Only Mac Hippenhammer Until Penn State Football

We continuing rolling through these final couple of weeks until kickoff by honoring Mac Hippenhammer. After opting to play with the baseball team this Spring, Mac returned to the football field over the Summer and now enters Fall camp seeking to claim a spot in the wideout rotation. He had his moments in the sun - or shall we say, under the bright lights of Heinz Field in the pouring rain last year, hauling in a beauty of a TD pass from your (likely) future starting quarterback, Sean Clifford. However, like most of the receiving corps, Mac struggled with inconsistency, which he will seek to remedy in 2019. If he can do so, look for Mac to take the next step and become a reliable weapon in the offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, true freshman and former 5-star linebacking sensation Brandon Smith currently rocks the No. 12 jersey. Like many amongst his fellow Class of 2019 teammates, Brandon enrolled in January and got a head start with Dwight Galt’s strength and conditioning program. While he faces a crowded depth chart on the roster, his sheer athleticism and linebacking instincts will make him a force on special teams, where he is likely to see most of his playing time as a freshman. However, don’t be surprised to see him get his share of reps in the September portion of the slate, especially in the first couple of games against Idaho and Buffalo where PSU should hopefully have the game put out of reach early enough.