One of the 10 victims who accused former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky of sexual abuse is preparing to recant his testimony, according to court documents obtained Friday by The Athletic.

Sandusky, 82, is due to appear in court in Bellefonte, Pa., on Sept. 8 for an evidentiary hearing after a judge granted his request to review evidence that the accuser, recognized as R.R. or Victim 10 in court proceedings, has recanted or substantially disavowed his trial testimony.

News of the trial was first reported by Onward State.

In a signed affidavit from June 30, 2025, Victim 10 said he felt pushed to change his story. His testimony “evolved,” he said, after “leading questions, intense investigative pressure and psychological manipulation.”

“I was misled repeatedly during the process, particularly by prosecutor Joe McGettigan,” Victim 10 said in the affidavit. “I now regret my role in facilitating what I have come to view as a deeply flawed prosecution.”

McGettigan, who died in December 2025, was the lead prosecutor in the case that rocked Penn State and led to the firing of legendary football coach Joe Paterno in 2011 in the wake of the allegations.

Even if the charges involving Victim 10 are dismissed, Sandusky is unlikely to be released from prison, where he is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence after being convicted in 2012 on 45 charges of sexual abuse.

Sandusky walking into a courthouse in 2016 to appeal his conviction. (Photo: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)

In their motion for a trial, Sandusky’s attorneys highlighted Victim 10’s claim that he was told that the trauma may have fragmented his memory, and that he “could safely affirm details that he did not fully recall.”

“I was led to believe that failing to testify in the manner prosecutors expected would allow a dangerous man to escape justice,” Victim 10 wrote, later saying he was unaware that his statements “would be used to secure a de facto life sentence for Mr. Sandusky.”

Victim 10 said he was coached during pretrial meetings, one of which lasted approximately six hours, where he was asked repeatedly to reframe his account until his responses aligned with what appeared to be desired by the prosecution team.

“I ask the courts, and any fair-minded reader, to consider that my testimony may have reflected not willful falsehood, but a tragic convergence of memory uncertainty, professional suggestion, prosecutorial coercion and my own vulnerability,” he wrote.

According to the filing from Sandusky’s attorneys, Victim 10’s estranged wife is also prepared to testify that Victim 10 initially denied being abused by Sandusky.

In a statement to ABC News, prosecutors with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office said the woman’s opinion “thirteen years after defendant’s trial, pondering what she thinks may or may not have really happened to (Victim 10) when he was 10 years old, or any other Sandusky child victim for that matter, is irrelevant and inadmissible.”

Victim 10, who later received a $5.5 million settlement from a civil suit against Penn State, did not immediately respond to a request for clarification about whether he is recanting all of his accusations, or just some of the details. He also did not respond to a request for clarification about what will happen with the settlement money he received.

Attorney Andrew Shubin, whom Victim 10 named in his affidavit as part of the legal counsel who represented him in the civil case against Penn State, declined to comment on the story and would not say if he still represents Victim 10.

Sandusky has maintained his innocence since the initial accusations. Sandusky was an assistant on Paterno’s football staff from 1969 to 1999. His nonprofit, The Second Mile, was founded in 1977 and operated until 2011, when Sandusky was arrested. The foundation’s purported mission was to help underprivileged youth, and it was through the foundation that Sandusky met several of the victims.

This is an updated version of an article which first appeared on The Athletic this month.

For those who are not regular watchers of France’s Ligue 1, your first introduction to Ibrahim Mbaye may have been his sensational solo goal at the World Cup for Senegal against France.

It may have only been a consolation in a 3-1 defeat, but it saw Mbaye become the youngest African player to score at a World Cup, aged 18 years and 143 days.

And setting records for becoming the youngest to do something has been part of the right-winger’s routine since he became Paris Saint-Germain’s youngest league starter (16 years and 205 days old) when he was selected to play against Le Havre in August 2024.

Born in Trappes, a western suburb of Paris, he chose to represent Senegal — where his father is from — at senior international level, despite representing France through the youth levels up to under-20s. He became his nation’s youngest player to appear at the Africa Cup of Nations in December 2025 and their youngest goalscorer in the tournament when he scored against Sudan in the round of 16.

It is no wonder that the now-18-year-old had been looked at by several of Europe’s top clubs since he broke through at PSG. Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool and Aston Villa were three of the teams that explored a move for the winger this summer, but senior club sources at Liverpool insisted it had gone no further, dismissing reports that personal terms had been agreed.

Villa, in the meantime, had viewed Mbaye as a leading target from as early as January. They had wanted him then, but could not afford him due to ongoing financial restrictions limiting their spending.

They made contact again a few months later, believing a deal would cost £40million-£50million (about $61m). It became evident it would be towards the top end. There was a feeling among those close to Mbaye heading into the summer that Villa may have missed their opportunity.

Still, Villa’s priority position was a fast, right-sided winger who made frequent runs beyond opposition defences. Mbaye was always the player favoured across the board.

Negotiations were complex. The forward is represented by London-based agency Golden Gate, but this year, he enlisted the services of Jorge Mendes and his agency Gestifute before a potential summer move.

Each time Villa felt they were close, or a deal was likely, they were pushed back. Even after the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea, Villa never closed the door on Mbaye. Representatives of other targets, in messages seen by The Athletic, were informed that Villa were not pursuing players who primarily operate as traditional left-wingers. Mbaye’s best position was viewed as off the right.

Ibrahim Mbaye, right, impressed against France in New Jersey (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Mbaye’s arrival seemed out of reach, with Villa pursuing Rafael Leao intently. But the relationship between Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was seen as key to getting the deal done. On Friday, a €55million (£47m; $64m) agreement in principle was finalised.

As for Leao, the player wished to join, but Villa could not reach the required financial package, having only offered an informal proposal of a loan plus an obligation. In the end, Villa never made a formal offer for the 27-year-old.

Mbaye has had quite the rise for a youngster whose first sporting love was not football — he preferred basketball. His father, Abdoulaye, showed him plenty of football videos and his interest grew. He joined Guyancourt, a local club in Yvelines. He then moved on to Versailles, which has a reputation for having a well-run academy.

His talent and potential were enough for PSG to get involved, and they brought him into their academy system at the age of 10. His rise continued, and by 16 he was playing for the under-19s, helping them win the Championnat National U19 title in 2024. He received the club’s Titi d’Or award, given to the most promising player in the club’s academy, in the same year.

In the summer of 2024, Mbaye was given the opportunity to train with the first team and left such an impression that head coach Luis Enrique started him in the first league game of the 2024-25 season. He made 10 appearances in all competitions and was on the bench as PSG won the Champions League for the first time.

He saw an increase in his involvement last season, making 30 appearances in all competitions. If a reminder of his age was needed, it came in September 2025, when Mbaye could not travel with the squad for an away game against Marseille because he had to sit an exam. He joined up with the squad later in the day instead, and came on as a very late substitute.

The youngster is still a raw prospect who is developing, but his youth brings a fearlessness when he is in possession. He is right-footed and has predominantly played on the right wing, but is comfortable operating on both flanks.

He uses his acceleration and excellent turning to get out of tight spaces rather than into physical duels where opponents can dominate him. He frequently looks to drive forward with the ball, which often leads to chance creation rather than shooting opportunities for himself.

Mbaye does look to get to the byline and provide the textbook low cutback for a team-mate, but his low cross volume (5 out of 99) and high link-up play (86 out of 99) in the graphic above suggest he profiles more as a quick-passing inside forward rather than a touchline-hugging winger.

It must be noted that his 997 league minutes last season are still a relatively small sample size, so an increased role at a new club would help paint a clearer picture of the multi-faceted attacker.

Mbaye, centre, celebrates with Senegal team-mates after the AFCON round-of-16 match against Sudan in January (Abdel Majid Bziouat/AFP via Getty Images)

Mbaye was involved in PSG’s pre-season, scoring in a 1-1 friendly draw against Manchester United, but he was an unused substitute in the French side’s 2-1 UEFA Super Cup victory over Villa. The forward, alongside team-mate Bradley Barcola — who is also at the centre of transfer speculation — was then left out of the squad that was beaten 1-0 by Lens in the Trophee des Champions and the squad for PSG’s opening game of the league season against Rennes.

His future may have been uncertain for much of this summer, but his talent is not, and that is why he is an enticing prospect. Emery said Villa were in “rebuild” last week — they hope Mbaye can be the face of the club’s next era.