CHICAGO -- James Franklin's to-do list before the Nittany Lions open fall camp is getting shorter by the day, but some of the camp battles are still at the front of his mind and will be for at least the next month.
Add special teams to that list Kickoff specialist Joey Julius will not be on the roster this season, a move that means the Lions could have to add more duties to the plates of either field goal kicker Tyler Davis, punter Blake Gillikin or use redshirt freshman scholarship kicker Alex Barbir.
"Obviously I'm not going to get into the specifics of this because it's a delicate situation," Franklin said when asked about Julius' departure from the team and whose decision it was. Julius re-entered a St. Louis treatment facility in the spring while continuing a fight with a binge-eating disorder and depression. "But for us, ultimately the most important thing for us is the health and welfare of our players, and making sure they are in a really, really good place. We love Joe, we support Joe, and he has been a huge part of our program, will continue to be."
Thank you everyone for the kind messages. Just so you dont worry I am in full recovery and have been discharged from treatment for awhile.
— Joey Julius (@joey_julius) July 25, 2017
Franklin wants more Barkleys. All of them. Good genetics. pic.twitter.com/PcSHblfvWn
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) July 25, 2017