Grading the 5-0 Nittany Lions: Real test's yet to come

ALTOONA, Pa. -- Everybody loves report cards in sports. They're usually informative and quick-hitting, and readers always say they like the format of grading certain aspects of a team.

I'm glad you're here reading this report card. Thank you for stopping by.

But I'm gonna be honest here and tell you that this report means absolutely nothing.

Penn State is 5-0 and ranked No. 10 in the country. There's a whole lot to feel good about when you're in the top 10, and so obviously a lot of the grades in a report card at this time are going to be very good.

But the next three weeks are what matter most for this Nittany Lion team. Everybody knows that. So, while we can throw out a bunch of A grades for what's happened thus far, in reality, with a trip to Michigan coming up one week from today and then games against Minnesota and Ohio State after that, the only grade that matters is this one: Incomplete.

We still don't know how good this Penn State football team is. Yes, it deserves a lot of credit for going on the road and winning at Purdue and Auburn, but those are unranked, mediocre teams at best.

All the Lions have really done so far is ace the practice tests they've been given.

The real test -- the one the teachers will be grading very thoroughly and scrutinizing intensely -- will be handed out in seven days.

Alrighty, having said all that, here are the mostly glowing grades I would give Penn State through five games.

GRADE: A+

CB Joey Porter Jr.: The best player on the team through five games, with 10 pass breakups and one fumble recovery. Right now, he's in line to be a first-round draft pick. Do you know how many defensive backs in Penn State history have been drafted in the first round? ZERO! So, Porter could make history, as long as he keeps up the outstanding play the rest of the season.

Manny Diaz: The defensive coordinator has been sensational in his first season, making all the right moves to keep the defense aggressive and forcing 12 turnovers. I can't wait to see how Diaz fares against Michigan's run-heavy offense and what strings he might try to pull. And obviously, it will be fascinating to see what the Lions can do against Ohio State in three weeks

Barney Amor: This guy is like a magician. He punts the ball inside the 10 just about every time, and the ball just dies right there on the spot. It's pretty amazing to watch, really, like a skilled golfer who gets a ball to bite right when it hits the green. Amor is averaging 44.7 yards per punt, which won't win him any national awards, but he has been incredibly valuable thus far, and certainly will be counted on to keep up the great work when field position really matters in the coming weeks.

Chad Powers: The guy's got a hose! And some great hair! He's pretty darn funny, too. The only knock is that he may think fast, but he certainly doesn't run fast. (5.49???). MAJOR props to Eli Manning for pulling off the best story of the season for Penn State.

GRADE: A

James Franklin: You gotta hand it to the coach. He's done an excellent job so far, setting the right tone, trusting in his coordinators to do their jobs and making good decisions during games. The way the Lions were so well prepared to go in and take care of business in the blowout at Auburn was pretty special. Franklin has taken a lot of grief for going 11-11 the past two seasons -- including from me -- but he deserves credit for what the team has accomplished so far.

S Ji'Ayir Brown: The only player who could challenge Porter for best player on the team distinction. Brown leads the team in tackles (25) and interceptions (2), giving him eight picks since the start of last season. He also has one sack, four QB hurries, one forced fumble and one pass breakup.

RB Nicholas SIngleton: He got off to the best start ever by a Penn State freshman running back and has 480 yards rushing, plus several long, highlight-reel runs. He has five TDs and is averaging 7.3 yards per carry.

GRADE: A-

TE Brenton Strange: He's a big difference maker, with four TD catches among his 15 total receptions. He's also proven to be a good blocker, which is something not a lot of Penn State's recent good tight ends did all that well.

LT Olu Fashanu: The first-year starter has been outstanding as the best player on the offensive line. Check him out here on Auburn's Derick Hall, a projected first-round pick.

The defense: Purdue scored 28 points on the Lions (plus Sean Clifford gave them 7 on a pick-6), but the defense has allowed only 43 points in the other four games. Those guys have been impressive on that side of the ball, led by the outstanding secondary.

GRADE: B+

CB Kalen King: He's second on the team with nine pass breakups, which is only one behind Porter, even though he hasn't gotten anywhere near the recognition. He also has a forced fumble and a recovery.

LB Abdul Carter: Goodness, this kid is going to be special. A true freshman, he's second on the team in tackles (18) and has one sack and two tackles for loss. It's going to be very telling to see what he does against Michigan and if he's ready for that challenge at this stage.

RB Kaytron Allen: He has 308 yards on 57 carries (5.3 average) and three TDs. The true freshman hasn't gotten the kind of hype that fellow running back Singleton has, but don't be surprised if Allen winds up being the go-to tailback more often than not in these next three games.

S Zakee Wheatley: He earned the reputation as the "takeaway king" during preseason, and has shown why with two interceptions so far. Everybody says he has a nose for the ball, and he does always seem to be around the play with 13 tackles and one forced fumble.

Mike Yurcich: The offensive coordinator has done a good job with play calls this year, mixing things up very well and making sure to stay committed to the run when necessary. He would like to have a quarterback who throws the long ball well, and Clifford just doesn't do that, so Yurcich has had to adapt and find other ways to succeed.

Defensive line: Rather than grade some of these guys individually, I figured it would be better to lump them all in together with this pretty good grade. Chop Robinson has shown to be disruptive, Adisa Isaac has shown why he's so highly regarded, and it's good to see PJ Mustipher getting back to 100 percent and playing at a high level.

GRADE: B

Offensive line, Phil Trautwein: The unit has been good, but not great. Hey, that's PLENTY good enough since the group has been the program's Achilles heel for several years. Trautwein has done a nice job recruiting and developing these guys.

GRADE B-

QB Sean Clifford: I'm giving him some benefit of the doubt for one reason: He led the team down the field in the final 2 minutes to beat Purdue. Clifford has been extremely average since then and probably deserves a C+, but that drive at Purdue alone won the game, gave the team a bunch of confidence and showed that he is capable of pulling off that kind of clutch scoring drive if need be.

WR Mitchell Tinsley: He's second on the team in catches (19) and TDs (3) and third in yards (225). He's going to need to be a big factor the rest of the way for the offense to come close to reaching its potential.

The offense: The Lions scored 35 at Purdue and 41 at Auburn, so this grade perhaps could be higher. But there were too many lulls against Central Michigan, and then only 17 points with five turnovers against Northwestern, albeit that one was in the rain. Clifford's inconsistency continues to hold back the offense, but as mentioned above, Yurcich has done a nice job, and having a running game opens up so many other things.

GRADE: C+

WR Parker Washington: He leads the team in catches (20) and yards (285) but has no TDs. In all honesty, he just hasn't made many big plays, at least not the kind many had hoped for thinking he would be the No. 1 receiver.

RB Keyvone Lee: It didn't take long for him to get surpassed by the freshmen Singleton and Allen, which had to be incredibly disappointing for him given that he led the team in rushing the past two years. He will still have a role on the team, though, and he did catch the winning pass in the victory at Purdue.

GRADE: C

Linebackers; Carter looks like a future stud. But otherwise, this is the most average group of linebackers Penn State has had in a long time. The fear here is that Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State will expose this group with their running games.

GRADE: C-

PK Jake Pinegar: He's 4-of-6 on field goals with a long of 48, and he's missed two PATs. The fact that he nailed a 48-yarder was a good sign, but he's still a concern in a tight game.

GRADE: INCOMPLETE

QB Drew Allar: OK, so I kind of wimped out on this one. Allar deserves a good grade, maybe a B+, for what he's done as a true freshman. But I'm just hesitant to get too carried away with any of it because it's come in mop-up duty against bad teams, save for his one series at Purdue. The kid obviously has a ton of talent, and at some point we'll probably get to see him play a whole bunch of meaningful reps. But all the other grades above are for how guys have played when the games were actually still in doubt, and Allar just hasn't been in that situation.

If I missed anybody or any unit that you would like to see graded, mention it in the comments.