James Franklin Details the Format of Penn State's Blue-White Game

The Nittany Lions close spring practice with their annual scrimmage at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shakes hands with fans following the 2024 Blue-White spring football game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State closes spring football drills Saturday with the annual Blue-White Game, which the program cautioned will be "non-traditional." That largely revolves around the game's logistics, as Beaver Stadium is a construction site during the early stages of its multi-year renovation.

On the field, Penn State coach James Franklin said the game would follow a format similar to the past few years, though it won't be televised. Franklin discussed that and more Wednesday after practice in State College. Here's the rundown.

Charting the Blue-White Game format

Penn State plans to play four quarters of football Saturday at Beaver Stadium, though the format will be different. Franklin said that the team won't tackle to the ground in the first period, instead using the "thud" technique. This is when the Nittany Lions' top players will take the field, if they do at all.

The remaining three quarters will include live tackling for evaluation purposes. Don't expect to see too many starters in these periods. Consider this closer to a fourth NFL preseason game, in which coaching staffs evaluate their rosters to make final cuts. Penn State is doing that as well, with the potential 105-player roster limit looming.

"Some of those guys, between spring ball and summer camp, are still competing to get onto the 105," Franklin said this week on the Penn State Coaches Show.

Running back Cam Wallace returns

Wallace, who sustained a season-ending injury last September, returned to the practice field recently for individual drills. Wallace was the team's No. 3 running back before the injury and will compete again for the role this season. Franklin said that Wallace is "in a good position right now."

"With a significant injury like he had, there's a physical component to it, there's a mental component to it and there's an emotional component to it," Franklin told reporters after practice in State College on Wednesday. "... He's right where he should be."

Another running back who has impressed

Since enrolling in January, true freshman Tikey Hayes has made an impact in the backfield. The former Aliquippa star, who rushed for nearly 7,000 yards in four years, jumped quickly into a competitive rotation with the Nittany Lions. He'll be a player to watch in the Blue-White Game, as Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen likely won't do much.

"He’s just very driven, he’s very motivated," Franklin said. "Aliquippa is a hell of a program, and what we've found is, when you can get really good players from really good programs, they're just much further ahead. ... This isn't too big for him."

More young players to watch at the Blue-White Game

Franklin offered a brief list of young players who have stood out this spring and will get longer looks during Saturday's scrimmage. They include a pair of freshmen receivers in Koby Howard, whom quarterback Drew Allar praised, and 6-4, 185-pounder Lyrick Samuel.

Franklin also mentioned defensive tackle Randy Adirika, a 6-3, 298-pound freshman from Miami who plays a position of need, and offensive linemen Owen Aliciene and Michael Troutman III. Franklin recently had conversations with those players to gauge their willingness to concentrate on special teams next season.

The Blue-White Game kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Get all the details here.

Watch Franklin's full media availability courtesy of Blue-White Illustrated.