The weekly rundown: For Penn State, the final full offseason month is here

The Weekly Rundown, our early-in-the-week column that focuses on all sorts of Penn State and college athletics news and information, is back!

Sure bets

The final month of the offseason is here. While there are no games in August, that’s officially the start of preseason camp, and thus, July marks the end of the offseason. Don’t feel bad if you, like us, are unsure where the first six months of 2024 went. We aren’t sure either. But, a lot, from the transfer portal windows to spring practice and recruiting wins and losses, have already taken place. Now, Big Ten Media Days and then the first padded practices sit on the horizon.

More commitments are coming this week. Will they all end up in Penn State’s favor? That’s hard to say, of course. But, at this juncture, we know that wide receiver Samari Reed commits Wednesday while safety JaDon Blair is set to announce on Friday. The Lions lead for Reed but trail Notre Dame for Blair.

Visits are not allowed for now. But that will change, albeit for a brief time only, later this month. While the dead period is still in full swing, recruits can return to campus again on July 25. They can visit through July 31. Then, Aug. 1 brings a nearly month-long dead period before the season begins.

The jury is out on these Penn State topics

Is this the week game themes are announced? We will make this a reoccurring part of this section until an announcement is finally made on the White Out opponent and then everything else. We understand the push and pull between Penn State, the Big Ten, and its television partners to try and make one of the biggest spectacles in sports a night game against the best team on the home portion of the schedule. But, it still feels a bit silly that this decision hasn’t been made yet.

Who will the Lions take to Big Ten Media Days? At some point this month, possibly as soon as this week, the Big Ten will announce the three players from each program who are joining their head coach at media day. James Franklin has historically taken all seniors or, at the very least, veteran returning starters. Our guesses for this year’s contingent? Safety KJ Winston Jr., center Nick Dawkins, and defensive tackle D’Von Ellies.

Which recruits will make a decision this week? We mentioned above that Reed and Blair are ready to decide. Who else will join them? Class of 2025 recruits like receiver Lex Cyrus could easily end their recruitments this week. Every year during the first days of July, prospects with previously unscheduled announcements decide to schedule them to end their recruitment.

This Nittany Lion topic has our attention

Joe Kovacs is heading back to the Olympics. The Penn State track and field alum and two-time Olympic shot put silver medalist has qualified for his third straight International games after finishing second at the U.S. Trials with a heave of 22.43-meters.

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