UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State's annual Lift for Life event, which benefits the fight against rare diseases, featured the football team clanking weight plates up and down Holuba Hall as they inched one day closer to the start of fall camp.
Saquon Barkley, whose 405-pound power clean this summer raised eyebrows, again turned heads as he participated in the bench press event.
As fans looked on inside Holuba Hall during Saturday morning's event, which featured multiple stations where players went head-to-head in various lifts and wrapped up with the tug-of-war, it was also a first look at many of the players since the conclusion of spring ball.
What have Trace McSorley and Barkley, the highly touted quarterback-running back, duo been up to this summer?
While the focus continues to be on Barkley and McSorley, there are plenty of other storylines surrounding this team and it was also the first look at the freshmen who arrived on campus in late June.
QUICK HITS
• The Nittany Lions' roll of commitments continued Saturday morning when Will Levis, a 2018 quarterback, gave the Nittany Lions his verbal pledge. Levis picked up a scholarship offer after camping with the Nittany Lions Friday night and fills the void left by five-star quarterback Justin Fields, who decommitted this spring. Levis is the 16th pledge in the Lions' 2018 class.
Officially committed to Penn State University! I am a Nittany Lion! #WeAre pic.twitter.com/5hNwLjprsB
— Will Levis (@will_levis) July 15, 2017
• The commitments didn't stop there though, with three-star wide receiver Shaquon Anderson-Butts announcing on Twitter that he will be joining the class of 2018. He will be Penn State's seventeenth pledge to join the class and the second of the weekend to announce his commitment.
Blessed to say I'm staying home and attending the Pennsylvania state university ?⚪️?⚪️ #Weare pic.twitter.com/334otxVHEg
— quon (@anderson_quon) July 15, 2017
• Senior offensive lineman Andrew Nelson, who is coming off missing most of the last two seasons, talked about the injuries that have left him off the field.
"With all the injuries I've had, I just want to leave a legacy on the team," Nelson said. "If someone would have asked me as a freshman if I thought my career would go the way it did with so many injuries and stuff, I would have been like 'What? seriously?'"
He added that he is optimistic about his return to the field.
"I'll play this season," Nelson said. "I'll leave it at that."
Here is video of the event filmed by my intern, Waiss David Aramesh:
• What's next? James Franklin heads to Chicago for Big Ten media days, where he'll be joined by tight end Mike Gesicki, linebacker Jason Cabinda and safety Marcus Allen. Media days kicks off on Monday, July 24 with half of the conference going Monday and the other half, which features Penn State, meeting with the media on Tuesday. I expect athletic director Sandy Barbour will meet with the media there as well.
I'll be there for both days and will be joined by intern Aramesh, who will help me out with photos and videos. We'll have plenty of coverage and maybe will even a Daily Fun Thing to show for it, too.