Linkbacker U is getting to know the Quarterbacks

Dissecting the Competition

We get it. Two freshmen quarterbacks. Three scramblers. One walk-on. None of which excite the Penn State faithful. But what about beyond the game...once they take their helmets and jerseys off and are actual people. StateCollege.com talked to each of the quarterbacks (wonder who their connection was) and found out a little more about them.

Kudos to you Mr. Newsome. The Goofy Movie is a phenomenal film.

No where to go but up....Right?

The special teams for Penn State last season was..well.. special. And that was WITH Jeremy Boone. When Collin Wagner is one of the only sure things for the special team unit, you know there are going to be problems.

Audrey Snyder of the Daily Collegian broke down the current state of affairs in the special teams unit, telling us a couple things. Wagner is expanding his range, the punting situation is still up in the air, and at least one member of the kick return unit from a year ago can now focus on his duties on offense.

"We have some guys that can step up and do the return game and stuff like that," Royster said. "I doubt I'll be too involved with that, but definitely catching the ball out of the backfield and trying to split out. I think we'll try and get into that."

Basketball in July

Thankfully basketball season is still a long way away, but the mass exodus at the end of last year opened up many a spot on the roster, and so far so good for their replacements, Talor Battle told the Pitt Stop

Not sure whether this is simply PR on Battle's part or not, but I guess when Battle has good things to say about his teammates, that's good to hear on a few different levels.

Speaking of Basketball, We've Got Company.

Jim Delaney was just too kind. He knew that us Penn State basketball faithful were getting lonely in the Big Ten cellar. So he invited Nebraska to give the Lions a run for their money on the court. Black Shoe Diaries talked with Brian from Corn Nation to discuss the newest addition to Big Ten basketball.

"Brian: Again, we've been competitive. We just haven't had the wins to show for it. We won the league tournament in '94, and have a handful of upsets over Missouri and Kansas when they were ranked in the top 2 or 3. Case in point, we led Kansas in the second half during both games last year, but couldn't pull them out in the end.

Nebraska will be more competitive in the Big 10. We've had a few rough seasons, but our youth is very talented and after last season...experienced. Keep in mind, Nebraska led the Big 12 in scoring defense for the majority of the year in 2009-10. We fit the Big 10's style of play a bit better than the Big 12. I'd say that Nebraska will compare to an Iowa or Minnesota in terms of what they are capable of."

That pre-season optimism sounds all too familiar. I'm not buying it.

Checking in on our Old Friends

They won't be running out of the Beaver Stadium tunnel this season but they're still Lions in our book.

Bleeding Green Nation reports that A.Q. Shipley is doing well in the first team offense while Jamaal Jackson is out, Micky Shuler signs with the Vikings, and PackersNews.com says Andrew Quarless still has his work cut out for him.

“We’re probably going to have a lot of conversations like we had a few years ago (about Finley) where we have a young guy who’s got a long way to go,” McAdoo said of Quarless. “Really there’s not a lot to talk about right now. He’s a young man that has to learn how to practice the right way, he’s got to learn how to keep his pads down, he’s got to learn the offense.”

At Least not all Conferences Suck at Math...

Finally a conference that has as many teams as it claims to have. The Pac 10 added two more teams in Colorado and Utah, and just recently changed its conference name to indicate such. What a novel concept huh? Doesn't seem the Big 10 or Big 12 grasp this higher level of thinking.

Quarless, Shuler and Hull round out Penn State draft class

Andrew Quarless (10) will be a Green Bay Packer.

While many Penn State fans were enjoying live Nittany Lion football at the Blue-White Game, the final rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft were wrapping up in New York City. It was a very good draft for Penn State, as three more Nittany Lions were taken.

Andrew Quarless was drafted in the fifth round, No. 154 overall, by the Green Bay Packers. Even with all his off-field and maturity problems over the years, he has definitely vindicated himself with a fantastic senior campaign at Penn State, and now as a Green Bay Packer.

Ready to face Quarless as an NFC North rival, Mickey Shuler was selected in round seven, No. 214 overall, by the Minnesota Vikings. This came as a slight surprise, as Shuler never claimed the No. 1 tight end spot at Penn State. But he has great upside, and will be sure to contribute at the next level.

The final Nittany Lion drafted this year was former walk-on Josh Hull. It's a great story of a typical Penn State football player. The St. Louis Rams took Hull with the next-to-last pick, No. 254 overall, in the seventh round. Hull will have a great shot to make the practice team, as he's a hard worker and smart kid.

Word late tonight is that Daryll Clark has been picked up as a free agent. We'll have more on that in a little while. So check back soon.

Congratulations to all the Nittany Lions selected in the 2010 NFL Draft. Good luck, and we know you'll make the Nittany Nation proud!

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Abbreviated Media Roundup: Penn State's Pro Day

Sean Lee (45) ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at Penn State's Pro Day yesterday.

Here we go, the short-short version...

Richard Scarcella, The Reading Eagle:

Hello, Anthony Morelli. And where've you been?

Morelli was one of 22 former Penn State players who worked out for scouts from all 32 NFL teams. It's been more than two years since he played his last game that counted, the 2007 Alamo Bowl against Texas A&M.

"I'm only 24 years old," he said. "I'm young. I still have a lot in the tank. I just really love the game. There's no quit in me. I'm going to keep going until I exhaust all options."

Bernard Fernandez, Philly.com:

"Did I help myself? Well, I got a lot of positive reviews," Clark said. "The question [the scouts] have been asking is whether I'm consistent enough to play in the NFL. I feel like I answered that question today."

There has been some speculation that the 6-2, 232-pound Clark could follow in the footsteps of one of his mentors, former Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson, who is now a backup running back with the San Francisco 49ers. Clark and his agent, onetime Penn State and NFL wide receiver Chafie Fields, indicated they'd be resistant to a position change, at least for now, as well as to the possibility of playing in the Canadian Football League.

Mike Poorman, StateCollege.com:

If there was a circus atmosphere in TebowhaseverythingtoGainesville, then the sunny day and heightened hopes at Holuba Hall truly made it a Happy Valley. At least before the players were X’ed out.

The former Nittany Lions walked in twos and threes from the Lasch Building -- where their height and weight were recorded and their bench presses were tallied -- to Holuba Hall at around 10:30 in the morning. The majority of the group was smiling, happy, upbeat and a bit antsy. Most chatted easily with the three reporters gathered.

A few, however, already saw the future and it was bleak.

“How many bench presses did you do?” cornerback A.J. Wallace was asked.

Jeff Rice, CDT:

Hull, who ran a disappointing 4.91-second 40 in Indianapolis, was clocked at 4.71 Wednesday.

“That was my main emphasis coming in today, and I knocked it down two tenths of a second,” said the Milheim native, who also bettered his combine numbers in the broad jump and 3-cone drill. “So I was happy with what I did.”

Bowman, about eight pounds heavier (237) than he was when he played in the Capital One Bowl in January, ran a 4.61, down from 4.72 in Indianapolis.

He also set up meetings in the coming weeks with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys. Lee, who ran a 4.74 at the combine, was clocked in the 4.55 range Wednesday.

Bob Flounders, Patriot-News:

PSU tight end Mickey Shuler Jr. spent the last two months training for Wednesday's Pro Day at a performance center in Pensacola, Fla.. He believes he made the most of his one shot and is hoping for some workout invites from NFL teams.

Several former teammates congratulated Shuler after his Wednesday workout, including Bowman. The 6-4, 251-pound Shuler said he ran in the 4.6s, broad-jumped almost 11 feet, was measured at 37 inches in the vertical jump and bench-pressed 225 pounds 28 times. Those aren't good numbers. They are great numbers.

“Not too shabby,'' joked Shuler, an East Pennsboro High School grad.

The 2010 NFL Draft begins in prime time, April 22.

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