James Franklin: 'I Don't Think We Ever Had an Experienced Team'
At his post-practice media session Wednesday, Penn State coach James Franklin was asked an interesting question about the identity of his team.
Specifically, what is Penn State? A veteran team? An inexperienced group? Somewhere in the middle?
Penn State returned 17 starters (and 10 more players with starting experience) and 39 letterwinners from its 11-2 team of 2019. But it also returned just eight scholarship players with senior eligibility, leaving it low on leadership experience.
Two of those experienced players, Micah Parsons and Journey Brown, aren't playing, producing a wider gap. As a result, Franklin described the Lions like this.
"Yeah, I don't think we ever had a veteran team," Frankin said. "We only had eight seniors, returning scholarship seniors, in the program. So we never had a veteran team but, but we were talented and we're explosive. And [we] had had a bunch of guys coming back that had played and played significant roles.
"But again, that changed quickly. And I think this year, because of the circumstances and because of COVID and everything that was going on and because it was kind of so common, I think it just was, 'Well, that's kind of how this year is.' Where I think under normal circumstances, you lose those types of players from your program, it's bigger news. But I would have never said that we were a veteran, mature squad.
"But we had a bunch of players returning with game experience. And obviously, some of that changed before the season started. And some of that has changed since the season has started. And it has had an impact. But at the end of the day, this is the circumstance we're in, and guys need to step up. And as coaches, we need to get them ready."
Check out the video above to hear Franklin's full answer.
Penn State hosts Maryland at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Big Ten Network wil televise.
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