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Penn State head coach James Franklin is conducting his eighth summer camp as the leader of the Lions, and it goes without saying that this one is unlike any that have come before it.
The team started practicing last Friday, and it will now enter its first full week of drills leading up to an opener opposite Northwestern on Sept. 5 at Beaver Stadium.
Franklin has not met the media yet since camp began to share exactly what his team’s plans look like amid the coronavirus pandemic, but we can assume that the precautions in place probably go above and beyond the recommendations of health officials. And, the team is surely split up so that quality depth remains available even if an entire position group or unit must quarantine because of a positive that.
We’ll surely learn more about the inner workings of camp before long. For now, though, let’s look at some key storylines as kickoff nears.
What happens at linebacker?
Penn State already had to replace two linebackers ahead of the 2020 season after Cam Brown and Jan Johnson graduated.
Now, it must field an entirely new starting unit.
That’s because All-American Micah Parsons opted out of the fall slate last Thursday, citing health and safety concerns related to the global health crisis.
It can be assumed that former five-star linebackers Lance Dixon and Brandon Smith will win the starting outside jobs, though Cumberland Valley grad Charlie Katshir figures to be in the mix for some reps, too. Inside, it is likely to be a neck-and-neck contest between Jesse Luketa and Ellis Brooks.
Suffice it to say, defensive coordinator Brent Pry has his work cut out for him over the next month to get this group ready to not only lead the defense but also fire on all cylinders immediately. There is no longer a non-conference tuneup, after all.
Will anyone else opt out?
So far, only Parsons has decided not to play this fall, but one can only wonder whether or not other members of the Lions roster will join him.
While it’s certainly positive that no one did so prior to camp starting, it seems possible and maybe even probable that a player or two will go through contact practices for a period of time and then decide that the risk of contracting COVID-19 while playing is too great.
It might not happen at Penn State, but it will certainly take place somewhere across the country.
How will Ciarrocca’s offense look?
To a man, the Penn State players on offense who spoke to the media so far this summer have said that classroom installation of new coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca’s offense has gone as well as it can in a virtual setting.
But, how will that transfer to the field?
There’s a reason Franklin hired the former Minnesota play caller. He’s intelligent, able to adapt, and runs an attack that is tough to stop if it’s run with the required precision. That, in many ways, is the key to it all, and thus the Lions will only thrive out of the gate if all the work put in on ZOOM video conference calls carries over to crisp routes, accurate throws, and so on with the pads on.
One thing is for sure: If quarterback Sean Clifford has improved his footwork to improve his accuracy, that will be one major step in the right direction.
Meet the other new guys
Franklin did have plenty of turnover on his staff this offseason.
Besides Ciarrocca, Taylor Stubblefield was brought in from Miami to coach the receivers while Phil Trautwein left Boston College for Penn State to lead the offensive line. Then, on the other side of the ball, John Scott Jr., was pried away from South Carolina to replace Sean Spencer as the defensive line coach.
So much change in the middle of a pandemic is not ideal, but it’s the hand the Lions were dealt, and they must make it work.
Who steps up at the two receiver spots?
With veteran Jahan Dotson back, Penn State should feel pretty good about one of its starting pass catchers.
It’s not as clear, however, who will fill the other two voids.
First-year position coach Stubblefield has plenty of candidates, however. Florida redshirt freshman TJ Jones and John Dunmore are both ready to hit the ground running in year two, while former four-star and January enrollee KeAndre Lambert figures to fight for playing time immediately. Then, there’s veteran Daniel George, who could be a star with more consistent play, and Cam Sullivan-Brown returns for another year too.
Stubblefield was a star at Purdue, and he knows what needs to be done to play receiver in the Big Ten. Now, he must get his charges to that point, and quickly, as again, Ciarrocca’s offense depends on top-end receiver play.
The other position battles to know
What other spots are up for grabs?
- Mike Miranda and CJ Thorpe figure to be the starting guards, but Caedan Wallace could push them.
- Jayson Oweh vs. Adisa Isaac for the starting end spot opposite Shaka Toney will be a fun matchup.
- Will it be Marquis Wilson or Keaton who gets to replace John Reid at corner now that Donovan Johnson is out for the year due to injury?
- Finally, can anyone unseat Jonathan Sutherland as the heir apparent at safety in Garrett Taylor’s old spot?
Keep in mind, too, that Jordan Stout is technically in a battle for the punter job, but that should be no contest.
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6 Penn State football storylines to follow as the Lions enter their first full week of summer camp - PennLive
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