In a college football era where star players are lured by massive NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals, Penn State’s biggest names are making headlines for a very different reason. Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, and Kaytron Allen have chosen loyalty over lucrative offers—let’s explore what drove these standout athletes to stay with the Nittany Lions.

Adam Breneman Spotlights How James Franklin’s Culture Is Winning Over Penn State’s Stars

Recently, analyst Adam Breneman took to Instagram to share a revealing excerpt from his interview with Penn State head coach James Franklin. The post quickly gained traction, sparking conversations across college football. Breneman highlighted how, despite the ever-growing influence of NIL money and the transfer portal, Penn State’s stars have chosen to stay in Happy Valley.

The Instagram post, which drew from Breneman’s “Next Up” show and the must-watch YouTube interview “The James Franklin Interview Every Penn State Fan Needs to Hear”, underscored Franklin’s culture-first philosophy.

Rather than focusing on financial incentives, Franklin has built a program centered on genuine relationships, trust, and personal growth. This approach, Breneman notes, is what keeps top talents like Allar, Singleton, and Allen committed to the Nittany Lions.

Franklin’s message is clear: Penn State is about more than just football- it’s about transformation. “I care so much about the kids, and their journey, and their experience… I still want it to be as transformational as we possibly can be here at Penn State,” Franklin said. This commitment to his players’ holistic development is resonating, even as rival programs dangle bigger paychecks.

The Power of Relationships Over Riches

For Franklin and his staff, success isn’t measured by the size of NIL deals but by the strength of the Penn State community. Every player on the roster, according to Franklin, is likely walking away from some amount of money. Yet, they remain because they value the unique experience and camaraderie that Penn State offers.

This culture-driven approach is rare in today’s college football landscape. While other programs overhaul rosters with transfers and chase the next big NIL signing, Franklin’s selective strategy and focus on continuity have fostered loyalty. Players like Allar, Singleton, and Allen aren’t just staying for another season—they’re investing in their growth as athletes and people.

Players consistently describe Franklin’s personal investment in their lives. Linebacker Kaveion Keys shared, “He’s going to recruit you different. He’s going to send you posts, quotes every day. He’s not going to stop calling, texting you, just seeing how you’re doing and just checking in on you. And that’s all that matters.”

KEEP READING: ‘It Feels Wrong’—Why Insiders Are Suddenly Putting James Franklin’s Penn State at No. 1, and Not Ohio State

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A 12-run third inning catapulted the No. 24 Oklahoma State softball team to a record-setting 16-8 win over Indiana in an elimination game played at Bogle Park Saturday.
 
All 12 of OSU’s runs in the third came before the first out was recorded to set an NCAA Tournament record. It was the fifth-highest single-inning scoring output for any team in NCAA Tournament history and the most for OSU in any inning of any game since a 14-run inning against Omaha in 2018.
 
The Cowgirls’ total of 16 runs against the Hoosiers Saturday established a new school record in an NCAA Tournament game and OSU’s 18 hits set a season high and was just two short of the school record for any game.
 
The win advanced the Pokes (35-19 overall) into tomorrow’s regional final against Arkansas. The Cowgirls will need to beat the homestanding Hogs twice. The first game is scheduled for 3 p.m., with the if-necessary game starting shortly after its conclusion.
 
Additionally, the win was Kenny Gajewski‘s 400th as OSU’s head coach.
 
Indiana (34-20) got on the board with a pair of runs in the first inning, but the Cowgirls went on to claim their 13th win of the season in a game in which they trailed by two or more runs. Every OSU starter scored at least one run in the game, with Megan Delgadillo scoring three and Amanda Hasler, Rosie Davis, Tia Warsop and Rachael Hathoot scoring two apiece.
 
Hathoot set a career high with four hits in the game, with Delgadillo, Davis, Karli Godwin, Warsop and Audrey Schneidmiller adding multi-hit performances of their own. In a game loaded with offensive explosiveness, Hasler’s third-inning grand slam was the biggest blow of them all. It was her 16th home run of the year and OSU’s first grand slam of the season. It was the Cowgirls’ first grand slam in an NCAA Tournament game since 2022. Hasler’s slam was followed immediately by a home run from Davis just two pitches later.
 
RyLee Crandall picked up the win for OSU to improve to 7-4 on the year. Indiana was forced to make five pitching changes in the game, with Brianna Copeland (18-10) saddled with the loss.
 
For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State Softball, visit okstate.com and follow @CowgirlSB on X and @osusoftball on Instagram. For tickets, visit okstate.com/tickets  
or call 877-ALL-4-OSU. 

 

	1	2	3	4	5	6		R	H	E	L
Oklahoma State	0	1	12	1	0	2		16	18	1	7
Indiana	2	0	0	6	0	0		8	10	0	3

WP: Crandall (7-4); LP: Copeland (18-10); SV: None 
HR: OSU – Davis (9), Hasler (16) 
HR: IU – None 
Duration: 2:36; Attendance: 2,932  
 

TUCSON, Ariz. – The No. 17 Ole Miss softball team exploded for five runs in the fifth inning to rally and defeat No. 23 Grand Canyon, 7-4, and advance to the winner’s bracket in the NCAA Tucson Regional.

Aliyah Binford went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Ashton Lansdell launched a home run and delivered stellar defense to power the Rebels (38-17, 11-13 SEC) past Grand Canyon (46-7, 21-2 WAC) to victory.

The Rebels earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 2023 and improve to 7-2 all-time in NCAA Regional opening games.

The Rebels were held scoreless though the first four frames as the Lopes mounted a 3-0 lead, looking to extend the nation’s longest-active win streak at 23 games.

However, Lansdell sparked the comeback with a leadoff homer in the fifth.

Following some timely hitting from Angelina DeLeon and Jaden Pone, Lair Beautae delivered an RBI single to make it 3-2.

After a steal by Addison Duke, the Rebels used strong baserunning to pounce on a wild pitch and tie the game at 3-3.

Binford was next to the plate and delivered the go-ahead hit, placing a single through the left side for a 4-3 advantage.

Lexie Brady took over from there, driving in Binford with an RBI double off the right field wall to make it 5-3.

GCU threatened with two on and nobody out in the sixth and cut one from the Rebel lead, but Brianna Lopez limited the damage with an inning-ending strikeout.

Lopez finished the day after going 6.1 innings, allowing just three earned runs and striking out three to secure her fourth consecutive 100-strikeout season.

Nevertheless, Binford got it right back and more with a two-RBI single in the bottom half of the frame. Binford was set up by hits from DeLeon and Taylor Malvin, who each tallied two-hit days.

The Lopes had one last chance with a runner on third and one away in the seventh. Lansdell stepped up to deliver her second, game-changing play, as she made a spectacular diving catch and touched third upon landing for a game-ending double play.

The Rebels will take on host and national No. 13 seed Arizona on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN.

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Saturday’s game between Boston U. and Omaha entered a weather delay in the third inning. It’s the second game of the day in the Norman Regional of the 2025 NCAA softball tournament, and it is set to resume at 7:05 p.m. ET.

At the time of the delay, the two teams sat at a 0-0 tie with one out in the top of the third inning at Love’s Field in Norman. Players then returned to the field for warmups at about 6:45 p.m. ET ahead of a 7:05 p.m. ET restart.

Omaha and Boston University lost their opening matchups in the Norman Regional, leading to the matchup in an elimination game. The Terriers suffered a run-rule loss against host Oklahoma while the Mavericks came up short in a 1-0 thriller against Cal.

Oklahoma and Cal got things started Saturday in Norman Regional action, and the Sooners’ offense broke out in a big way. Kasidi Pickering led the way with six RBI, including a grand slam as part of a six-run sixth inning for OU, as the Sooners pulled off a run-rule victory over the Golden Bears to advance to the Regional Final.

In addition to the grand slam, Pickering also had a solo home run to her name in addition to an RBI hit. Her approach at the plate paid off in a big way and has OU on the verge of another Super Regional berth.

“So she is just an easy watch, you know? Just really sees the ball well,” Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said after the game. “She’ll identify balls and strikes very easily. You can hear it. But her hands are quick and her body is strong, and it looks, like you said, very simple. It does.

“It looks very easy, but she definitely works on it, hits a lot on her own. I know Gabbie does as well, and it takes that kind of effort and commitment and I think swinging so much, that’s why it looks easy because she does it so much.”

Boston U. and Omaha is the second game of the day at Love’s Field. The winner will advance to take on Cal in another elimination game afterward with a spot in Sunday’s Regional Final against Oklahoma on the line.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Behind five scoreless innings from Tazwell Butler and five runs batted in by David Bishop, K-State set a school record for most conference wins in a season en route to a 9-5 victory against Cincinnati Saturday afternoon at UC Baseball Stadium.
 
With the win, the Wildcats (31-23) finish the regular season with a winning record for the sixth consecutive year, that includes a 17-13 mark in Big 12 play. The Cats’ 17 conference wins are the most in school history, breaking the previous record held by the 2013 team.
 
“Guys played well in a pressure situation, you always love to see that,” seventh-year head coach Pete Hughes commented. “They set the tone early. They didn’t let the first two games in the series beat them today, and we took the momentum right from the beginning of the game and kept it in large part by great offensive efforts, by Seth Dardar and David Bishop.”
 
Bishop, a native of Marietta, Georgia, achieved his career day with a three-run blast in the second – his fourth homer of the year. The senior first baseman ended the day going 2-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored.
 
In addition to Bishop, seven other players contributed to the Wildcats’ 12 hits. Dardar posted a three-hit day (3-for-4) to pace the offense, that included his 12^th homer, while Maximus Martin was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. The 1 through 4 spots in the lineup combined to hit .412 (7-for-17) with four RBI.
 
“Tazwell Butler was our MVP today. He settled in with a lead, let people make plays behind him, and got some strikeouts. He was our MVP today,” added Hughes.
 
Butler (1-1) was awarded his first victory at K-State, after firing five scoreless innings in relief of starter Lincoln Sheffield. The Sandy Springs, Georgia product limited the Bearcats (31-23, 16-14 Big 12) to just two hits in his 15^th outing of the season.
 
K-State now turns its efforts towards the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, starting Wednesday, May 21. The single-elimination championship field of 12 will be announced at the conclusion of the conference’s final game on Saturday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
K-State jumped on the board in the first, as Keegan O’Connor drilled a two-out double off the wall in right field to drive in Martin from second.
 
The Wildcats continued to put pressure on early, exploding for five runs in the second.
 
Dee Kennedy was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, followed by catcher Bear Madliak’s bunt for a single, before the duo each advanced 90-feet on a wild pitch. With runners in scoring position, Bishop doubled into right center to extend the lead, 3-0.
 
A sacrifice bunt moved Bishop to third, until Shintaro Inoue lifted a ball deep into left field, allowing Bishop to score.
 
Maximus Martin singled up the middle and came around the bases in the next at bat, as Dardar hit a towering shot off the basketball arena in right field to hand the Wildcats a 6-0 lead.
 
In the third, AJ Evasco and Dee Kennedy each walked and moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt from Madliak. With one out, Bishop belted his fourth homer of the year out to left center, making it a 9-2 ball game.  
 
The Bearcats chipped away at the Cats’ lead, tallying a run in four of the first five innings to pull the score within four, 9-5.  
 
Butler relieved Sheffield in the fifth and inherited a runner on first with no outs. The right-hander retired 11 consecutive batters to preserve the four-run lead.
 
INSIDE THE BOX

• K-State scored nine runs on 12 hits, committed no errors, and left eight runners on base.
• UC scored five runs on 11 hits with one error committed and six men left stranded.
• Eight players contributed a hit with three recording multiple.
• Dardar went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, followed by Bishop and Martin each with two hits.
• Bishop drove in a career-high five RBI, highlighted by a three-run homer in the second.
• Dardar and Bishop each homered, marking K-State’s 28^th game hitting two or more.
• Sheffield was tagged for five earned runs on nine hits in his four innings.
• Butler fired five scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits and striking out five to earn the win (1-1).
• K-State scored all nine runs in the first three innings.
• Schultz (0-2) took the loss, surrendering five earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.
• Niehaus led UC’s offense, going 3-for-4, while Sefcik drove in a team-high two RBI.

 TEAM NOTES

• The Cats’ 17^th Big 12 victory marks the most conference wins in a season in school history.
• With the win, K-State tied the all-time series 3-3, while it was the Cats’ first win in Cincinnati.
• K-State has homered in 39 of 54 games this season, hitting multiple in 28 of those (25-3).
• The win marked the first regular season finale victory since 2017.

By Jayden Mount via Extra Inning Softball, 16h ago

NiJaree Canady Lands Record-Breaking New Partnership NiJaree Canady has officially changed the landscape of college softball. In 2025, she signed the sport’s first-ever $1 million NIL deal , aligning with The Matador Club and launching new branded apparel. The record-setting agreement puts Canady at the top of the NIL charts and signals a major shift in what’s possible for women’s sports. This player spotlight breaks down Canady’s journey, what NIL means for softball, her record deal, the impact she has made at Texas Tech, and why this deal matters. Want access to more exclusive athlete stories and rankings? Become a…

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