What to know about the future Nittany Lions participating in the Big 33 Football Classic
The Big 33 Football Classic is set to take place at 1 p.m. Monday at Central Dauphin School District’s Landis Field.
Oftentimes referred to as the “Super Bowl of high school football,” the game, in its current iteration, pits some of the top players in Pennsylvania against those from Maryland. Since the game began in 1957, there has been a Big 33 alum play or participate in every Super Bowl.
This year’s Super Bowl featured former Big 33 players quarterback Chad Henne (Chiefs), AQ Shipley (Buccaneers), offensive tackle Yasir Durant (Chiefs), Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and defensive end Frank Clark (Chiefs). Penn State has also has a long history with the all-star game, with former Nittany Lions Kerry Collins, Larry Johnson. Robbie Gould, Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders among the notable alums.
Here are the future Nittany Lions on the rosters for this year’s game (streamed live on YouTube):
Penn State Commits
Evan Clark, quarterback, Manheim Township (Team Pennsylvania)
Clark is an incoming preferred walk-on. He never played quarterback before his senior year — having played receiver up to that point. The 6’3”, 215-pound signal-caller proved himself to be an accurate passer in his senior season at Manheim Township, completing 69.5% of his passes for 1,505 yards and 18 touchdowns in seven games.
“I think what it mainly came down to was the coaches in the end,” Clark said on his decision to attend Penn State. “I liked the campus, I liked the stadium, but one thing is that I had a lot of conversation and one-on-one talk with the coaches up there. I thought that they liked what they saw from me and they think that they can build a lot from what I have in my game so far with the things that they’re doing up there. I thought that it would be a great fit.”
Interesting fact: He stars in the outfield for his high school baseball team.
Hobbies: Playing basketball, baseball, bowling and going to the movie theater. “I’ve seen a lot of movies,” Clark said.
Who he models his game after: Aaron Rodgers. “I’m a die-hard Packers fan,” Clark said.
Khalil Dinkins, Tight End, North Allegheny (Team Pennsylvania)
The son of former NFL tight end Darnell Dinkins, Khalil Dinkins has proven himself to be an intriguing prospect at the position in his own right. Dinkins is a four-star prospect, rated as the 14th-ranked tight end in the nation and the 12th best player in Pennsylvania, per 247Sports’ rankings.
“My dad would always guide me to make the decisions that I would have to make,” Khalil Dinkins said. “He went to Pitt, I saw that and he told me that, ‘I don’t want you to follow my own journey. I want you to make a name for yourself. I want you to create your own history and start somewhere new.’ I started leaning toward Penn State, started really liking them and I decided with them.”
Khalil Dinkins cites his father as the one taught him to play different positions on the field, whether it was quarterback, wide receiver or tight end. It was all about the fundamentals and getting him to be consistent. Now Khalil Dinkins is the highest-rated Penn State signee to play in this year’s Big 33 Game.
Interesting fact: Dinkins is silent, but deadly on the field. He said he’s not “much of a trash talker.”
Hobbies: Hanging out with his friends.
Who he models his game after: Calvin Johnson or D.K. Metcalf
Mitchell Groh, kicker, Dallastown (Team Pennsylvania)
Groh put himself on the radar of a number of colleges when he attended a Kohl’s Kicking Camp event in Baltimore in July 2018. His kickoffs had an average distance of 62 yards and a hang time of 3.69 seconds, along with punts averaging 48 yards and a hang time of 4.05 seconds.
The Dallastown special teamer had 5,235 career punt yards on 140 punts for an average of 37.4 yards. His longest punt was 63 yards and he made four field goals. He considered Fordham, Holy Cross and Miami (Ohio) before committing to Penn State.
“I chose Penn State because they have so much to offer,” Groh said. “I’m not just playing at a top tier football program but I’m also getting a world-class education, too.”
Interesting fact: He played high school ice hockey for two years.
Hobbies: Hunting and fishing
Who he models his game after: Former Penn State and current New Orleans Saints punter Blake Gillikin
Gabe Nwosu, punter, Bullis (Team Maryland)
The 6’6” kicker and punter grew up playing soccer and didn’t land on a football team until high school. He stood out as a striker on the pitch, using his height and strength to punish smaller backs. His kicking ability as a soccer player allowed him to develop into a formidable kicker.
In his freshman year on junior varsity, Nwosu had a kickoff average of 52 yards, a punt average of 33 yards and made eight of nine extra point attempts. He moved up to varsity in his sophomore year with a kickoff average of 55 yards, a 38.2-yard punt average and made two of his five field goals. His numbers as a junior stood out the most with a kickoff average of 58 yards, a 78 percent touchback rate, a punt average of 41.3 yards on 22 punts. Eight of his punts were inside the 20-yard line.
He made 36 of 37 extra point attempts and five of six field goals. His senior season was canceled due to COVID-19.
“From when I was three years old, I played soccer,” Nwosu said. “I was never a part of football team until high school. When I played soccer, I was a striker. I enjoyed being the one to score and attack my opponents with power. Playing soccer helped me tremendously with kicking and punting. I had already grew the fundamentals necessary to become a good specialist. With the help and guidance of my brothers, they shaped me into the specialist I am today.”
Interesting fact: Nwosu would be the tallest kicker in Penn State history.
Hobbies: “Other than football, my hobbies consist of playing the cello, playing soccer or basketball with my brothers, and hanging out with friends,” Nwosu said.
Who he models his game after: “I try to model my game after Thomas Morstead,” Nwosu said. “With him being 6’4” and me being 6’6”, his big frame gave me a template of what I should strive for.”
This story was originally published May 30, 2021 at 8:30 AM.
