The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Penn State
widely considered a fourstar recruit or was among the top 10 available players in his state by major recruiting services when he committed.
“Seeing them recruiting all these top linemen, it just made me more comfortable,” Sanders said. “Obviously now, they’re growing. They’re getting better every game. They’re proving it every week.”
But even as recently as 2016, there was still apprehension about depth, considering nearly all of the program’s top offensive line recruits were being pressed into action early.
Bates started every game that year as a redshirt freshman while Gonzalez, also in his second year in the program, played in 11 games with three starts. McGovern, a true freshman, played in 13 games with nine starts.
“We’ve gained a lot of experience over the last couple of years,” Franklin said. “Besides Michael Menet, those guys have all played a lot of football for us.”
Returning linemen showed up to camp this summer with a combined 83 starts under their belts. They looked the part, passing Franklin’s eye test, each one carrying a chiseled 300-plus-pound frame. Sanders said they didn’t take long to pass a physical test, calling them a “nasty” group overall.
“I think we’re the best we’ve been in years, obviously since I’ve been here,” Bates said. “Our chemistry hasn’t been like this. Chemistry is awesome. We’re all friends. We all hang out outside of football. I think that’s what makes us connect.”
They’ve come together with a new crop of youngsters, too.
Early in camp, offensive line coach Matt Limegrover was excited that the team’s newfound depth allowed him to give vaunted recruits Juice Scruggs, Bryce Effner and Rasheed Walker more meaningful reps. He said he hopes Penn State will never be where it was in 2016 — possibly starting three freshmen in the Big Ten title game — but would feel better now if it had to.
“This is a great place to recruit to for offensive linemen,” Limegrover said. “Coach made it a priority and I’m the one that’s reaping those benefits of a lot of young guys who are really going to be pushing for time here if they aren’t already pretty quickly.”