidelined for spring practices with bumps and bruises, Franklin said, but will be ready to go for the summer training and practices. Meanwhile, Singleton, who did practice most of the spring, suited up for the spring game, but was “banged up this week in practice” according to Franklin.

Cam Wallace, a redshirt freshman, led all players with 36 rushing yards on seven carries on the White team.

The headliner for the defensive side of the ball starts and ends with Abdul Carter, a La Salle College High alum who made the switch from linebacker to defensive end this spring. The standout junior, who finished 2023 with first-team All-Big Ten honors, finished with two tackles (one for loss) in his first live game reps at his new position for the White team.

He wasn’t the only Philly native to make a splash during the game. Sophomore defensive end Jameial Lyons, a former Roman Catholic star whose name has been buzzing since the Peach Bowl practices in December, finished with a sack and a handful of quarterback pressures for the Blue team. Lyons used his first-step quickness and explosiveness to win against left tackle J’ven Williams.

» READ MORE: James Franklin shows confidence in Drew Allar as Penn State kicks off spring practices

“I thought Lyons flashed today, I think he’s a guy that’s got a bright future,” Franklin said. “You guys saw some examples of that last year. I think we’ll continue to see that.”

In addition, the Nittany Lions return Dani Dennis-Sutton, who played in a rotational role in 2023 and is a projected starter next season opposite Carter. He finished with a sack during the spring game for the White team, as did senior Amin Vanover, whom Franklin also praised as a standout from the game.

Early on, Allar and his receivers weren’t always on the same page. A couple of deep pass attempts failed, and there were some missed throws on the move outside of the pocket. However, Allar found comfort in finding wideout Harrison Wallace, connecting on completions of 14 and 20 yards in the fourth quarter on separate drives.

Allar’s best drive under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki came on the last one of the game, jump-started with a completion to Wallace on fourth-and-15 and capped with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Rappleyea. Allar completed three of his last four passes in the game.

“I just realized how much stress you can really put on a defense pre-snap with all the movements, motions, and things of that nature,” Allar said postgame about adjusting to Kotelnicki’s offense.

Wallace did let a fade ball near the goal line in the second quarter slip through his hands, but he looked like a potential top target for Penn State’s offense. He led all receivers with five catches for 72 yards.

Meanwhile, Ohio State transfer wideout Julian Fleming, on the Blue team, finished with one catch for 5 yards on three targets. Four receivers on the White team each finished with at least 20 yards receiving in the game. Receiver was a much-maligned position last season for the Nittany Lions.

“I think like you saw today, a bunch of guys touched the ball and made plays, we were able to distribute the football around,” Franklin said. “I’ve had all the faith in the world in our wide receivers in terms of talent and ability. We have to take the next step and I saw them take a step this spring.”

“They’ve definitely made a lot of improvement,” Allar said. “They caught a lot of ... criticism last year, and they put their heads down and worked.”