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‘I’m kind of out of that business’ | Penn State switches up transfer portal strategy | Penn State Football News

Historically, James Franklin has been ultra-careful with the transfer portal. He prefers homegrown talent, especially at the quarterback position, and has usually only brought in guys from other programs he has past ties with. Before the spring portal opened this year, Franklin reinforced his ideology. He said Penn State’s transfer portal success has come from […]

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Historically, James Franklin has been ultra-careful with the transfer portal. He prefers homegrown talent, especially at the quarterback position, and has usually only brought in guys from other programs he has past ties with.

Before the spring portal opened this year, Franklin reinforced his ideology. He said Penn State’s transfer portal success has come from guys it recruited out of high school when speaking to On3 in early April, and emphasized his preference to “promote from within” two weeks later.

“We’re a developmental program across the board. We believe in that,” Franklin said on April 15. “But I’m a big believer, when you can promote from within, you know what you have, you know what you’re getting. And although the portal sometimes seems sexy, you don’t always know what you’re getting until they show up on campus.”

Fast forward two months, and Franklin said it’s no longer about high school projection — it’s about production.







Peach Bowl Conference, James Franklin

Penn State head coach James Franklin speaks with reporters at a press conference at the Peachtree Hotel on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Atlanta, Ga.




“We’ve tried a few times where you get a guy who is maybe highly regarded, but hasn’t proven it yet at the college level, I’m kind of out of that business,” Franklin said last week.

Franklin was always hesitant using the portal and did so intelligently. But, he and the Nittany Lions weren’t without their misses when using this formula.

The most recent edition is Julian Fleming, who was a 5-star and the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania out of high school. Franklin and Co. recruited him heavily, but Fleming opted for Ohio State before Penn State brought him in out of the transfer portal in 2024.

Fleming was supposed to be a much-needed reinforcement at the wide receiver position, but he didn’t live up to that expectation with 176 receiving yards and one touchdown in his lone season as a Nittany Lion. It’s misses like these that have forced Penn State to switch up its transfer portal strategy.

And the Nittany Lions’ transfer portal acquisitions this offseason have shown that, especially those in the spring. Franklin only brought in two new players from the spring window, but they had one thing in common — production at the college level.







PSU Football pro day Julian Fleming WR workout 1

Wide receiver Julian Fleming (3) runs dills during Penn State Football Pro Day in Holuba Hall on Friday, March 28, 2025 in University Park, Pa.




Wide receiver Trebor Peña nearly eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark last season, and linebacker Amare Campbell had 6.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 2024. Both were 3-stars with little interest in Penn State out of high school.

Although Franklin may have changed some of his previous ideologies, most of them have stayed the same. He’s said multiple times he wants being a Nittany Lion to be a transformational experience, and the best way to do that is by bringing in guys that fit well into the locker room.

“(Kyron) Hudson has come here and has really been a good fit, and the guys really like him, you know? I think it’s also very interesting, right? A lot of the guys that we got were captains,” Franklin said. “Hudson was a captain. Peña was a captain at their previous schools. I think that’s very telling, right? Of how they viewed them teammates and coaches. So that’s been really good.”

Franklin has also continued to lean on people he trusts to provide recommendations for transfer portal targets. With Campbell, linebacker Tony Rojas advocated for his fellow Virginia native along with former UNC head coach Mack Brown and current Tar Heels defensive coordinator Geoff Collins.

“People that I trusted pounded the table for him,” Franklin said. “Guys that we trust vouched for him. So all those things kind of helped, and so far so good.”

Regardless, it seems like Franklin has moved to a new direction with his transfer portal approach, and with the new revenue sharing agreement and an abundance of resources, Penn State will likely continue landing guys with production that speaks for itself.

“I think at the end of the day, if you’re going to go into the transfer portal, you need to be going to the transfer portal for production, not projection,” Franklin said. “High school is always going to be a little bit of projection.”

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Penn State football releases student ticket information for 2025 season

After months of anticipation, Penn State announced student ticket information.

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Canes Sign Tyson Jost To One-Year Contract

RALEIGH, N.C. – Eric Tulsky, General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Tyson Jost to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay Jost $775,000 on the NHL level or $300,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL), with a guarantee of at least $600,000. “Tyson […]

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RALEIGH, N.C. – Eric Tulsky, General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Tyson Jost to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay Jost $775,000 on the NHL level or $300,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL), with a guarantee of at least $600,000.

“Tyson was able to contribute to our organization in a number of different ways last year, and we’re happy to keep him here,” said Tulsky. “He’s extremely well-liked and hard-working and capable of playing a number of different roles in the lineup.”

Jost, 27, appeared in 39 regular-season games for the Hurricanes in 2024-25, totaling nine points (4g, 5a). He also played 14 games in the AHL with Chicago, scoring four goals and adding five assists (9 points). Selected by the Avalanche in the first round, 10th overall, of the 2016 NHL Draft, Jost has registered 149 points (61g, 88a) in 495 career NHL games with Colorado, Minnesota, Buffalo and Carolina. The 5’11”, 187-pound forward has also tallied 30 points (13g, 17a) in 52 career AHL games with San Antonio, Colorado, Rochester and Chicago.

Prior to turning professional, Jost posted 35 points (16g, 19a) in 33 NCAA games with North Dakota during his lone season of college hockey in 2016-17. The St. Albert, Alta., native has represented Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, and two IIHF World Championships (2018-19), winning silver in 2017 and 2019.



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OSU’s Jeremiah Smith Signs Adidas Sponsorship Contract Ahead of 2025 CFB Season

After taking the college football world by storm as a true freshman last season, Jeremiah Smith is cashing in on his fame with an endorsement deal from Adidas. Adidas announced on Wednesday that the Ohio State star has joined its family of athletes. Nike, which has a sponsorship deal with the Buckeyes, offered Smith his […]

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After taking the college football world by storm as a true freshman last season, Jeremiah Smith is cashing in on his fame with an endorsement deal from Adidas.

Adidas announced on Wednesday that the Ohio State star has joined its family of athletes.

Nike, which has a sponsorship deal with the Buckeyes, offered Smith his own NIL deal.

Per The Athletic’s Manny Navarro, Smith turned down Nike’s proposal in favor of the offer from Adidas.

“I’ve been wearing Adidas since I was a young kid, 11, 10 years old,” Smith told Navarro of his decision. “To be a part of the brand is something special.”

Financial details of Smith’s deal with Adidas are unknown at this time.

Per On3.com, Smith is the most valuable non-quarterback in college sports with a $4.2 million NIL valuation. The only players ranked ahead of him are Arch Manning ($6.8 million) and Carson Beck ($4.3 million).

Smith, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 freshman class, originally committed to Ohio State in December 2022. He broke multiple Buckeyes receiving records in his first season, including receiving yards by a freshman (1,315) and most touchdown catches in a season (15).

The 19-year-old also dominated throughout the College Football Playoff to help Ohio State win the national title. He recorded 381 yards and five touchdowns on 19 catches in four playoff games.

In addition to his status as arguably the best receiver in college football, Smith boosted his profile in May when he was revealed as a cover athlete, along with Alabama’s Ryan Williams, for EA Sports’ College Football 26 game.

Even though he can’t enter the NFL draft for two more years, Smith showed so much ability as a true freshman that ESPN’s Jake Trotter noted prior to this year’s draft that several pro scouts said he would have been a top-five pick in 2025 if he were eligible.

Smith and the Buckeyes will kick off the 2025 season in a marquee matchup with Texas at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30. These two teams met in the College Football Playoff semifinal in January, with Ohio State earning a 28-14 win.



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This is the week college sports become pro sports

It would be naive to say major college sports have retained their aura of pure amateurism without creeping toward professionalism in recent decades. TV contracts have ballooned. Coaches’ salaries have swelled. The whole production of college sports has felt more professional. Name, image and likeness (NIL) has been a game-changer that puts money in athletes’ […]

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It would be naive to say major college sports have retained their aura of pure amateurism without creeping toward professionalism in recent decades.

TV contracts have ballooned. Coaches’ salaries have swelled. The whole production of college sports has felt more professional. Name, image and likeness (NIL) has been a game-changer that puts money in athletes’ pockets.

At any of those points along the way, you might have felt like college sports crossed a threshold. But for me, the real tipping point was the approval of the House settlement that authorizes actual revenue-sharing for athletes.

Straight payments from schools to athletes — up to $20.5 million per school this year — are different from anything else that has come before.

Better players on revenue-generating teams will earn considerable six-figure salaries. Administrators will manage the money in a way similar to how a pro team manages a salary cap.

Tuesday was the first day those payments could be made to athletes.

This is where the rubber hits the road — or, more specifically, where the money hits the bank accounts.



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Cole Hutson on what he’s majoring in at Boston University: ‘Hockey’

ARLINGTON, VA — Defenseman Cole Hutson may be preparing for his sophomore year of college, but his focus is firmly on the ice. Asked about his major at Boston University, Hutson had a simple answer. “Hockey,” he joked. Given Hutson’s on-ice performance last season, he’s passing with flying colors. After the Capitals selected him 43rd […]

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ARLINGTON, VA — Defenseman Cole Hutson may be preparing for his sophomore year of college, but his focus is firmly on the ice. Asked about his major at Boston University, Hutson had a simple answer.

“Hockey,” he joked.

Given Hutson’s on-ice performance last season, he’s passing with flying colors. After the Capitals selected him 43rd in the 2024 NHL Draft, he recorded 48 points (14g, 34a) in 19 games as a freshman at BU, winning the Tim Taylor Award as the NCAA’s rookie of the year and leading all first-year skaters in scoring.

Hutson acknowledged Wednesday that transitioning to the NCAA wasn’t easy, though he ultimately found success.

“I think it was obviously really tough on me,” he said. “It was a big adjustment, for sure, from the USHL. Just older guys that are more physical coming after you every night. That wore and tore on me every day, as it should. Just did what it takes to get to the next level, and it made me a lot better.”

One of the turning points, in his assessment, was playing for Team USA at World Juniors. Hutson was arguably the team’s best player, becoming the first defenseman in tournament history to lead the all players in scoring with 11 points (3g, 8a) in 7 games.

Hutson pointed to Capitals rookie Ryan Leonard as someone he particularly benefitted from playing with at the tournament.

“I think just obviously playing with all those unbelievable players that were there (gave me confidence),” he said. “Just them reading the same plays that I was and just reading off each other really well. I think playing with a guy that is here right now, Ryan Leonard, he changes the tempo of games, and playing with a guy like that can help your team win games just like that.”

After his season ended with a loss in the NCAA National Championship game, Hutson found himself rooting against the team that had drafted him just months before. His brother Lane, who won the Calder Trophy in his rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens, matched up against the Capitals in the NHL playoffs.

So when the series moved to Montreal for Game 3, Cole made the trip to cheer him on, complete with a Canadiens-themed sweater.

His fashion choices earned some lighthearted backlash in DC — head coach Spencer Carbery joked that the sweater was “terrible” — but Hutson pointed out that the Capitals weren’t the ones who ponied up for the seats.

“I know a lot of the fans saw me in a Habs sweater. (I) took a lot of crap from the staff and management here, but what I told them is ‘He bought me the ticket, so I’ve got to cheer for him in his seats,’” he said.

Next time, however, Hutson hopes he won’t need a ticket.

“If that series comes back around, hopefully I’m playing in it,” he said.

But Hutson doesn’t feel ready to jump to the NHL just yet. He showed plenty of scoring talent last season, but he plans to work on his defensive game next year to balance out his play.

“Just rounding out my game, being super mature (on) both sides of the puck,” he said of his goals. “I think taking care of the defensive side before I jump for the offensive part of the game — even though it’s a lot more fun than the defensive side — that’s where you’re going to need (to improve) to make it to the next level.”

Beyond just his development goals, Hutson is plenty happy to spend another year at school. He told reporters that his plan was always to play at least two seasons at BU, maybe even three or four if he’s enjoying himself. His freshman year experience only reinforced that belief.

“I had such a fun first year, and it’d be stupid not to go back,” he said.

And if he can continue what he started last year, Hutson’s sure to get an A+ in hockey.



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Golf influencer Grace Charis talks feeding into ‘golf girl’ role, balancing tournament play and social media content

Grace Charis has made a name for herself in the golf world, becoming a top influencer with over eight million combined followers on social media. And the 22-year-old has done this without being a pro golfer. Charis posts videos of her golfing mixed in with content that some would call a little spicy for social […]

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Grace Charis has made a name for herself in the golf world, becoming a top influencer with over eight million combined followers on social media. And the 22-year-old has done this without being a pro golfer.

Charis posts videos of her golfing mixed in with content that some would call a little spicy for social media. On3 recently caught up with Charis and asked if she intended to become a golf influencer when she took up the sport during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Not necessarily. It just compounded,” Grace Charis told On3. “So, it took off, it did well, and I just kept posting, and so I was cycled into this niche. And people just would see me as that. So it’s almost like I got stuck into it, but I really enjoyed it. I think it has to do with people’s view on me being the golf girl, but also me feeding into that. So I wasn’t against it.”

Charis has 3.7 million followers on Instagram, three million followers on TikTok, one million followers on X/Twitter and 1.5 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. She believes people enjoy her content for multiple reasons.

“I’m pretty positive and happy, and I’m in a good space outside. It’s usually a beautiful scene, or it’s an interesting hole, or there’s something captivating about my content,” she explained. “So, I think people are just engaged with what I’m doing. Because I’ll do some cool stuff.”

Grace Charis competed in Spain last month

Charis enjoys making content, but she continues to grow as a golfer by competing in more tournaments. Last month, Charis competed in Spain at the Tenerife Women’s Open. Later this month, Charis will compete in a tournament that is “on the border of Texas and Arkansas,” two hours from where she lives in Dallas, she said.

But does Charis have a hard time balancing preparing for tournaments and putting out engaging content? “That’s interesting you bring that up, because it has been, a lot of times when I compete, I can’t think of anything besides competing and learning the course, and making sure that I’m in the right headspace,” she said. “But I think over time, because you get very locked in on that, but over time, I’m also just trying to have fun out there.

Will Grace Charis make the jump to pro?

“…… You want to stay focused and not have some kind of video take you out of your headspace there. But if there’s something interesting, I’m like, “No, this is too cool to not document. I have to.” It’s part of my nature, try and share that.”

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Network

Charis’s success as an influencer has led to her launching an apparel line called Dialed Golf. When talking about the company, Charis said, “I just wanted a golf brand that reflects who I am as a person, where the performance meets personality. And I think my company, Dialed Golf, is reflective of that. There’s a lot of creativity and comfort. So, the performance wear, everything on there is just comfortable, well-made.”

Charis seems to be in a good spot in her career. And when it comes to her future in the sport, Charis is not ruling out a plan to go pro.

“I do like tournament golf. I don’t see myself quitting anytime soon,” Charis said. “It’s been good for me as a person, just in general. So, I can see myself just keep playing. And if the low rounds come and I have the opportunity to go pro, that would be amazing. But just playing as many tournaments as I can, trying to make cuts, trying to make a little bread out there, would be great.”



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Attorney General Jackley Seeks Public’s Assistance in Investigation of Former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach

Attorney General Jackley Seeks Public’s Assistance in Investigation of Former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force seeks the public’s assistance in the investigation of a former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach who faces […]

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Attorney General Jackley Seeks Public’s Assistance in Investigation of Former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force seeks the public’s assistance in the investigation of a former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach who faces federal Child Pornography charges.

Hayden Sengua, 25, has been indicted on multiple counts involving Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Sengua worked at Just Jymnastics in Rapid City until May 2024, when his employment was terminated. He previously worked as a gymnastics coach in Oregon.

Sengua is alleged to have possessed images and videos of children in the Rapid City area whom he may have coached. The defendant is presumed innocent under the U.S. Constitution.

“We are asking members of the public, whose children have been coached by the defendant to contact us with any pertinent information,” said Attorney General Jackley. “We need to determine if any more local children may have been exploited and ensure they receive necessary care and attention.”

People with information about this case can contact the DCI at 605-394-2258.

The investigation is being conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Release on the case can be found here:

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