July 23, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Continuing the tradition of Penn State's "Linebacker U," senior linebacker Koa Farmer (Lake View Terrace, Calif.) is listed on the 2018 Butkus Award collegiate preseason watch list for the nation's top linebacker.
The award, named in honor of legendary linebacker Dick Butkus, annually recognizes the nation's top collegiate linebacker. Farmer will be vying to become the first Nittany Lion to earn the honor since Paul Posluszny in 2005. LaVar Arrington also won the award in 1999, and five have previously been named finalists: Shane Conlan (1986), Andre Collins (1989), Brandon Short (1999), Posluszny (2006) and Dan Connor (2007).
Farmer, the lone Nittany Lion hailing from California and the West Coast, started all 13 games last season and set career highs with 48 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Highlights from the 2017 season, which was his first in a starting role, included logging a career-high eight tackles and a third-and-goal, fourth-quarter sack against Pittsburgh, recovering a fumble and making a career-high 2.0 stops behind the line at Ohio State and another 8-tackle performance at Michigan State. Farmer transitioned from safety to linebacker early in the 2016 season as a sophomore and served as a kick returner as a redshirt freshman in 2015. He has completed degrees in criminology and sociology and is working on a third degree in journalism.
Eight different Nittany Lions have been named to preseason watch lists. They include: senior linebacker Koa Farmer â€" Butkus Award (top linebacker); junior tight end Jonathan Holland â€" Mackey Award (most outstanding collegiate tight end); junior center Connor McGovern â€" Rimmington Trophy (nation's top center); senior quarterback Trace McSorley â€" Maxwell Award (National Player of the Year), Davey O'Brien Award (nation's top quarterback); junior defensive end Shareef Miller â€" Bednarik Award (National Defensive Player of the Year); junior running back Miles Sanders â€" Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back); senior safety Nick Scott â€" Allstate AFCA Good Works Team; head coach James Franklin â€" Bobby Dodd Trophy (nation's top coach).
The Nittany Lions' home schedule features five Big Ten Conference games, including visits from 2017 Big Ten Championship Game participants Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions open the season against Appalachian State (Sept. 1; 3:30 p.m.) and Kent State (Sept. 15; noon) in non-conference action. In Big Ten play, Penn State welcomes Ohio State (Sept. 29), Michigan State (Oct. 13; 3:30/4 p.m.), Iowa (Oct. 27), Wisconsin (Nov. 10) and Maryland (Nov. 24) to Happy Valley.
More than 6,300 new season tickets have been sold for the 2018 season presented by PSECU. The public single game sale takes place beginning June 26. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.NittanyLionClub.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.