Penn St. looks to settle after offseason upheaval
After an offseason of upheaval, Penn State begins the next phase of James Franklin’s coaching tenure Friday with the beginning of preseason training camp.
More than 20 players, coaches and administrators have left the program since the end of the 2018 regular season, including two assistant coaches and Tommy Stevens, who was once thought to be Trace McSorley’s successor at quarterback.
The 2019 Nittany Lions will be fast and talented, but also one of the youngest teams in the country. They are the first team exclusively made up of players that Franklin has recruited.
Here are five things to watch in the next four weeks leading to the Lions’ opener against Idaho on Aug. 31 at Beaver Stadium: 1.BIG SHOES TO FILL » Trace McSorley left Penn State as the most prolific quarterback and as one of the best clutch performers in school history. He was a unifying leader who was universally respected by his teammates and coaches.
He’s a tough act to follow, but Sean Clifford is a supremely confident sophomore who embraces the challenge.
Clifford was a four-star recruit from Cincinnati who led his school to a state championship as a senior. He was redshirted in 2017 and burst onto the scene last season when he completed his first five career passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, including the longest play from scrimmage in school history.
He played in only four games last season, however, throwing two incompletions when McSorley left the Citrus Bowl for a series because of an injury.
Clifford will play behind a fairly experienced offensive line and with a young group of backs and receivers who are very talented.
But no one outside the locker room knows what to expect from Clifford, just like 2016 when another sophomore quarterback was preparing to take over the offense. His name was Trace McSorley. 2.GRIPPING ISSUE » Penn State finished seventh in the Big Ten in passing yards per game last season and had the fifth-lowest completion percentage. Much of that had to do with the nearly 40 passes dropped by the Lions.
Juwan Johnson and Brandon Polk were veteran wide receivers last season, but they struggled and wound up transferring, Johnson to Oregon and Polk to James Madison.
KJ Hamler, who electrified Penn State fans with his speed, is the only returning starter. But the receiving corps is as talented and as deep as it’s ever been in Happy Valley.
Jahan Dotson, who made four starts as a true freshman in 2018, and highly touted Justin Shorter, who was hampered by injuries, are expected to be the other starters. Mac Hippenhammer, Daniel George and Cam Sullivan-Brown also are expected to see regular time.
With Gerad Parker taking over as their position coach, expect the wide receivers to have fewer drops and the passing game to be more productive. 3.CARRYING THE LOAD » With a new quarterback, new running back and two new wide receivers, expect the offense to take time to jell. Which means the defense will have to carry the team, at least in the early going.
Six starters return on defense, including Gov. Mifflin product Jan Johnson at middle linebacker. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is one of the best at his position in the Big Ten, and so are cornerback John Reid and safety Garrett Taylor.
But three guys who didn’t start a majority of games last season are expected to play large roles this season: defensive end Shaka Toney, outside linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields.
Toney is an explosive pass rusher who’s added bulk to stop the run. Parsons led Penn State in tackles last season as a freshman, despite starting only one game. And Casto-Fields covers receivers exceptionally well.
Penn State’s defense is as deep as it’s been in recent memory. 4.KICK-STARTING SPECIAL TEAMS » Jake Pinegar was not great in his first season as Penn State’s kicker in 2018.
As a freshman, he made just 16-of-24 field goal tries, missed two PATs and had some of the worst percentages in the Big Ten. He needs to show improvement this year, especially with a younger offense.
As for punting, Blake Gillikin ranked second in the Big Ten with a 44.0 average, but opponents blocked two of his punts. Penn State also finished in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten in net punting.
If Pinegar and Gillikin can be more consistent, it might make a difference in a game or two. 5.LEADING THE WAY » The departure of McSorley and safety Nick Scott left a huge void in team leadership.
Who will step up to replace them? Two of the leading candidates are from Berks County, Johnson and center Michal Menet (Exeter)
According to those around the program, Menet has assumed a strong leadership role as he enters his fourth year at Penn State and his second as the starting center.
Johnson, who’s widely respected by his teammates, can become one of the defensive leaders over the next few weeks.
Hamler, offensive tackle Will Fries, linebackers Cam Brown and Micah Parsons and defensive backs John Reid and Garrett Taylor also could be in the mix, along with Gillikin.