By Neil Rudel

nrudel@altoonamirror.com

Some pre-game Rose Bowl notes before heading west:

Penn State tight end Brenton Strange became the latest Nittany Lion to announce that he’ll be entering April’s NFL Draft.

Strange made 32 catches this season and 70 for his career and will be a significant loss.

For the first half of the season, he was the Lions’ best offensive player, and he should be an intriguing NFL prospect since he’s also a capable blocker who can also run after the catch.

Strange marks the second PSU player in the past week to express similar intentions, joining center Juice Scruggs, a two-year starter and the acknowledged leader of the offensive line.

Though the Lions have recruited well and will return experience at their positions in 2023 — guard Hunter Nourzad is projected as a possibility at center — these are two significant losses but ones that were expected.

Both, however, have confirmed their intentions to play in Monday’s Rose Bowl against Utah.

A year ago, the Lions had seven starters forego the Outback Bowl against Arkansas to focus on the draft, and the Razorbacks won, 24-10.

To this point, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., a projected first-round pick, is the lone PSU starter who will sit out the Rose Bowl.

Utah will be minus its top receiver, tight end Dalton Kincaid, and its best cornerback, Clark Phillips III.

Players bypassing these bowl games — particularly from teams out of the College Football Playoff — is something people should get used to, given the generational wealth that awaits in the NFL, especially for prospects who have already established high draft stock.

The lure of the Rose Bowl has helped convince the likes of Scruggs, Strange and Nick Tarburton, who declared his NFL intentions earlier, to stay around for another game. Ditto graduating seniors like P.J. Mustipher, Ji’Ayir Brown and, yes, quarterback Sean Clifford.

James Franklin said prior to the Outback Bowl his programs at PSU and Vanderbilt “never had an opt-out” and believes last year was an exception.

He also believes this year’s team leadership is responsible.

“That was a big part of our conversation before the season started with our captains, what their expectations were, what their standards were, what mine were as well,” he said. “Really the way we’ve billed it at Penn State, there’s really no reason to opt out. We will be flexible with all of our guys. I want our guys to be as successful as they possibly can. I want the bowl experience to be a great experience. We’ll work with our guys.”

That means while Strange will play, don’t be surprised if Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren split the snaps with him. Saquon Barkley played in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl but in a monitored role.

Center may be another story since the Lions didn’t get a backup much action this year so we’ll see about Scruggs’ workload against the Utes.

But It speaks well of the Lions’ commitment to 2022 that the players want one more shot.

Personnel update

n The Lions picked up a cornerback from the transfer portal named Storm Duck, who left North Carolina. If he can play at all, Duck will be a candidate for an all-name team.

n Defensive end Smith Vilbert, who made three sacks against Arkansas in last year’s Outback Bowl but didn’t play this season for undisclosed reasons, will play against Utah.

Wanted: WRs

With Parker Washington injured and moving onto the NFL and Mitchell Tinsley out of eligibility, Penn State is searching for receivers from the transfer portal who can make an immediate impact.

The Lions reportedly have offered a half-dozen targets so far, and though they have some young players in the program, they need more experience to help Drew Allar’s 2023 transition to expected starting quarterback.

Underrated program

When you think of the nation’s top program over the past 25 years, Utah likely doesn’t come to mind. But it should.

The 11-3 Utes beat Southern Cal twice this season and are marking their second-straight Rose Bowl appearance, having lost to Ohio State 48-45 in a shootout last year.

They have a 17-8 record in bowl games and can claim a win over Nick Saban and Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.

Anyone who saw the Utes beat up USC in the Pac-12 final had to be impressed.

Tough QBs

Clifford and Utah’s Cam Rising have to be among the tougher quarterbacks in the country.

Google the open-field hits that Clifford took against Auburn and Rising absorbed against Southern Cal – which knocked his helmet off.

Both got right back up.

Picturesque scene

Here’s hoping the TV broadcast does it justice, but the Rose Bowl tops my list of picturesque college football venues, nudging out the snow-capped mountains that dwarf Brigham Young’s Stadium in Provo, Utah.

With the panoramic colors and the mansions overlooking the stadium, the Rose Bowl is gorgeous – inside that is. The traffic around the stadium and in Los Angeles is another story.

Rudel can be reached at 814-946-7527 or nrudel@altoonamirror.com.