Penn State's James Franklin Updates the Nittany Lions' Spring Practice Progress

Franklin discusses Jim Knowles' quiet approach, an offensive lineman taking a step and the Nittany Lion with the most "horsespower."

Penn State football coach James Franklin watches the action during Penn State Pro Day at Holuba Hall. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State entered Week 2 of spring football drills without some veteran players on the offensive line and some new and veteran players catching coach James Franklin's eye elsewhere. As the Nittany Lions plot their course to the Aug. 30 opener against Nevada, here's a look at what's happening with the Penn State football program during spring practice.

Jim Knowles' quiet introduction

Penn State's new defensive coordinator is unlikely to bring the repetitive chatter of a Manny Diaz or Tom Allen to the practice field. Instead, Jim Knowles appears to be more of a watchdog who speaks when necessary.

"Jim, he’s a man of few words," Franklin told reporters in State College at his first post-practice availability of April. "That’s in the staff meetings in the mornings, that's out here on the field. He’s a believer that he’s going to spend a ton of time in the meeting room and taking notes down, kind of like I do, and then make the points he needs to make to the coaches in the meeting rooms.

"We meet in the mornings and go through the film, and he is thorough and he is detailed to the point where I think he’s very, very comfortable on the field letting the coaches coach. But from a big-picture perspective, he sees it all. He’s got a very good understanding of what he wants it to look like and how it’s all supposed to fit together."

Opportunities on the offensive line

Penn State has some reps available at offensive tackle, with starters Anthony Donkoh and Nolan Rucci unavailable. Donkoh isn't expected to practice this spring as he recovers from a late-season injury, and Rucci, his replacement for the postseason, is out as well.

Which means that redshirt sophomore J'Ven Williams is getting a longer look at right tackle opposite Drew Shelton on the left side. Williams is an intriguing player. The 4-star recruit from Wyomissing (Pa.) High spent his freshman season rooming with then-left tackle Olu Fashanu on road trips as the All-American's apparent heir.

He played in five games as a reserve last season, cross-trained at guard and entered this spring with positional flexibility. Franklin said Williams is beginning to put things together, especially as a pass-blocker who played tackle for a high school program that mostly ran the ball.

"It was a little bit of a learning curve, because he went to a high school that maybe threw it five times in his three-year high school career, so the passing game was something we had to work on," Franklin said. "... He knows how to run block, he's great in space, great kid, great attitude and he's got a very, very bright future for us.

"... If [Rucci and Donkoh] were here, [Williams] would be splitting time between tackle and guard and competing for one of those jobs. The way he's going right now, he's going to end up being in competition for that right tackle spot, too."

Auditioning for the No. 3 running back

Since running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen don't need much live work this spring, they're opening opportunities for the No. 3 back to be evaluated. Franklin pointedly noted that Penn State plans to play three running backs next season, with the passing game factoring into that equation.

So for the backs behind Singleton and Allen, this is an important spring. That includes Quinton Martin Jr., Corey Smith, Cam Wallace and true freshman Tikey Hayes.

"We're going to play three running backs; there's a battle for that third running back [spot], " Franklin said. "Last year we had guys [Martin and Smith] we were trying to redshirt if we could. Now those guys have obviously been through that, not only competing to be that third running back but also needing to have a huge impact on special teams. Now, they're competing to be the third back but also competing for a big role on special teams, which they need to [have]."

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Quinton Martin Jr. runs with the ball against the Maryland Terrapins in a 2024 Big Ten game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

A veteran cornerback makes his move

Penn State's position coaches bestow a "competitor of the day" award during winter workouts. This past winter, cornerback Elliot Washington II won the award for his position group through all six workout sessions. Franklin couldn't remember any player posting such a sweep, either at Penn State or Vanderbilt.

Washington, a junior, played a lot of snaps during the regular season, starting against Kent State and finishing with an interception and six pass break-ups. With Jalen Kimber off to the NFL, Washington is positioning himself for a full-time starting role in the defensive backfield.

"Elliot comes to work every single day," Franklin said. "He continues to get better. He’s super explosive, maybe the most explosive guy we have on our team [with] maybe the most horsepower in terms of speed on our team. ... There's a lot of excitement in the building [for Washington], and he's earned it."

Penn State will host the Blue-White Game on April 26 at Beaver Stadium. Start time is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.