Penn State fans woke up Thursday to an unexpected bombshell. An alleged audio recording of Athletic Director Pat Kraft speaking candidly to players made the rounds on social media. The audio features someone who sounds like Kraft being brutally honest about Penn State’s challenges, including recruiting struggles in “middle of nowhere PA” and calling Michigan “losers and cheaters.” So is this actually real? Or is it another AI deepfake making the rounds?

All the signs indicate that the audio is legitimate. Credible sports media figures, including Barstool Sports’ Liam Blutman, shared clips of the allegedly leaked audio. Even Blutman was shocked, posting that he “can’t believe I’m listening to this.” The nature of the audio itself is raw and unfiltered. It features blunt assessments that a

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