STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State’s first of 15 spring practices will take place Monday, starting the countdown to the Blue-White Game and shedding light on some of the team’s most pressing needs.
Spring standouts don’t always guarantee success in the fall, but sometimes the breakout candidate is so overwhelmingly obvious (see Johnson, Juwan last spring) that it becomes clear who the next standout will be. Coming off back to back New Year’s Six bowl games and with some members of the program’s highly-touted recruiting class already in the fold who not named Miles Sanders could step up into a bigger role this spring?
James Franklin will meet with the media Monday ahead of the first practice, but here’s who I’ll be looking to learn more about this spring:
MICAH PARSONS
He’s going to get a crack at the vacant middle linebacker spot and while he won’t be the only one to do so, as Cam Brown, Koa Farmer, Ellis Brooks and seemingly everyone else will get a chance there. But, there’s a reason why Parsons enrolled early. There’s also a reason why Penn State wants to try him at linebacker first before they figure out if he’s better suited for there or defensive end down the road.
Parsons has already impressed by leaving his five-star ranking at home in Harrisburg but how quickly he picks up the defense will start to show up this spring. Brent Pry has two vacant starting linebacker spots to fill and asking a true freshman to be the quarterback of the defense is a tall order, but Penn State also hasn’t landed someone just like Parsons in quite some time.
Even if Parsons doesn’t get the inside track to a starting job they need to feel OK putting him out there this fall so expect all eyes to be on No. 11.
JONATHAN SUTHERLAND
Penn State moved Lamont Wade from cornerback to safety this offseason because of the glaring need there, but who lines up next to Wade? Nick Scott, Ayron Monroe and Garrett Taylor all have been around and have had chances to take on increased roles in the past but none of them have proven to be enough of a difference maker back there to supplant NFL hopefuls like Marcus Allen and Troy Apke. The clogged path to the field is one part, but Monroe so far hasn’t taken the next step, which had been the goal last spring, so Sutherland, coming off a redshirt season, could have a nice opportunity to impress this spring.
He was a standout in practices last year, garnering praise for his aggressive mentality and his big hits, but whether or not that translates to starter or key backup will be sorted out in the coming months. Penn State has plenty of depth here but do they have a big-time safety out of this group?
SEAN CLIFFORD
Last spring the Nittany Lions needed to find a No. 3 quarterback and ultimately it was Clifford, who redshirted last season, who supplanted the older Jake Zembiec. Clifford has intrigue this spring mainly because of the quarterback directly ahead of him, Tommy Stevens. Penn State put the versatile quarterback in the newly created ‘Lion’ position ahead of the Fiesta Bowl, but what type of role Stevens carves out this spring will likely dictate whether or not he’s still with the team in the summer.
If Stevens wants to be a quarterback, will he be willing to wait another year behind Trace McSorley, play this Lion position and stick around? Or, is he willing to transfer and if Stevens’ academics line up he could be a potential graduate transfer option, meaning he could head elsewhere and play right away? So, if they lose Stevens later this offseason that’s all the more reason why Clifford would become that much more valuable.
MIKE MIRANDA, CJ THORPE
I’ll throw two newer names into the mix here as both offensive linemen are coming off redshirt seasons and were praised by the coaching staff for their work last season. Last year’s line was criticized for not having enough of a mean streak, while Miranda and Thorpe, both highly-touted signees, were praised largely because of their aggressiveness. It’s still a huge jump for a player to have an impact as a redshirt freshman along the offensive line, but these two are worth keeping an eye on, especially seeing where they stack up on the depth chart.
Penn State always wants versatility from their linemen and they’ve gotten key contributions from young linemen before like Connor McGovern, Will Fries and Ryan Bates, so don’t rule out these guys getting worked into the mix. Miranda was here last spring after early enrolling so he's got a few extra months of college ball under his belt.
DANNY DALTON
Gone is Mike Gesicki and it’s possible there won’t be a bigger void to fill in this offense than that of the tight end. While Saquon Barkley’s departure is massive, at least Penn State has a five-star signee ready to go behind him and another one enrolling this summer. Sitting behind Gesicki there’s no sure thing. Tight end John Holland has played sparingly, Nick Bowers has the athleticism to make an impact but hasn’t stayed healthy since arriving at Penn State and highly-touted freshman Zack Kuntz just got to college two months ago.
Dalton, a rising redshirt sophomore who is listed at 6-4, 245 pounds, could be the player to step in. Dalton was praised last month by strength coach Dwight Galt for his offseason gains so maybe a strong spring could help his chances of being that guy this fall. Otherwise, there’s a lot to like with Bowers, but his injury history makes him too tough to trust. Remember, it was Bowers who Franklin raved about last summer before the tight end was sidelined again.
DAMION BARBER
Kevin Givens and Rob Windsor are expected to be the starters inside while Ellison Jordan is recovering from a broken kneecap sustained at the end of last season and Barber redshirted last season. If there’s any guarantee with a Sean Spencer led defensive line it’s that it will include a deep rotation so look for Barber, who is listed at defensive tackle, to certainly have an opportunity to grow into a bigger role.
He moved from end to tackle since enrolling late last summer and his weight gain since then, an increase of 33 pounds to bring him to 278, means he’s finally filling into this new role. This is his first spring with the team and after getting to campus right when camp started last summer his head should be spinning less than when he was thrust right into college last August.
BRANDON POLK, KJ HAMLER, JOURNEY BROWN
I lumped these three together because not only are they among the team’s fastest options, but also because they likely are among the kick return options. That’s one part of Barkley’s previous role that will be up for grabs this spring. Polk returned kicks in the past while Hamler and Brown, a receiver and a running back who both redshirted last season, took special teams reps in practices last year.
Penn State has shown a willingness to use a young running back as a kick returner in year’s past, which is why Brown, a former PIAA track standout, could be an intriguing option. Hamler, who is smaller and built similarly to Polk, was a key recruiting get because of his blazing speed. I’d imagine wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins remains in his punt return role, one that cornerback John Reid held before him, which gives someone else a chance to get involved on kick returns.