James Franklin's 10th Training Camp at Penn State Could Be His Most Fascinating
James Franklin opened his 10th training camp as Penn State's coach with potentially his best roster yet. It's at least his best since 2017, when the Lions came within a one-point loss in Columbus and/or a freak storm in East Lansing from reaching the College Football Playoff. Franklin has his best collection of defensive talent, a generational linebacker in Abdul Carter, the Big Ten freshman of the year in Nicholas Singleton, perhaps the first non-quarterback (tackle Olu Fashanu) selected in the 2024 NFL Draft and his first 5-star quarterback recruit in Drew Allar. It's a talent-rich group that also brings questions to the 2023 season, which begins Sept. 2 against West Virginia. What are those questions? Let's examine a few as the Lions prepare for the season opener on NBC.
Who are the voices?
Franklin made leadership an offseason public discussion point, so it certainly is an internal issue. Quarterback Sean Clifford and safety Jonathan Sutherland were unprecedented four-year captains and guided a council of strong voices that included PJ Mustipher, Juice Scruggs, Ji'Ayir Brown (more on him soon) and Chris Stoll. Those players crossed position groups and locker-room corners to form a unique leadership consortium that led the Lions to 11 wins. But many of Penn State's most intriguing on-field talents were first- or second-year players: Singleton and Kaytron Allen, Carter, offensive lineman Drew Shelton, defensive backs Kalen King and Jaylen Reed and, of course, Allar. The strength of leadership helped ease their transitions. Now, they're the team's top players, which means they also have to carry bigger voices. There are some veterans — notably captain Keaton Ellis, center Hunter Nourzad and defensive tackle DVon Ellies — who are assuming larger roles. The Lions need more.
Avoiding the 'sophomore slump'
Running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider already has addressed this with Singleton and Allen, who combined for nearly 2,000 rushing yards as freshmen and will have defensive coordinators focused squarely on them. Singleton already trained this offseason with the "sophomore slump" in mind.
"Oh yeah, it does stick with me, because I witnessed this with a lot of players when I was young," Singleton, the Big Ten freshman of the year, said this summer. "I've seen a lot of players have that good year, then that next year is their downfall. I'm trying my best not to let that happen. I'm always thinking about it. To not have that year, you have to go attack, go even harder than you did yesterday or the day before."
The concept applies to more players than just Singleton and Allen. Penn State's 2022 freshman class was instrumental in the team's Rose Bowl season and is poised to assume a substantial role on the two-deep. But as Seider warns, "There's a sophomore slump out there too eager to bring you down." A progressing sophomore class is key to Penn State's 2023 success.
How does Penn State replace Ji'Ayir Brown?
This is a multi-faceted question. First, Brown was a ball-hawking safety (he had a hand in 16 turnovers during his career) who expanded his play by thriving in the "prowler" third-down role. Brown owned the defense's identity, both on and off the field. Penn State has multiple players who can perform the on-field role, notably safeties Jaylen Reed and Zakee Wheatley. You'll also likely see defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton in rush packages and even linebacker Abdul Carter lining up on the edge. But the Lions are going to need a committee to replicate Brown.
Catching the ball
The parallel story with Allar's development regards that of his targets. Penn State lost 48 percent of its receptions and 41 percent of its touchdown catches from last year, meaning the pass game will have a fresh look. Which might be good. KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Harrison Wallace III, Dante Cephas, Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren all have breakout potential. But this group might need some time and seasoning, particularly in the first month with conference games against Illinois and Iowa's run-stopping defenses. Allar is a prodigious talent facing a headwind of even bigger expectations. He'll need those tight ends and receivers to smooth the transition from Sean Clifford's backup to Big Ten starter.
Finding the right feet on special teams
Fans often forget about specialists until they see a shanked punt late in the fourth quarter or a missed extra point in overtime. But Franklin spent this offseason bringing in more competition at positions that often get handed down to the next man up. Penn State lost its starting punter and placekicker, so instead of turning over the positions to incumbents, Franklin went to the transfer portal. He brought in punter Riley Thompson, a freshman All-American at Florida Atlantic last season, and senior Alex Felkins, an All-Ivy League kicker at Columbia. Which was telling. Punter Alex Bacchetta and kicker Sander Sahaydak, both scholarship specialists, ultimately might win the starting spots. But they'll have to work for it.
Three players who's time is now
Johnny Dixon: Joey Porter, Jr.'s replacement is a fifth-year player who carved a significant situational role last season and now carries the load opposite Kalen King. Dixon could make a lot of money with a polished season.
Caedan Wallace: Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein says he has coached fewer tackles more athletic than Wallace. Injured for the second half of 2022, Wallace returned for precisely this opportunity. The 6-5, 330-pound right tackle is a budding draft darling if he puts everything together.
Keaton Ellis: The senior safety is a great Penn State story: a home-grown State College native who worked through obstacles, including a position switch from receiver defensive back, to turn himself into a starter. Now, Franklin said, he has to become a playmaker. "This spring I saw that from him. Those skills that he had as a wide receiver in high school, I saw that coming back. I saw him playing fast and making plays."
Three players you'll know by October
Khalil Dinkins: Franklin all but anointed the redshirt sophomore tight end as the team's offensive breakout player. "Khalil could be one of those guys that we're talking about in Game 5 that we're not talking about now," the head coach said.
Harrison Wallace III: The 6-1 receiver played in every game last season, averaging 14.4 yards per catch and making some lively catches. He could be more than a No. 2 for the Lions.
DVon Ellies: A 302-pound redshirt senior, Ellies seeks to turn a terrific spring and offseason program into a breakthrough season at defensive tackle. He's a veteran with a strong voice, similar to PJ Mustipher's, who is putting everything together.
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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
