Saeed Blacknall catches it, and HE...IS....GONE.@PennStateFball TD!#B1GFCG https://t.co/MYLzf48KtN

— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) December 4, 2016

Head ball coach CJF gave his first presser of the season, and he, like us, can’t wait for Saturday— “It's amazing to me that time has flown by and we're already in week one of the season. I am excited to watch the team open the season in Beaver Stadium starting at home.” Same, coach. Same.

Some nuggets from the presser:

• According to Franklin, PSU has the 2nd fewest senior eligible players on the roster
• Will Fries, Michal Menet and Connor McGovern are three freshmen Franklin specifically name-checked as young guys on the line performing well in camp
• On Evan Schwan: “He's a guy that I think studied Carl Nassib and all the things that Carl did when it comes to sleep, nutrition and training last season. He’s tried to model a lot of the same behaviors and I think it's really paid off for him.” Giggity.
• He’s expecting Mike Gesicki to have a breakout year—and with Nick Bowers out (Franklin confirmed he’s out with injury for the full season) this should be #88’s year. Tom Pancoast has also stepped up for the TEs.
• Even though Alex Barbir is third on the depth chart, he was name-dropped as helping out special teams—even if only in competition
• Curtis Cothren is still “in the mix” even though he wasn’t on the depth chart
• Changes on defense might get fans excited if they work— “Having a little bit more personality, defensively, being able to disguise some things. And we still want to continue to have a personality on defense that we are not going to give up the big play. That's very, very important.”
• CJF is *still* pushing Saquon Barkley as a special teams returner
• Kevin Givens might be a big deal at end— “Typically you have under-sized guys that have tremendous quickness, but they can get overpowered at times. Kevin is pound-for-pound probably one of the strongest guys on our team, and on top of that, he's got tremendous quickness and athleticism for that position...Sometimes length is a factor at those defensive line positions, as well, when you're going against offensive linemen with really long arms. But Kevin, his hand placement is excellent, and he's able to really get leverage from his height and also from his hand placement. And you combine that with his quickness, his athleticism and his strength, and he's been a problem [for the offensive line].”
• On what Kent State’s defensive game plan might be— “I think they are going to go into the game saying ‘we're going to overload the box, take Saquon Barkley out of it as much as we can and force a new quarterback to beat us.’ So we've spent a lot of time working on those type of schemes. There are a lot of different approaches that you could take.” The Golden Flashes have a good returning defense, and Franklin wants to mitigate that.

Full transcript available here.

BONUS: Video press conference content from the University with players

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After three full seasons of Christian Hackenberg at the helm, Penn State fans knew they would have a new starting quarterback to scrutinize heading into the 2016 season. They just didn’t know exactly who that guy would be... until today. Following Wednesday’s practice, Penn State head coach James Franklin named Trace McSorley as his new first-string signal caller.

"It was a combination of factors. It was spring practice. It was the bowl game," Franklin said. But "it was a difficult decision."

If we’re just looking at what McSorley did in last January’s TaxSlayer Bowl and the Blue-White scrimmage in April, the decision seems easy. While substituting for Hackenberg as a redshirt freshman in the game formerly known as the Gator Bowl, McSorley went 14-for-27 for 142 yards and two touchdowns against a Georgia defense that was one of the best in the SEC.

Nittany Lion fans did not see the Ashburn, Virginia native in action again until the spring game, when he impressed with 281 passing yards and four touchdowns, albeit against Penn State’s backup defenders.

Ultimately, the decision came down to McSorley or Tommy Stevens, the redshirt freshman out of Indianapolis. Franklin went with the more experienced player. We’ll see how that works out when McSorley makes his first ever start as a Nittany Lion on September 3 against Kent State.

A while back, you might remember a column that the Post-Gazette's Ron Cook wrote in which he declared that Pitt was tops among the local major programs, including Penn State and West Virginia. Add another that says the Panthers are ahead of their in-state rival Nittany Lions - CBS Sports:

Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh -- Luckily we get to see this one settled on the field on Sept. 10 as the two in-state foes will renew their rivalry in Heinz Field. Pat Narduzzi's changes around the facility and within the program have given us reason to believe a switch is about to be flipped, and it's not crazy to think that Pitt will not only win the in-state battle but finish with more wins and a better conference finish than the Nittany Lions.

As I said at the time of Cook's article, I believe that as of right now (meaning, this instant), that's a true statement. I think that Pitt is ahead of Penn State as a program right now, even if only slightly. For the record, I think the difference is pretty negligible. Further driving that home was the early betting line of Pitt as nine-point favorites against Penn State that was released earlier this year.

This isn't to say, of course, that the Panthers have had the better program historically or certainly in the past 30 years. But in terms of the better team right here, right now, I think it's Pitt and others seem to be leaning that way, too.

But as discussed in the article, the good thing is we'll get to see these two programs on the field. That should go a long way to telling us who's ahead at the moment.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

Michael Mauti probably would have become one of the great Penn State linebackers, in the pantheon of that position at LBU, anyway. A legacy whose dad, Rich, played in Happy Valley and whose brother, Patrick, was a wideout for the Nittany Lions, Mauti committed on the spot to Joe Paterno (to his father’s chagrin) during an on-campus visit, a four star linebacker and the number one player in the state of Louisiana in the 2008 recruiting class.

He probably would have been a great player anyway, but Mauti solidified his status in the Penn State history books when this happened:

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After the NCAA sanctions were imposed in the summer of 2012, Mauti was a galvanizing force on the sidelines and field, keeping the bulk of the Penn State squad together and giving the PSU community hope and faith in the future.

He parlayed that into a successful 2012 senior season, despite being injured to end his season in an ugly chop block against Indiana, and his teammates recognized his impact by wearing his number on their helmets to end their season—and fellow linebacker Gerald Hodges wore his number in that glorious season-ender against Wisconsin.

Mauti was drafted in 2013 by the Vikings, taken in the 7th round (213th overall) to play with Hodges. After two seasons of special teams and mop up duty, he left for his hometown New Orleans Saints, where he’s made much more of an immediate impact—he played 16 games last year, starting two, and logged more tackles than his two years in Minnesota combined.

And, in true Mauti fashion, he’s giving back to the community that he grew up in.

Another day, another Penn State player recognized among the nation's best.

To the surprise of few, junior wide receiver Chris Godwin has been named to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the best pass-catcher in college football.

Godwin enjoyed a remarkable breakout season as a true sophomore in 2015, collecting 69 catches for 1,101 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He was only the third player in program history to reach the 1,000- receiving yards milestone, joining Penn State greats Bobby Engram and Allen Robinson. Engram is the only Nittany Lion to receive the Biletnikoff Award during Penn State's undefeated 1994 squad that featured one of the best offenses in college football history.

Godwin recently joined running back Saquon Barkley on the Maxwell Award watch list, given annually to the best player in college football.

Is it September 3 yet?? Congratulations and best of luck, Chris!

You can add tight end Mike Gesicki's name to the growing list of Penn State players being recognized in preseason watch lists. The junior was among the 45 tight ends named to the watch list for the John Mackey Award, given annually to the nation's top tight end. Gesicki joins Michigan's Jake Butt, Nebraska's Cethan Carter, Iowa's George Kittle, Minnesota's Brandon Lingen and Michigan State's Josiah Price as the Big Ten athletes to receive recognition for the award.

Gesicki was maligned by drops and inconsistent play last year, but will have an opportunity to see his role increase this year with the departure of Kyle Carter and Brent Wilkerson. Last year, in his sophomore season, Gesicki had 13 catches for 125 yards and 1 touchdown - not exactly what fans were hoping for.

A four-star recruit, and one of the top tight-ends in his class, fans have been looking forward to seeing Gesicki's athleticism and ability to create mismatches for opposing defenses. There have been flashes of his raw ability, but a struggling offense hasn't helped with his numbers and usage. With a new offensive coordinator, and a new QB with a softer arm, many are looking forward to seeing Gesicki grow into a more prominent role on the offense. It seems for the past three years we have been prepared for one of Penn State's to contend for the Mackey Award, and here's hoping that Gesicki is able to stay healthy and feature in the game plan enough to be named a finalist.

The Penn State Athletic Department announced it will begin a home and home series with the Auburn Tigers. This will be the first regular season meeting with Auburn. The previous two meetings were a 43-14 Nittany Lion win in the 1996 Outback Bowl, and an Auburn win in the 2003 Capital One Bowl. Auburn will visit Beaver Stadium on September 18, 2021, and the Nittany Lions return the trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 17, 2022.

The AD also announced games against Buffalo in 2019 and Ball State in 2021. This will be the fourth meeting between Buffalo and Penn State, while the Ball State game will mark the first meeting between the two teams.

With the addition of Buffalo, the schedules through the 2019 season are now complete. Here’s what the upcoming OOC schedules will look like:

2017:

Sept 2, vs Akron
Sept 9, vs Pitt
Sept 16, vs Georgia State

2018:

Sept 1, vs Appalachian State
Sept 8, at Pitt
Sept 15, vs Kent State

2019

Aug 31, vs Idaho
Sept 7, vs Buffalo
Sept 14, vs Pitt

There are no players on the current roster who wear number 86, which gives us a perfect opportunity to reflect on one of the most fearsome defenders ever to play at Penn State. Courtney Brown was the Gatorade National Player of the Year coming out Alvin, South Carolina and made an immediate impact as a freshman, playing tackle and tight end. But he found his calling as an utterly dominant defensive end from 1997-1999. He would go on to shatter the records for career sacks and tackles for loss at Penn State, as teams where basically helpless in keeping him out of the backfield.

Brown would eventually go on to be the first overall pick in the NFL draft, but never found his footing during a six-year career in the pros where he played for the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. Although he is often labeled as a bust, Brown did play very well when healthy and showed huge potential to as an elite pass-rusher. Unfortunately, he just couldn't stay on the field despite never missing any time with injuries throughout his career at Penn State.

On a personal level, Brown is near the top of my favorite all-time Nittany Lions. His sheer dominance was an utter joy to watch each Saturday, and he had a knack for saving his best performances in Penn State's biggest games. He also inspired me to wear number 86 as a high school football player, although it's safe to say I elicited exactly zero of the fear in opponents as Brown did in his playing days.

Just 86 more days until we watch Penn State in action!

When Penn State held its Junior Day back in late February, they expected to lay the groundwork for at least a few potential commitments, even if said commitments didn't become official until later on. Instead, they were able to secure verbal commitments on the spot from not one, not two, but three defensive ends in 2018's Micah Parsons, and 2017's Damion Barber and Yetur Matos.

All three are vitally important commitments, as bringing pressure off the edge is the easiest way to build a dominant defense in today's college football landscape. The aforementioned Barber, should be a huge asset in that area.

Barber, a three-star player according to the 247Composite ratings, brings some serious pass-rushing potential to the Nittany Lions. The No. 9 player in Pennsylvania has all the tools to become a monster off the edge for Penn State, and could have a very long, rewarding career in Happy Valley.

Along with being a stud on the football field, he's extremely well-ground off of it. When asked about what led him to commit to the Nittany Lions, and what he was most looking forward to, the first things he cited were the relationships built with the coaching staff and the players on campus, and the education that awaits him.

Though other schools are still coming after him, trying to flip him from Penn State, he knows what he wants.

I know where my heart is committed to. I still talk to [other schools], but Coach Spence and Coach Pry know that I'm not leaving.

Being from the Harrisburg area, Barber is right in the middle of the recruiting grounds that Penn State absolutely has to dominate in order to continue standing as the premier program in the state. There is plenty of talent in the area in the 2017 class, but there is potentially even more in the 2018 class. One of said players, the five-star Parsons, is already a member of the 2018 class. Another big-time target to join Parsons, however, is Barber's teammate, four-star wide receiver Shaquon Anderson-Butts.

My bro, Shaquan Butts, my teammate. I recruit him every day. Possibly he'll end up here. He wants to see about when I get up there, so when I get back I'll talk to him about it.

Since committing, Barber has spent a lot of time keeping touch with both his future teammates and his future coaches. He says that the 2017 class talks "most every day" and that he is particularly certain to talk to fellow defensive end commit Yetur Matos every day.

the coaching staff has confirmed with him that he will stick at defensive end at Penn State, and that they want him to continue to work on his three-point stance, and well as how to use his hips to explode off the line. Overall, it sounds like they're grooming him to be a pure, pass-rushing nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

Barber is also optimistic about the future of Penn State. While he acknowledged that momentum around the program is pretty much non-existent right now as most people sit in "wait-and-see mode" for the new offense, he's excited about what's coming.

I think Penn State got something coming this year, and they'll have a better year than last year.

Damion's next chance to check out (and recruit for) Penn State will come in mid-July when he's in town for the famous Lasch Bash. Until then, chances are you'll find him in his backyard, running himself through the drills the coaches have suggested to him over and over until he's ready to don the blue and white.

You thought we were done with special teams this week? Well, guess again!

Junior punter Daniel Pasquariello has been punting for parts of each of the last two seasons at Penn State. The left-footed Pasquariello started in 9 games in 2015, playing in 11 of them, while Chris Gulla punted when Pasquariello was not in the game. He averaged 39 yards per punt in 2015, and has a career long of 63 yards which he set in 2014, the same season he recorded his first and so far only tackle. Pasquariello is the team's lone Australian player, as he hails from Melbourne, Victoria.

Expect Pasquariello to be in a position battle with true freshman scholarship punter Blake Gillikin, who will likely fight with Pasquariello and Gulla for playing time right off the bat as he joins the team for summer practices.

Only 92 days until the first game of the 2016 Penn State Nittany Lions football season.