Penn State Football

Penn State cornerback Marquis Wilson is facing two misdemeanor charges after school police filed an affidavit against him.

Per Bret Pallotto of the Centre Daily Times, Wilson was accused of "stashing a small amount of marijuana in a pill bottle" after Penn State police stopped him in February when they smelled "a strong odor of marijuana" inside his vehicle. 

Wilson has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 26 after being charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. 

Pallotto noted the police affidavit states Wilson denied smoking marijuana and said someone else was smoking in his vehicle.

A 2016 ordinance approved by the State College Borough Council gave State College officers the choice to charge "an individual with a summary offense instead of a misdemeanor for possession of a small amount of marijuana."

However, that same ordinance noted university police were still required to "follow federal and state laws that consider marijuana use and possession a misdemeanor."

Wilson is entering his sophomore season with the Nittany Lions. He recorded 18 total tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups in 10 games as a true freshman last year.

Amid growing concerns that college football may be canceled this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour told reporters on a Zoom call Wednesday that pushing the campaign to the spring of 2021 would be a "last resort."  

"One of the biggest challenges [of a spring season]—and it's probably the biggest one in my mind—is the proximity to next season, and frankly a second lost spring ball," Barbour said per ESPN's Heather Dietrich.

"Overcomeable, if perhaps we're willing to have a shortened season—again in the category of 'something is better than nothing,' that may not be a problem at all."

The United States has seen a stark rise in daily new COVID-19 cases over the past month as states have begun to relax stay-at-home guidelines and have allowed businesses to reopen, per the World Health Organization.

On June 5, the U.S. had 14,583 new cases, which was the second-lowest daily figure since March. 

That number more than tripled within four weeks, as 44,580 new cases were confirmed on June 29 alone.

With the rising numbers in mind, Barbour noted that there is some doubt about being able to hold a fall college football season, per Dietrich:

"There's no doubt there's been a little bit of pessimism here in the last couple of weeks that we really hadn't had for probably about four to six weeks.

"... I think that's part of the ebb and flow of the virus here. Obviously my hope is that, maybe, as people start looking at the masking and social distancing again and all of the precautions and recommitting to the seriousness of this, we'll see it flatten out.

"What we're doing is we're planning. Obviously, given the uncertainty, we're having to work on a lot of different plans, a lot of different scenarios. And when the time comes, if it's healthy and safe to do it, we'll obviously do it. And if it's not, we won't."

The idea playing the season in the spring of 2021 has been tossed around already by one conference, per Mark Blaudschun of TMG Sports.

The Ivy League is currently discussing holding a seven-game season in April and May in lieu of games in the fall. The other option is to play in the fall with the eight conference rivals playing a round-robin against each other and refrain from hosting or visiting other schools, 

As for now, the NCAA cleared schools to welcome football players to return to campuses for voluntary workouts beginning on June 1. Mandatory workouts can begin July 13.

Penn State head football coach James Franklin plans to isolate from the rest of his family during the 2020 season in order to protect his youngest daughter's health amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Per ESPN's Andrea Adelson, Franklin's daughter has sickle cell disease, which the Center for Disease Control and Prevention describes as a "group of inherited red blood cell disorders."

Franklin made his comments on HBO's Real Sports in an episode that aired Tuesday, per Adelson.

"There was a lot of tears," he said. "There was a lot of emotion having this conversation with my daughters. So a lot of heartache over it."

The 48-year-old also said it was "the right thing to do for my daughter."

The American Society of Hematology reported on the increased adverse effect COVID-19 may have on a person with sickle cell disease:

"Patients with SCD often have underlying cardiopulmonary co-morbidities that may predispose them to poor outcomes if they become infected with SARS-CoV-2. Data are being collected by the international COVID-19 sickle cell disease registry and by the ASH Registry, and providers are encouraged to report their SCD patients with COVID-19."

Franklin's wife, Fumi, will stay in Florida with their two daughters while Franklin coaches the Nittany Lions in State College, Pennsylvania.

The family has been quarantining together with the offseason currently in progress and in-person workouts canceled from March through May due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the NCAA allowed teams to welcome student-athletes back for voluntary workouts starting June 1. Penn State's workouts are underway, per Adelson.

The Nittany Lions' opening game is scheduled for Sept. 5 against Kent State. Their final regular-season matchup is slated for Nov. 28 against Rutgers.

Penn State's season may run as long as Jan. 11, 2021, when the College Football Playoff National Championship Game is scheduled to be held in Miami.

The Nittany Lions routinely rank in the top 10 of early preseason top-25 polls, including fifth for ESPN's Mark Schlabach and ninth for Pro Football Focus' Eric Eager.

Had Penn State's spring training camp gone on as planned this year, the Nittany Lions might have had a familiar face holding a clipboard on the sidelines.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was in talks with his alma mater to join the coaching staff for the offseason workouts before the coronavirus pandemic changed the sports landscape. 

Penn State head coach James Franklin confirmed the plan to the New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy:

"Saquon reached out to me and his plan was to come and spend spring ball with us as a coach. He wanted to sit in all of the coaches meetings to see how we came up with the game plan, how we watch film and all the things we discuss.

"He wanted to be able to learn football and view it through a different lens because he thought that would help his growth, and he'd be able to go back and have a bigger impact with the Giants. He could see how coaches assess things and why."

Franklin says he wasn't the least bit surprised after Barkley reached out. 

Following back-to-back seasons with more than 1,000 rushing yards, the running back is looking to take the next step in his career and help bring the Giants back to the postseason for the first time since 2016.

"He is very curious about a lot of different things," Franklin told Dunleavy. "Throughout Saquon's college experience and afterwards, he is very observant. He is asking a lot of questions. Whenever your best player is also your strongest culture-driver behind the scenes, it's a recipe for success."

As much as Barkley could have gained from working the sidelines in State College, the current Penn State players could've learned just as much from him.

In three years at PSU, the tailback ran for 3,843 yards with 43 touchdowns while catching 102 passes for 1,195 yards and another eight scores. He was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017 before becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft and then the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

Perhaps the best part of the arrangement would've been the on-site gyms and fields available to the NFL star. 

"He could've worked out in our facility, and it would've been great for our program and our players to be around him," Franklin told Dunleavy. "He wanted to really attack and approach football from a different perspective thinking that would help him be a better player but also have a bigger leadership impact with the Giants." 

Penn State's camp was scheduled to run from March 18 to April 18, but it was canceled because of the pandemic.  

Penn State head football coach James Franklin told reporters Wednesday that he believes conferences should allow teams in open states to move forward with the 2020 football season, even if certain member schools are prohibited by coronavirus restrictions. 

"I can't imagine that right now we're all going to open at the same time," Franklin said, per Heather Dinich of ESPN. "If the SEC, for example, opens up a month earlier than the Big Ten, and the Big Ten is able to open up and 12 of the 14 schools, if two schools can't open, I don't see a conference—any conference—penalizing 80 percent or 75 percent of the schools because 25 percent of them can't open.

"To me, unless there's a level playing field and the NCAA comes out and says that no one's opening before this date to try to help with that, what you really end up doing is you end up hurting the conference. Say two or three of the schools in our conference that are ranked in the top 10 have the ability to open and a couple schools don't, and you make the decision to hold the entire conference back, you're hurting the conference as a whole in terms of your ability to compete."

Rutgers, which is located in New Jersey, appears the most unlikely Big Ten school to be able to be fully open by fall. Camden, New Jersey, where Rutgers is located, has more than 4,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and is only 10 minutes outside of Philadelphia—one of the hardest-hit cities outside of New York state. 

Any speculation about when and if college football can return in the fall is premature. A vast majority of college campuses nationwide have been closed to quell the pandemic, and conference commissioners told Vice President Mike Pence that sports will not return until it's safe for students to be on campus.

Given that there are tens of thousands of students on many campuses across the country, the idea of a return may be more difficult for college sports than most professional outlets. We are likely months away from people being allowed to congregate in such large groups again, and that assumes there are no setbacks or second spike.

Franklin, who noted he anticipates a "way inconsistent" return, said it would be helpful if the NCAA enacted guidelines for every school to follow.

"That could at least help with it a little bit," Franklin said. "In a perfect world, everybody opens at the same time. I just don't see any way that [will] be possible. Are you going to not have college football this year or sports in general because two states in the country won't open? I don't see that happening."

Landon Tengwall, a 4-star offensive tackle from Good Counsel High in Maryland, committed to Penn State on Thursday.

Tengwall announced his decision on Rivals, with Notre Dame making the final cut alongside the Nittany Lions:

The 6'6", 300-pound Tengwall is ranked the No. 45 prospect in the Class of 2021, the No. 7 offensive tackle and the No. 1 player from Maryland, per 247Sports.com's Composite Rankings. Brian Dohn of the ranking site compared him to Ryan Ramczyk of the New Orleans Saints and provided the following scouting report:

"Ideal offensive tackle frame with length and size. Carries 300 pounds like it is 280. Agile and athletic. College-ready strength. Fires off quickly and low at snap. Knee bender who sinks hips and wins leverage. Devastating initial punch. Hand placement is accurate. Clean footwork and adept at pulling. Has body control. Blocks at second level. Nasty, physical, plays with attitude. Finishes his blocks. Needs to refine kick-step to cover edge against speed. Continue to work on flexibility. Elite-level prospect who can play at elite school as a freshman. Potential first-round NFL draft pick."

While most big programs justifiably had interest in Tengwall, he told Adam Friedman of Rivals.com in January that he was choosing between Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State. 

"It's going to be about the feeling," he said. "They're all great schools. It's going to be the last place that I go that makes me go 'wow' and gives me that great feeling. I don't really think it's going to be one certain thing. It's got to feel right."

Ultimately, the Nittany Lions felt right, and now they'll reap the benefits from one of the best offensive lineman prospects in the country.

It's a fantastic get for Penn State, which already boosted its offensive line in the Class of 2020 with a number of 3-star prospects. But Tengwall has a chance to be a legitimate game-changer, and he could push for a starting gig immediately upon arriving at State College.

Penn State University and Sue Paterno, the widow of former Nittany Lions head football coach Joe Paterno, released joint statements Friday confirming they have resolved all pending litigation from the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. 

Penn State Board of Trustees Chairman Mark Dambly said the agreement confirms the family will no longer pursue legal action against the school in exchange for PSU covering "certain of the Paterno family's expenses:"

"The University recognizes and takes great pride in the many contributions made by Joe Paterno, not just to the football program, but to the academic advancement of this institution and to countless charitable causes in the community as well. We are pleased that the Paterno family has indicated that they will not support public or private advocacy efforts to revisit the past, through further review or release of investigative materials, or otherwise."

Paterno said she continues to "love Penn State with all my heart" and the resolution will allow her to resume that relationship after years of contention:

"A mutual resolution seldom satisfies everyone. The multiple wounds from this tragic period will take a long time to heal but we must begin now. Victims of abuse suffered extraordinary harm from one individual, and everyone associated with the Penn State community has suffered as well. We can't undo past crimes, but we can never forget the victims of such abusive behavior."

Sandusky was arrested in November 2011 on charges of child sexual abuse. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison in October 2012 after being convicted of sexually abusing 10 boys. He received the same prison term when he was resentenced in November.

Joe Paterno was fired by Penn State after Sandusky's arrest. He died two months later in January 2012.

"This is a tragedy," Paterno said before his death. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

He was not charged with any crimes related to the criminal conduct of Sandusky, who served as PSU's defensive coordinator from 1977 through 1999.

The school's payouts to Sandusky's victims eclipsed $100 million in November 2017.

The district attorney of Centre County, Pennsylvania, has addressed allegations of hazing made against Penn State football players.

According to PennLive.com's Matt Miller, former player Isaiah Humphries filed a federal lawsuit against Penn State, Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin and former teammate Damion Barber alleging he had been subjected to hazing from his teammates.

Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna said Thursday the allegations had previously been investigated in April 2019, per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren:

"What I mean by that is that the evidence doesn't meet the high threshold of filing and proving criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Based on that review, criminal charges have not been filed. These are very serious allegations. If there are individuals who have information regarding them they can contact the Centre County detective and the Centre County district attorney's office."

In the suit, Humphries claimed he was the victim of hazing and named defensive tackle Barber, linebacker Micah Parsons, defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and linebacker Jesse Luketa. He also alleged he alerted Franklin and the coaching staff to the hazing, but nothing was done.

VanHaaren shared details of the alleged hazing:

"The alleged actions included wrestling underclassmen to the ground while maintaining restraint, simulating a 'humping' action; wrestling underclassmen to the ground while another participant placed his genitals on the face of underclassmen; and instances of the participants placing their genitals on the buttocks of the alleged victims and stroking their genitalia."

The lawsuit said the players also referenced former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky when making hazing threats.

Sandusky was found guilty in June 2012 of sexually abusing boys. He received a prison sentence of 30 to 60 years.

A number of school officials, including legendary head coach Joe Paterno, were accused of failing to properly act when alerted to Sandusky's abuse.

Addressing Humphries' lawsuit, Penn State said its Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response and the Office of Student Conduct launched an investigation and provided the findings to the district attorney's office.

Former Penn State football player Isaiah Humphries, who left the program in 2018, reportedly filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday that alleges head coach James Franklin and the coaching staff ignored and even retaliated against him when he reported violent hazing by some of his teammates.

Matt Miller of Penn Live reported the news, noting Humphries sued Franklin, the university and former teammate Damion Barber.

Miller reported the lawsuit also named Micah Parsons, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jesse Luketa as "ringleaders of the alleged abuse" and stated the hazing included players saying "I'm going to Sandusky you" in reference to former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who is in prison for molesting young boys while on staff.

Humphries described the hazing in the lawsuit and said Luketa went as far as to threaten to kill him for complaining about it.

"He claims his alleged tormenters would wrestle victims to the ground, then shove their genitals in the victims' faces or between their buttocks and hump them," Miller wrote. "Those who resisted were bullied, he contends. Hazers also stole their targets' clothes, Humphries says."

As for Franklin and the coaching staff, Humphries said they would have him do drills they knew he couldn't complete after he reported the hazing and spoke negatively about him to other programs after he elected to transfer.

He also said an academic adviser subjected him to "irrational and inappropriate censure."

Penn State released a statement after the story was reported, revealing it followed the "established processes in place for responding to claims of potential misconduct" and investigated. The Office of the Centre County District Attorney also reviewed the case and did not pursue any charges:

Humphries, who was a member of the 2018 recruiting class, never played a game for the Nittany Lions.

He tweeted he was leaving "in order to grow and not lose the passion that I have for football and for everything that I value."

The safety, who transferred to California, is the son of Leonard Humphries, who played at Penn State and for one season in the NFL.

Franklin has been the head coach at Penn State since the 2014 season and has a 56-23 record. This is not the first time he has been involved in headlines concerning his conduct away from the field. In April 2014, when four of his Vanderbilt players were facing rape charges, ESPN reported Franklin "contacted the accuser shortly after the alleged incident."

In October 2014, Tony Gonzalez of USA Today reported Franklin testified in a pre-trial hearing for the players and "changed his story ... about whether he had seen a video of what police say was a sexual assault on a student by four former football players in June of 2013."

Miller noted Humphries' lawsuit was filed in U.S. Middle District Court.

Penn State wide receiver KJ Hamler announced Tuesday he will forgo his final two years of eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL draft.

Hamler leaves the Nittany Loins having caught 98 passes for 1,658 yards and 13 touchdowns over two seasons.

He arrived in State College as a 4-star recruit but not one of the top wideouts in the 2017 class. He sat 47th at his position and 323rd overall in 247Sports' composite rankings after missing his senior year at IMG Academy with a torn ACL.

With DaeSean Hamilton, Mike Gesicki and Saquon Barkley providing serious competition for targets, Hamler redshirted in 2017.

After those three moved on to the NFL in 2018, he assumed an important role in the passing game and delivered. His production didn't suffer much in 2019 either after quarterback Sean Clifford replaced the outgoing Trace McSorley.

Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer had high praise for Hamler in October, calling him "as productive player as there is in the Big Ten":

He has provided plenty of big plays that highlight his speed and athleticism as well. He can beat secondaries over the top or turn shorter throws into long gains in a matter of moments:

Hamler's work on special teams has also showcased how elusive he can be in tight spaces:

Hamler's frame (5'9", 176 pounds) isn't ideal, but CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso compared him to three-time Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson, who's only one inch taller. Out of the slot, Hamler can be a dangerous option at the next level.

His decision to go pro now is a bit surprising since he could've improved his stock by spending at least one more year at Penn State. In his most recent big board, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked Hamler as the 13th-best wide receiver in the 2020 class.

The draft will feature no shortage of dynamic pass-catchers, with Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and CeeDee Lamb all cracking Miller's overall top 10. Because of that, Hamler can probably only help himself so much at the NFL Scouting Combine and Penn State's pro day.

At worst, though, he projects as a Day 2 pick, so it's not hard to see why he prefers plying his trade in the NFL next season.