Advertise on podcast: Blue-White Breakdown | A Penn State Football Podcast from Pennlive.com

PennLive’s Bob Flounders welcomes college football analyst Doug Lesmerises for a wide-ranging discussion on Penn State football, Matt Campbell, and the program’s long-term trajectory. Lesmerises, the former Ohio State football columnist at Cleveland.com and current co-host of The Bill and Doug Show with Bill Landis, explains why he believes Penn State is firmly in win-now mode under Campbell. The conversation examines expectations surrounding the Nittany Lions, pressure on the program, and whether PSU is positioned to compete for a College Football Playoff spot in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PennLive’s Johnny McGonigal and Bob Flounders break down the latest news from Penn State spring practice, spotlighting a bigger, stronger Quinton Martin Jr. as he pushes for more playing time in the Nittany Lions’ backfield. The third-year running back, now up to 215 pounds, is making a strong case to be the No. 2 RB behind Carson Hansen after his 100-yard performance against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. Johnny, who also covers the Philadelphia Eagles, weighs in on which Penn State prospects could be ideal draft fits for Philly as we look ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PennLive's Johnny McGonigal and Bob Flounders share their thoughts on Penn State's open practice on the Lasch practice fields on Thursday.Bob was at the Thursday morning practice and discussed what he saw from the Penn State offense, which is being directed by first-year offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. Mouser, who is also PSU's tight ends coach, was Matt Campbell's OC at Iowa State.Rocco Becht participated in non-contact reps and clearly has established a rapport with tight end Ben Brahmer, who he played with at Iowa State.The Lions are also prepping a few young offensive linemen for bigger roles — tackles Malachi Goodman and Owen Aliciene, guard Cooper Cousins and Texas State transfer center Brock Riker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PennLive’s Bob Flounders is joined by longtime Penn State football insider David Jones on this episode for an in-depth conversation about the future of Penn State football and the changing landscape of the Big Ten. Jones, who retired from covering the Penn State football beat after the 2023 season, offers sharp insight into what the Nittany Lions are getting in Matt Campbell, why Campbell fits Penn State at this moment, and Terry Smith’s performance as interim head coach following James Franklin’s ouster last fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PennLive's Bob Flounders attended Penn State's Thursday morning spring practice and shares his impressions of a few promising offensive linemen, along with why edge rusher and defensive tackle remain key priorities for the Nittany Lions this offseason. The episode also includes discussion coming out of new head coach Matt Campbell’s early‑week media session and what it reveals about where the program is headed. Bob shares his thoughts with Johnny McGonigal about early spring trends, roster development, and what questions still need answers as Penn State builds toward the season. Subscribe to the Blue-White Breakdown for continued Penn State football coverage, spring practice updates, and offseason analysis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PennLive's Johnny McGonigal is joined by Steelers beat reporter Nick Farabaugh to analyze Penn State's top NFL draft prospects, with a focus on Drew Allar’s pro day performance, Vega Ioane's rising stock, and potential draft landing spots. They also discuss other key players and positional trends heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Connect with Nick Farabaugh: LinkedIn Twitter Connect with Johnny McGonigal: Twitter Timestamps: 00:00 Intro: Penn State football and NFL draft focus 01:52 Drew Allar’s pro day and draft evaluation 19:18 Vega Ioane's rise from fringe to top interior lineman 26:07 Other notable Penn State prospects 47:11 Final thoughts: best draft fits for Penn State players and the Steelers/Eagles preferences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PennLive's Johnny McGonigal and Bob Flounders preview Penn State's Pro Day in State College on Wednesday. PSU has a deep group of former players who should be selected in the 2026 NFL draft in the spring. The cast includes quarterback Drew Allar, edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton, Kaytron Allen, Zakee Wheatley and Nick Singleton. Allar, who had ankle surgery last fall, is expected to be in attendance. Johnny and Bob discuss the pros and cons of picking Allar early in the draft. Johnny and Bob also offer a few thoughts on PSU's upcoming spring practice sessions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With NFL free agency kicking off this week, more than a few Former Penn State Nittany Lions received big-time paydays. That includes specialists Jordan Stout and Chris Stoll, as well as marquee edge rusher Odafe Oweh. Max Ralph and Johnny McGonigal discuss the latest Penn State-related developments on Thursday’s edition of the Blue-White Breakdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PennLive's Max Ralph and Bob Flounders examine several interesting Penn State football storylines for Matt Campbell's first spring in State College on this episode. Max and Bob have their focus on Penn State's defensive end group, the offensive skill positions, the Lions' offensive tackles and a few more players. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2026 NFL draft is less than a month away, which means it’s time for a PennLive mock draft. ⁠Johnny McGonigal⁠ and ⁠Nick Farabaugh⁠, PennLive’s ⁠Philadelphia Eagles⁠and ⁠Pittsburgh Steelers⁠ reporters, respectively, linked up for a special edition of the ⁠“Steelers Breakdown”⁠ and ⁠“Blue-White Breakdown”⁠podcasts.  McGonigal and Farabaugh went back and forth, completing a first-round mock draft covering all 32 picks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Penn State nears the start of 2026 spring practices, we continue our breakdowns of the Nittany Lions' position groups. Up next is the running backs, with an intriguing blend of transfers and returning talent. Max Ralph and Johnny McGonigal discuss on Thursday's Blue-White Breakdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PennLive's Johnny McGonigal and Bob Flounders react to the performances and press conferences of Penn State's considerable contingent at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. PSU's list of players included Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton, Vega Ioane, Zakee Wheatley, Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant. Johnny was out in Indianapolis for the scouting combine and he shares his thoughts on some fine efforts by Dennis-Sutton, Durant, Wheatley and Allar. Bob and Johnny also look at were Ioane could go in the first round of the April draft and where Allar and Wheatley fit in the draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We had our first chance to talk with many of Penn State’s transfers on Wednesday, and we learned plenty about Matt Campbell, his staff and the culture they’re building at Penn State. Notably, many Penn State returners have highlighted key changes in the culture compared to the past few years under now-Virginia Tech coach James Franklin. Max Ralph and Bob Flounders take you inside that culture change. They’ll also share further notes and takeaways from Wednesday’s availability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PennLive's Max Ralph and Bob Flounders discuss the recent comments made by Penn State offensive linemen Anthony Donkoh and Cooper Cousins during PSU's THON weekend. Donkoh and Cousins should be key contributors on the 2026 offensive line and they discussed why they wanted to return to State College. Plus, Max shares his thoughts on the many talents of  Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna, who is coming off a huge weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Penn State has a transfer-heavy group of wide receivers entering 2026, and they'll be led by an abruptly hired position coach after Noah Pauley left for a job with the Green Bay Packers. Max Ralph and Bob Flounders discuss the expected hire of Kashif Moore and project the depth chart for the Nittany Lions on Thursday's live edition of the Blue-White Breakdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices