STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The days of Penn State's offensive linemen having to switch jerseys during the spring game, running from one huddle to the other because of a lack of depth, are a thing of the past.
While no position was hit harder during the NCAA sanction era than the group up front, making sure Penn State's offensive line continues to take the next step even a couple years after being able to fill a scholarship two-deep will always remain at the forefront of conversations both among fans and within the walls of the Lasch football building. After all, whether it was Saquon Barkley trying to do too much or Christian Hackenberg getting planted at Lincoln Financial Field sack after sack, the development up front, while difficult to observe for the naked eye, will always be under the microscope here.
Penn State invested several scholarships on highly-touted offensive linemen since James Franklin's arrival and while players like tackle Ryan Bates and center Connor McGovern are no longer new to college football, building depth behind this front five should result in one of the more interesting two deeps that Penn State's compiled since Franklin's been here.
"I think we've got a two-deep that you can win with in the Big Ten," Franklin said this week. "So instead of having six guys that you feel good about that you're moving parts all over the place -- you still may have a little bit of that, guys that create some flexibility -- but I think there's a two-deep where you look across it and you say, you know, the guy that's actually behind that position to go in and play in the game and you've got a chance to play well enough to win in the Big Ten."
The difference between needing to play a player and having to play him whether because of a lack of depth or injuries was something this and every roster goes through. Tight end Mike Gesicki was one player Penn State would've liked to have redshirted but played him as a freshman out of necessity. McGovern, who already played guard and center, is among the players who've had the biggest impact on this program not named Barkley since Franklin's arrival. It's rare for a player to step in and contribute -- let alone start -- as a true freshman and doing so along the offensive line is almost unheard of. But, this line was in desperate need of help at that point.
That's part of the reason why this line has more intrigue this spring than in year's past. There's Brendan Mahon's old spot up for grabs while Penn State has players like Michal Menet, CJ Thorpe, Des Holmes and Mike Miranda vying for a chance to see the field. Will Fries gained valuable experience at tackle when Bates was hurt last season and now with Bates healthy and more position flexibility built because of it, they could tinker around with some of these moving parts if they wanted to. That's certainly one thing to keep in mind this spring as the Lions ready for their first contact practice on Saturday.
"Alex Gellerstedt is probably a really good example," Franklin said of another lineman the Lions look to work into the fold this year. "He's a guy who came in here, had only played one year offensive line, was kind of a project. I tell you what, that guy has just worked and worked and worked and worked. He never really -- you know, it's not like he has an off-season where he takes a major jump. But he just keeps taking steps, positive steps, positive steps, positive steps, with really no setbacks and he's worked himself into a player.
"I think he's kind of an example of what I'm talking about," Franklin continued. "He may have been listed on the depth chart the last couple years, but I don't know if he was a viable option yet, and I think he is now. I can say that kind of across the board."
As this offensive line witnessed the past couple seasons they're only ever one injury away from one tackle being asked to switch from one side to the other or a guard sliding inside to center. But, this season they realistically should be better prepared to fill those spots should injury arise and the competition for those starting and even backup spots will continue to be part of this new-look line. Add the freshmen signees to that group this summer and those players will have the luxury to learning the ropes, perhaps not seeing the field until their third year on campus, which is the magic number Franklin points to when expecting offensive linemen to typically be able to contribute.
"Menet is another guy we knew was very talented," Franklin said of Menet, who is expected to push for a starting job this spring and summer. "But doing it at the high school level and doing it here is different, whether it was some bumps and bruises or whether just understanding the intensity or whatever it was. You know, it really seems like right now, the light has really come on for him. There's a lot of excitement about him right now. I think everybody always knew he could do it. But it was, you know, each one of these guys kind of got to figure out their own way of what it takes to be the type of player that they want to be and that we need them to be at this level."