UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State's secondary, particularly at cornerback, has plenty of new and inexperienced players who will have to make an impact this season.
Senior Grant Haley is the unquestioned leader of the group while Christian Campbell is in line to fill in for injured starter John Reid. While Reid, who sustained a knee injury in spring ball, will find a way to help out his teammates this season -- and already has despite being across the country wrapping up a summer internship in Portland, Ore. -- it's up to cornerbacks coach Terry Smith to figure out how to get the most of out this group.
With six scholarship freshmen, whether true or redshirt, and just three healthy upperclassmen on scholarship -- Haley, Amani Oruwariye and Campbell -- Smith has a younger group than usual. With freshmen Tariq Castro-Fields and Lamont Wade both in line to play this year, at this point a lock for at least Wade and Castro-Fields impressing the staff enough during camp to contemplate playing him, I chatted one-on-one with Smith during Penn State's media day.
Q: Since camp started it sounds like John Reid has found a way to stay involved despite being hurt and being across the country for his internship. What's he been doing for you and the rest of the cornerbacks?
A: "That's my assistant coach there. He makes sure that he watches every single day of practice, and then we have a conversation each evening about the practice and what he saw versus what I saw and he's usually pretty much on the same page with me. We all know he's a great student of the game and he loves the games, he pays attention to the game and I'm just appreciative that he's still locked in to it being all the way out there."
Q: Did you guys tell him to watch those practices from afar or is that just John being John?
A: "That's just John. Some guys are self-motivated and he's one of them. You don't have to tell him what to do. He's a hardworking kid and that's just John and what his DNA is."
Q: A lot of the talk since the winter has been about Lamont Wade. You certainly know him better than we do so how has he looked this camp?
A: "Lamont's had a really good camp and he had a good spring for us. He's doing really well now, and obviously we have three veteran guys and we've got to find three more guys to fill the cornerback position that we feel all have to contribute in some manner and Lamont is definitely one of those three additional guys."
Cornerbacks Grant Haley and Amani Oruwariye during practice on Saturday. - WAISS DAVID ARAMESH / FOR DKPS
Interview: Terry Smith, cornerbacks coach, on young standouts
Penn State's cornerbacks during practice last Saturday. - WAISS DAVID ARAMESH / FOR DKPS
Q:
When you have a young guy like Lamont is it something where during camp you're wanting Trace McSorley and the top guys kind of going right at him and pick on him as baptism by fire to see how he responds? Is there any easing into it?
A:
Saeed Blacknall
Juwan Johnson
Q:
Every year since you've been here during camp the cornerbacks come up with their little slogan for the season. I believe last year it was The Company. Have you guys come up with one yet for this year?
A:
Q:
When you talk about setting the standard in practice and young guys catching on quickly, Tariq Castro-Fields is someone who James Franklin was very complimentary of and said he thinks Castro-Fields will factor in this year. What's impressed you about him since he arrived in June?
A:
Christian [Campbell]
Q:
Since we've talked about some of these young guys, what is the difference for you with this group of cornerbacks versus the one you had last year. You still have some of the same faces, but...
A:
Q:
And Terry, who is the leader for you guys then. Is is Grant [Haley]?
A:
Q:
On a different note, everyone is keeping close tabs on recruiting and this highly-touted 2018 class. We've talked with James about it out in Chicago at media days, but as the defensive recruiting coordinator, how have you seen the perception of this program change when you're out talking to prospects and high school coaches?
A:
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