STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Seated at his locker after the Nittany Lions capped the season in the Fiesta Bowl, Ryan Bates pointed to his left and to his right. Around the room Bates went, rattling off the names of one offensive lineman after the next.
“We got a lot of guys coming back. We got this big guy," Bates said pointing over his shoulder to tackle Chasz Wright. "We got Will Fries, (Michal) Menet, Steve (Gonzalez), Connor (McGovern). We’re losing two great guys in Brendan Mahon and Andrew Nelson and they’re two of my best friends and it’s hard to see them go, but they’ve got big things waiting for them at the next level. ... But, we have a lot of potential coming back next year.”
Bates' list could've gone on and on, extending to the four freshmen linemen who took redshirts plus the three signees who since the Fiesta Bowl officially joined Penn State's 2018 class. The Nittany Lions, while in the midst of winter workouts, can still continue sorting out what types of linemen they have long before spring ball begins.
With every morning run, weight room session and conditioning drill they can learn a lot about the 12 scholarship players already in the program, a group that boasts more depth than previous years, which is among the main reasons for optimism about the future up front.
"One of the biggest things is we’re still young, but we’re getting guys with experience and then the competition aspect of it," offensive line coach Matt Limegrover told me after the Fiesta Bowl. "There are six or seven guys who either were redshirt freshmen or true freshmen that are guys who are going to be pushing in the spring and I think that’s going to be really exciting. As far as moving forward, the best thing that I can do as a coach to get these guys better is create competition and knowing those guys have got to bring their A-game every day and I think that’s what we’re going to have starting in the spring."
It's a good problem to have. What type of depth will Penn State have up front?
SCHOLARSHIP SITUATION (15)
• Chasz Wright
• Sterling Jenkins
• Steven Gonzalez
• Ryan Bates
• Connor McGovern
• Alex Gellerstedt
• Will Fries
• Michal Menet
• Michael Miranda
• CJ Thorpe
• Robert Martin
• Des Holmes
• Bryce Effner
• Frederick ‘Juice’ Scruggs
• Nana Asiedu
Keep in mind that in the fall Bates and Gonzalez, a left tackle and a guard, will be entering their redshirt junior seasons. McGovern, the team's center who played guard the year before, will be a junior. That gives Penn State a strong group of linemen who all played earlier than anticipated in their collegiate careers but now have the benefit of doing so. That's why in some regards this group is young in terms of what some other offensive lines look like around the country, but also not really young in terms of snaps played.
Fries, who is coming off his redshirt freshman season, gained valuable experience last season while Gonzalez did the same the year before when he earned the start spot in the Rose Bowl and then became a regular starter this past season. Penn State only has to replace one starter, Mahon, and has at least three recruiting classes of players to choose from.
Remember, the third year in the program is the one James Franklin always points to as the point when an offensive linemen should be physically and mentally ready to contribute. Of course there are exceptions to that rule as the Lions found one in McGovern, who one could make the argument has been among the three most important recruits signed during Franklin's Penn State tenure, that coming besides Barkley and Trace McSorley.
And, perhaps the departure of Barkley could be the biggest reason for optimism for this group since teams likely won't load the box for the first year of his replacement. That, could mean as much as any physical and mental strides this group makes in the offseason. The confusion of accounting for an extra man often meant learning on the fly for some of the team's youngest linemen.
Penn State found depth in a familiar place last year, turning to Wright, the 6-foot-7 tackle who chose Penn State around the same time Bill O'Brien was packing his bags for Houston, into a serviceable lineman after openly wondering two years ago if Wright would even be able to make the transition and be a key contributor. The Lions got a lot of run out of Wright the past two seasons and among the biggest strides he made per his position coach came in the lead up to the Fiesta Bowl. That's why the Lions used both Bates, the usual starter when 100 percent, and Wright in the Fiesta Bowl game.
"Chasz really took advantage of the time from the end of the season until now," Limegrover told me. "He lost some weight, had some pep in his step, he graduated and he was really proud of that. I’m tremendously proud of him for that and I think that was a weight lifted off his shoulders. He came down and he really practiced well."
Penn State's depth up front has been tested a lot the past two seasons largely because of injuries. While many projected Menet, a highly-touted lineman would've made significant contributions at any number of spots by now, his collegiate career was slowed by an injury his freshman year and if healthy this spring there will be a lot of attention on him.
The same holds true for those coming off their redshirt season like Thorpe and Holmes, two players teammates and several coaches commented on during the season. The physicality of those two should make winter workouts and spring ball that much more interesting. The same holds true for Miranda who is now in his second winter with the team after early enrolling last January.
Penn State wants offensive linemen who can play at least two positions. That's something Franklin has searched for with every lineman Penn State signed since his arrival and in some cases -- much like guard turned center McGovern -- Franklin said McGovern could potentially play any spot on the line. The good news is they won't need him to do that unless there would be some serious injury issues elsewhere, but position flexibility is the name of the game up front and Penn State has a lot of it with this group.
Whether or not they have that mean streak that Franklin openly criticized them for at various points last season is all part of a mentality that likely will be hammered home all winter, spring and summer, too. Surely the competition in the offseason workouts will help ramp up quite a few of these workouts as the younger players push for spots on the depth chart.
“There are some guys who have been redshirting, some guys who have been waiting their turn so starting this spring the biggest motivator is going to be competition," Limegrover said. "I’m excited about that."