6 Penn State football May takeaways: Beaver Stadium plan, 2024 kick times, an injury note, more
Penn State football has put a fairly busy month of May behind it. We learned plenty about the program during what is usually a fairly quiet fifth month of the year. In 2024, that was hardly the case. Here are the top takeaways from the last 31 days.
1. A Penn State football defender will miss time due to injury
Blue-White Illustrated first reported earlier this month that third-year Lions linebacker Keon Wylie suffered a “significant injury” and thus will miss a substantial amount of time this year. The nature of the injury, which was suffered during spring practice, was not disclosed. But, it means that a position group already short on numbers will now have even fewer bodies available when preseason camp starts. First-year position coach and defensive coordinator Tom Allen should not have any great difficulties scheming around the setback. But, Wylie was expected to contribute, which is now obviously in great question in 2024.
2. Beaver Stadium renovations are a go
The Penn State Board of Trustees approved the remaining funds for what will ultimately be a $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium focused primarily on the west side. Work will begin following the 2024 season. It is set to be complete by the start of the 2027 season. Early illustrations of what the finished product might look like can be seen here.
3. A pair of football letterman are back in town
Penn State welcomed a pair of lettermen and members of the historic 2012 team back as employees in May. Former linebacker Michael Mauti is now an associate director of development in the athletic department. It is a fundraising role primarily. And, former defensive tackle Jordan Hill is the program’s new Director of Life Skills. He will be tasked with helping players with a litany of off-field tasks. A total of 16 former Penn State players now work either in the athletic department at large or on James Franklin’s staff.
4. Penn State parts ways with a receiver
Virginia native Carmelo Taylor is now a former member of the Penn State football program. A reason for why he moved on after just one season is unclear. But, he did not enter the transfer portal before the spring window closed. Taylor was unlikely to contribute in 2024 but is still one of a few pass catchers who left the roster following spring practice. KeAndre Lambert-Smith ended up at Auburn, Malick Meiga at Coastal Carolina, and Malik McClain at Arizona State.
5. A number of kick times were announced
Penn State officially learned that at least one of its games will be featured on FOX’s ‘Big Noon Kickoff.’ In the network’s earliest broadcast window, it will face West Virginia in the opener on Aug. 31. The next week, it will take on Bowling Green at Noon for the home opener at Beaver Stadium. Additional time and television assignments could be announced in June.
6. Odds and ends from May
–Penn State director of coaching technology Jevin Stone was named the 2023-2024 Video Coordinator of the Year by the Collegiate Sports Video Association. It also called the Nittany Lions’ video staff with the 2023-2024 Motivational Video Award winner for its pre-Maryland hype video. And, it announced the video clip Franklin tweets when he shares that a new commitment comes in the short social category winner of the year.
–Besides the three receivers listed above, other players who left Penn State via the portal in April are now ready to go at a new school. The most notable is safety King Mack, who left the Lions after one season to move on to Alabama. Beyond him, defensive tackle Davon Townley Jr., committed to Missouri State. And, running back London Montgomery is now at Eastern Carolina.
–The Lions landed just one verbal commitment in May. Virginia four-star tight end Matt Henderson picked the Lions early in the month.
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