By: Pasquale Tartaro, GoPSUSports.com
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - With the spring practice opening up on Monday, position battles and roster turnover were among the main themes from head coach James Franklin's opening press conference.
Penn State's roster took shape throughout the winter, as the incoming freshman class, which consists of nine mid-year enrolless, along with a transfer in wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley joined team workouts.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Franklin's media availability on Monday.
Staff Changes
With the departures of defensive coordinator Brent Pry, special teams coordinator Joe Lorig and head strength coach Dwight Galt III, Penn State's staff for this upcoming season will vary from years past.
Pry, who was officially named Virginia Tech head coach on November 30, 2021, joined the Hokies after serving the past eight seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Penn State.
His longtime association with Franklin dates back to 1993-94 when Franklin was the quarterback for East Stroudsburg University, where Pry coached outside linebackers and defensive backs.
"It's different, there's no doubt about it," Franklin said. "... There's no doubt it's a significant loss. ... I miss him and I wish him the best. But obviously, my focus and attention is on Penn State."
However, Franklin is confident in the arrivals of defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and special teams coordinator/outside linebacker/nickels coach Stacy Collins as well as the promotion of Chuck Losey (assistant athletic director for performance enhancement) will ease the transitional period.
Moreover, Franklin noted the "tremendous value" in investing in the recruiting and analysis divisions as well.
"It's about manpower in terms of breaking down film and while we're watching tape that we have enough perspectives and experience in the room," Franklin said. "It also helps when it comes to game-planning and those types of things."
The Brand on Defense
While his success with Pry is well documented, Franklin still expects Penn State's defense to coincide with those of years past.
Diaz, who most recently served as the head coach at the University of Miami, will be tasked with replacing a few starters, most apparently at the linebacker position.
Redshirt Jonathan Sutherland showcased his ability to play linebacker against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl and continues to receive time with the front seven, according to Franklin.
Because of Curtis Jacobs' move to the will linebacker position, coupled with the departures of impactful contributors Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks to the 2022 NFL Draft, Franklin points to the position battle between Tyler Elsdon and Kobe King as one to watch.
"Elsdon and Kobe will get every rep we can get out of them to evaluate and see where they're at," Franklin said.
Penn State's defense will likely also benefit from the addition of early enrolled defensive tackle Zane Durant, who Franklin believes is just scratching the surface of his true potential.
"He's really adjusted well in a short period of time," Franklin said. "His testing numbers were really good. He's been able to put on size already. If he keeps trending the way he is right now, I think he's going to have a chance to compete for playing time as a true freshman at defensive tackle, which is unusual."
Newcomers Welcoming Position Battles
With the addition of early enrollees Drew Allar and Beau Pribula to a quarterback room which already includes redshirt freshman Christian Veilleux and three-year starter Sean Clifford, Franklin views the additional competition in a positive light.
"I also think the competition is going to bring out the best in everybody," Franklin said. "I think that's going to be a really important part of this. Internally, we want that. We want that type of competition."
Tinsley, whose 87 receptions for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2021 for Western Kentucky was enough to earn him a scholarship from the Penn State staff, is another newcomer vying for a major role in the offense this spring.
"Mitch is so mature and obviously so experienced," Franklin said. "What we've been able to see with testing numbers, with winter workouts, with those types of things, is about what we anticipated, a mature guy that's had great production that we feel like there's still some areas that we can help him develop and grow."
Bolstering the Running Game
As the Nittany Lions strive for improvement on the offensive side of the ball, Franklin emphasized the need to sustain production in the ground game.
"I think we can make significant strides this year," Franklin said. "I think the run game is a big part of that. We have to get the run game going."
Penn State returns running backs Keyvone Lee and Devyn Ford.
Franklin said he's "excited" about the running back group and looks forward to seeing how freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen develop over their first spring season.
"We'll rotate the running backs all spring," Franklin said. "Obviously, we've got two running backs that we're excited about and winter workouts and testing have only built on that. We'll just see how it goes. But they'll have some opportunities in live work to rotate in there."
The other aspect of the running game is Penn State's offensive line, who will be without last year's contributors Rasheed Walker, Eric Wilson and Mike Miranda.
Franklin listed the starters on the line to begin the spring as Olu Fashanu (LT), Landon Tengwall (LG), Juice Scruggs (C), Sal Wormley (RG), and Caedan Wallace (RT).
