Penn State’s Pro Day was a reminder of what was and the hope surrounding a new era under head coach Matt Campbell. As many of James Franklin’s players returned to campus, there seem to be many players who are hopeful about what’s to come. Of course, we have to see it, but it was a good first step.
Among those at Pro Day was defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, who said that his connection to Penn State goes far beyond any coaching change. For players like Dennis-Sutton, the identity of the program is something he’s proud of.
"It don't matter who the coach is," Dennis-Sutton said, per Daniel Gallen of 247 Sports. "I'm always a Penn Stater. I love this place. I love this university. It gave me so many opportunities. Playing at Beaver Stadium was special, man. Obviously, I'll never forget that. Whoever the coach is, I want to be a part of it. I want to come back. I want to come to the games, all those things. I'm excited to see what he does, but he seems like a great guy."
Quarterback Drew Allar gave his perspective, too, on the new coaching staff. While Allar had some different comments from Dennis-Sutton, he sounded excited to meet the new coaching staff.
"It's definitely different," Allar said. "But it's been good getting to know the staff. I knew Coach Campbell for a while now, because honestly, Iowa State, when I was coming out of high school, was in my top three. I had a lot of respect for him coming out of high school. It's definitely been different. Things are reorganized and all that sort of stuff. But it's been good meeting everybody again, between strength staff, training staff, obviously all the players, and then catching up with all my old teammates that are still around. It's been fun. I've been back for a week, so it's been good."
Ex-Penn State players will need to be on board with all of this. We need all of the support we can get to return to the top. It’s different in this transfer portal era, but being a Penn Stater is something that has to live on forever.