UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Before Penn State takes the field for fall camp on Aug. 2, a quartet of representatives, including head coach James Franklin, took center stage at Lucas Oil Stadium for Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday.
Following five consecutive wins and a Rose Bowl Championship that shut the door on a strong 2022 campaign, the Nittany Lions veteran leadership core comprised of players like senior safety Keaton Ellis, junior offensive lineman Olumuyiwa Fashanu and redshirt senior defensive end Adisa Isaac preached consistency and steadiness ahead of the 2023 season.
As the trio carries the lessons they learned from last season with them, an unwavering dedication to consistency will be at the forefront, especially for Ellis who returns to the secondary as a poised and confident force with 43 games played under his belt.
"You know, we had a great season so rolling into spring ball and summer, we're just staying consistent with the work that we put in through the offseason," Ellis told the Big Ten Network. "The thing for us is just be consistent, get better every day, go into camp and try to find out what kind of team we are in camp."
After missing all of 2021 with an injury, Isaac made his return to the trenches in a big way while showcasing his blistering speed and an unique ability to get to the quarterback.
Garnering third-team All-Big Ten honors a season ago following a campaign of four sacks and 11 tackles for loss, Isaac experienced the grueling gauntlet of the conference and recognized the key fundamentals of discipline and focus as paramount for this upcoming season.
"Just not being too high or too low, taking it one game at a time and focusing on the little details because that's kind of what separates the great from the elite," Isaac said. "So we just focus on the small things and making sure we take advantage of that for the offseason and camp."
With key veterans returning on the defensive side, Fashanu returns to Happy Valley in hopes of replicating his All-American season on the offensive line. At 6-foot-6, the Waldorf, Md., product is a long, lengthy and intelligent lineman who went toe-to-toe with some of the best edge rushers in the country.
However, despite amassing numerous honors following the conclusion of last season, Fashanu recognized that continuous improvement for himself and the entire team is spearheaded by the right mindset and a commitment to not settle on success.
"The number one thing for us is just not being complacent," Fashanu said. "As you said, last year, we had a great end of the year but we know that this year, we can be a lot better than what we were. The key is for us to not be complacent, you know, stay consistent in our craft and whatever we do. At the end of the day, I think it'll pay off."
While consistency and not being complacent have been prevalent messages to his team throughout his tenure, Franklin enters his 10th season at Penn State continuing to highlight those aspects.
With the 2023 season just over a month away, Franklin knows that the road in order to achieve the goals set at the end of the year is a season-long process, one that is worked on every day through a continuous message of consistency.
"Obviously you'd say that, overall, the program is healthy but obviously we have very, very high goals and expectations of where we can go and what we can do," Franklin said. "But again, you know, it starts with West Virginia."
