What We're Hearing About Penn State as Spring Practice Nears the Finish Line

Penn State's five-week spring football race is rolling to a conclusion, as the Nittany Lions press to teach and install as much as they can before heading into summer workouts.

Coach Matt Campbell has defined a series of goals for spring that center primarily on developing consistent practice habits and generating a base of operations for the summer. Still, Campbell and his staff are putting together preliminary lineups as well, with some key roster trends emerging.

Before getting a public look at the Nittany Lions on April 25 at the Blue-White practice event, here's a look at how the team is shaping up.

A heavy Iowa State influence on offense

Iowa State Cyclones' running back Carson Hansen (26) breaks tackles against the Kansas Jayhawks. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Quarterback Rocco Becht isn't the only former Iowa State players with a certain spot in the offense. As many as six former Cyclones will make Penn State's starting lineup for the Sept. 5 opener against Marshall.

Campbell recruited them from Ames for a reason, and the group has assimilated well so far. Campbell said that running back Carson Hansen, who rushed for 950 yards in a split backfield last season, is in the "best shape of his life." Tight end Ben Brahmer is 100 percent this spring and turning heads at practice.

Becht's top receiving targets last season, Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, are practicing more than Campbell expected, a positive sign. And Trevor Buhr has settled in as the starting left guard.

All that experience with the offense and coordinator Taylor Mouser certainly gives Penn State a head start. Conversely, it's also the core group of an offense that finished 11th in the Big 12 in scoring last season.

Some good, some bad on the defensive line

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end LaVar Arrington II runs a drill at football practice in State College. | Mark Wogenrich | Penn State On SI

Campbell raved about the defensive line recently, calling it "uberly impressive," a fun new phrasing. He has reason to be optimistic. The big defensive tackles prized by coordinator D'Anton Lynn have earned praise from practice, notably 320-pound Oklahoma State transfer Armstrong Nnodim.

"The physicality of that group, you’d better be right on every snap or they’re gonna make you pay," Campbell said.

However, defensive end remains a real question. The top two returners, Max Granville and Yvan Kemajou, have been limited and won't get real snaps until training camp. Redshirt junior Mason Robinson, who expected to climb the depth chart after not playing last season, sustained a season-ending injury this spring, as Lions247 first reported.

Campbell praised sophomore LaVar Arrington's development, but he's a first-year edge rusher who weighs 216 pounds. Penn State has a long way to go in developing its defensive ends.

D'Anton Lynn is meticulous and reserved

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After a recent practice, Mouser was asked about the most surprising offensive players of spring practice. He named more than 10.

Given the same opportunity, defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn demurred, saying he hasn't begun the evaluation process yet. Fair enough. Lynn is still re-learning his way around the program, and nearly every player is new to him. He's new to nearly every player as well.

"There's some kids from Penn State, I'm their fourth coordinator," Lynn said. "There's some kids coming from other schools who have been coached by very good coordinators. The kids from Iowa State have been in a very good scheme, so they know a lot of ball, which is going to help speed things up."

One thing Lynn made clear: He plans to build a run-stopping defense. Penn State ranked 11th in the Big Ten against the run last season, so that's an essential priority.

"The Big Ten is really similar to the NFL," said Lynn, who has coached in both. "Every offensive line in the Big Ten has the ability to control the ball, and every single head coach plays complimentary ball. So you have to be able to stop the run.

"You have to be able to affect the quarterback at all times. That's just a big emphasis on what we're trying to get done this spring. ... We don't blitz a lot on third down. We want to see who can rush, who can win [at the line of scrimmage]."

Backup quarterback remains a mystery

Penn State coach Matt Campbell said QB Rocco Becht will be "ready to rock and roll" for the season.

Campbell added that Becht is "way ahead" of his rehab schedule this spring following offseason shoulder surgery.

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The good news at quarterback: Becht is ahead of his rehab schedule and has started throwing in 7-on-7 drills. That's a best-case scenario for Penn State and its starting quarterback.

However, Penn State doesn't know what to expect yet at the QB2 spot. Redshirt freshman Alex Manske has not been with the team this spring as he rehabs from an offseason procedure. Campbell has framed Manske's absence as an opportunity for Penn State's three other new quarterbacks to get reps.

Which has been particularly beneficial for Division III transfer Connor Barry, who is getting an extra helping of practice reps on the field and virtually. And yet, Campbell has been a Manske fan for two years, and not having him this spring represents a blind spot for an offense that needed all hands this spring.

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