I definitely agree with you guys but there have been some people that I've discussed this with recently, that have said Hali's better...
Brown was a freakish unblockable man child!
2017 Preseason Practice Articles/Discussion
- Thread starter Judge Smails
- Start date
Brown was a freakish unblockable man child!
Penn State Football: Meet Saquon Barkley, Wide Receiver
by Mike Poorman on August 25, 2017 11:00 PM
Saquon Barkley (26) in Penn State's Big Ten championship game victory over Wisconsin December 2016. Photo by Paul Burdick, StateCollege.com
There's a catch to getting running back Saquon Barkley the ball in open space more often in 2017.
Throw it to him.
All over the field.
Says who? Says Saquon.
"That idea came to my head when Coach (James) Franklin challenged me to try to become a better receiver, a better player overall," Barkley said at the start of summer drills.
"I feel that, and Coach Franklin will agree, that I'm capable of being lined up in the slot, being able to run routes. I did a lot of one-on-one reps this summer with the defense, against DBs and linebackers and working those guys and working out with Hammy (DaeSean Hamilton) and trying to really fix my routes to become more of a threat in the offense.
"I do feel like I'm capable to do a lot with the ball in my hand in space, and I just want to continue to grow in that area."
A GOOD RECEPTION IN 2016
Not that the Nittany Lions were too shabby in getting Barkley the ball through the air in 2016.
He had 28 receptions for 402 yards for Penn State last year, the most receiving yards by a PSU RB in a single season. As a receiver, especially on wheel routes, he was Breakout Barkley, with receptions of 16, 17, 17, 18, 19, 19, 21, 30, 32, 37, 40 and 44 yards.
Barkley's 14.4 yards per catch was right up there with Hamilton (14.9) and Mike Gesicki (14.1), and not too far from Chris Godwin (16.6). And it was huge jump ahead of the 8.1-yard average Barkley had as a freshman in 2015, on 20 receptions.
Charting Barkley's receptions in 2016 showed a very consistent pattern:
-- Nearly every one of his catches came after he lined up in the backfield.
-- Nineteen of his 28 grabs came in the second quarter (8 for 83 yards) and third quarter (11-155, 3 TDs). In fact, over the final four games of last season (Rutgers, Michigan State, Wisconsin, USC), Barkley did not have a single reception in the first or fourth quarter — 120 minutes of the Penn State passing game sans Saquon.
-- An overwhelming number of his receptions came on first down (13 for 170 yards) and second down (12 for 205). That's 89% of his total receptions. In 14 games, he had only three catches on third down.
Let's not forget the first and best use of Barkley is carrying the ball. Last season, he averaged 5.5 rushing yards on 272 carries, for 1,496 yards, with 18 TDs. Still, it takes almost three Barkley runs to equal one Barkley catch and run. With his 4.28 speed, he is big on YAC'ing — yards after the catch. So throwing to him is certainly not yucky.
WHAT JAMES AND JOEMO SAY
In 2017, Franklin plans to turn Barkley every which way, including loose.
"We're going to use Saquon in every way we possibly can to give our team the best chance to be successful, short term and long term," the head coach said. "That's obviously running the ball. That's getting him more involved in the passing game because everyone is going to be focused on not allowing Saquon Barkley to beat them as a runner. And then also in special teams as well."
For offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, the Nittany Lion offense is always about finding mismatches and flaws in the defense. Then exploiting them. Barkley as a wide receiver or in the slot could — OK, will — complicate things for opposing defenses, which will have to also contend with Barkley's fellow football freaks Gesicki and Juwan Johnson.
Gesicki is a preseason All-American selection as a 6-foot-6, 257-pound tight end who had 48 catches for 679 yards in 2016. And Johnson, the talk of the off-season as an emerging wide receiver, is nearly as chiseled as Barkley. Scary, huh?
"Juwan is a combination of a couple of things," quarterback Trace McSorley said on Wednesday. "His size and his speed are tough for defensive backs to handle. He's 6-4, 6-5 and 220, 230 pounds. He's able to run a 4.4. And with his vertical leap and his length, he's a problem for defensive backs."
Which explains why a clean-shaven Moorhead is grinning.
"Running backs coach Charles Huff does an awesome job with Saquon," said Moorhead, "and as we go through the game-planning process, whether it's Saquon out of the backfield or lined up in the slot sometimes, it's just a matter of -- one of the other things we talk about in the pass game, aside from stretching defenses horizontally or vertically, he's creating mismatches by number or personnel.
"That's part of the thing with the balls that we throw downfield, including the ones with Saquon. It's part of the process of where can we get him matched up on the person who can't defend him, like some of the other guys... So if we find a match-up we feel we can exploit, whether it's Saquon or someone else, we're going to give him an opportunity to go out and make a play."
HE'S JOSHING
Wide receivers coach Josh Gattis has a fleet of wide receivers who have the potential to be fast and furious, as well as crafty and savvy a la Hamilton, who is just 19 catches from breaking Penn State's all-time receiving record of 179, set by Deon Butler.
Gattis knows receivers. As a safety at Wake Forest he was twice All-ACC, and he played two seasons with the Chicago Bears. As a coach, he mentored Jordan White at Western Michigan (who had an NCAA record 140 catches in 2011) and two-time All-American Jordan Matthews, who finished his career at Vanderbilt as the SEC's career leader in receptions (262).
Gattis can't help but drool a bit over Barkley's potential if he is split wide. He sees Barkley come out early, before practice starts, with some of the other running backs to join the wide receivers in ball drills. And the coach often sees Barkley grabbing one short-range missile after another from the JUGS passing machine inside Lasch Building.
"Saquon has great ball skills," Gattis said on Wednesday. "Last year, he had close to 30 catches and he never dropped the ball. He's got soft hands. He's a really good route runner. Obviously, he's blessed with tremendous speed. If the defense sees him split out, they have to ask themselves, 'Who's going to guard him?' We have so many weapons on the field that no one can just isolate their best cover guy on any of our weapons. We have talent on the outside, talent on the inside, talent at tight end.
"Saquon is a complete running back. He can catch the ball from out of the backfield, he can score from in-between the tackles, he can pass protect. He's one of the more special — if not the most special — player I've ever been around."
Veteran Nittany Lion cornerback Christian Campbell shudders at the prospect of covering Saquon The Split End.
"I haven't gone up against him," said Campbell, smiling, "but I'm pretty sure he's good. He's a freak athlete."
by Mike Poorman on August 25, 2017 11:00 PM
Saquon Barkley (26) in Penn State's Big Ten championship game victory over Wisconsin December 2016. Photo by Paul Burdick, StateCollege.com
There's a catch to getting running back Saquon Barkley the ball in open space more often in 2017.
Throw it to him.
All over the field.
Says who? Says Saquon.
"That idea came to my head when Coach (James) Franklin challenged me to try to become a better receiver, a better player overall," Barkley said at the start of summer drills.
"I feel that, and Coach Franklin will agree, that I'm capable of being lined up in the slot, being able to run routes. I did a lot of one-on-one reps this summer with the defense, against DBs and linebackers and working those guys and working out with Hammy (DaeSean Hamilton) and trying to really fix my routes to become more of a threat in the offense.
"I do feel like I'm capable to do a lot with the ball in my hand in space, and I just want to continue to grow in that area."
A GOOD RECEPTION IN 2016
Not that the Nittany Lions were too shabby in getting Barkley the ball through the air in 2016.
He had 28 receptions for 402 yards for Penn State last year, the most receiving yards by a PSU RB in a single season. As a receiver, especially on wheel routes, he was Breakout Barkley, with receptions of 16, 17, 17, 18, 19, 19, 21, 30, 32, 37, 40 and 44 yards.
Barkley's 14.4 yards per catch was right up there with Hamilton (14.9) and Mike Gesicki (14.1), and not too far from Chris Godwin (16.6). And it was huge jump ahead of the 8.1-yard average Barkley had as a freshman in 2015, on 20 receptions.
Charting Barkley's receptions in 2016 showed a very consistent pattern:
-- Nearly every one of his catches came after he lined up in the backfield.
-- Nineteen of his 28 grabs came in the second quarter (8 for 83 yards) and third quarter (11-155, 3 TDs). In fact, over the final four games of last season (Rutgers, Michigan State, Wisconsin, USC), Barkley did not have a single reception in the first or fourth quarter — 120 minutes of the Penn State passing game sans Saquon.
-- An overwhelming number of his receptions came on first down (13 for 170 yards) and second down (12 for 205). That's 89% of his total receptions. In 14 games, he had only three catches on third down.
Let's not forget the first and best use of Barkley is carrying the ball. Last season, he averaged 5.5 rushing yards on 272 carries, for 1,496 yards, with 18 TDs. Still, it takes almost three Barkley runs to equal one Barkley catch and run. With his 4.28 speed, he is big on YAC'ing — yards after the catch. So throwing to him is certainly not yucky.
WHAT JAMES AND JOEMO SAY
In 2017, Franklin plans to turn Barkley every which way, including loose.
"We're going to use Saquon in every way we possibly can to give our team the best chance to be successful, short term and long term," the head coach said. "That's obviously running the ball. That's getting him more involved in the passing game because everyone is going to be focused on not allowing Saquon Barkley to beat them as a runner. And then also in special teams as well."
For offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, the Nittany Lion offense is always about finding mismatches and flaws in the defense. Then exploiting them. Barkley as a wide receiver or in the slot could — OK, will — complicate things for opposing defenses, which will have to also contend with Barkley's fellow football freaks Gesicki and Juwan Johnson.
Gesicki is a preseason All-American selection as a 6-foot-6, 257-pound tight end who had 48 catches for 679 yards in 2016. And Johnson, the talk of the off-season as an emerging wide receiver, is nearly as chiseled as Barkley. Scary, huh?
"Juwan is a combination of a couple of things," quarterback Trace McSorley said on Wednesday. "His size and his speed are tough for defensive backs to handle. He's 6-4, 6-5 and 220, 230 pounds. He's able to run a 4.4. And with his vertical leap and his length, he's a problem for defensive backs."
Which explains why a clean-shaven Moorhead is grinning.
"Running backs coach Charles Huff does an awesome job with Saquon," said Moorhead, "and as we go through the game-planning process, whether it's Saquon out of the backfield or lined up in the slot sometimes, it's just a matter of -- one of the other things we talk about in the pass game, aside from stretching defenses horizontally or vertically, he's creating mismatches by number or personnel.
"That's part of the thing with the balls that we throw downfield, including the ones with Saquon. It's part of the process of where can we get him matched up on the person who can't defend him, like some of the other guys... So if we find a match-up we feel we can exploit, whether it's Saquon or someone else, we're going to give him an opportunity to go out and make a play."
HE'S JOSHING
Wide receivers coach Josh Gattis has a fleet of wide receivers who have the potential to be fast and furious, as well as crafty and savvy a la Hamilton, who is just 19 catches from breaking Penn State's all-time receiving record of 179, set by Deon Butler.
Gattis knows receivers. As a safety at Wake Forest he was twice All-ACC, and he played two seasons with the Chicago Bears. As a coach, he mentored Jordan White at Western Michigan (who had an NCAA record 140 catches in 2011) and two-time All-American Jordan Matthews, who finished his career at Vanderbilt as the SEC's career leader in receptions (262).
Gattis can't help but drool a bit over Barkley's potential if he is split wide. He sees Barkley come out early, before practice starts, with some of the other running backs to join the wide receivers in ball drills. And the coach often sees Barkley grabbing one short-range missile after another from the JUGS passing machine inside Lasch Building.
"Saquon has great ball skills," Gattis said on Wednesday. "Last year, he had close to 30 catches and he never dropped the ball. He's got soft hands. He's a really good route runner. Obviously, he's blessed with tremendous speed. If the defense sees him split out, they have to ask themselves, 'Who's going to guard him?' We have so many weapons on the field that no one can just isolate their best cover guy on any of our weapons. We have talent on the outside, talent on the inside, talent at tight end.
"Saquon is a complete running back. He can catch the ball from out of the backfield, he can score from in-between the tackles, he can pass protect. He's one of the more special — if not the most special — player I've ever been around."
Veteran Nittany Lion cornerback Christian Campbell shudders at the prospect of covering Saquon The Split End.
"I haven't gone up against him," said Campbell, smiling, "but I'm pretty sure he's good. He's a freak athlete."
I'm sure Brent Pry would appreciate it too!
Last edited:
Next year at this time, when Cothren, Cothran, and Chavis are trying to make NFL rosters, Shelton, Bolds, and Hansard, among others, will be fighting for position on the DT depth chart.....
Rudel is a great guy. We were fraternity brothers. We still keep in touch.
Sorry, I think Rudel is a piece of crap. He tried to make a name for himself by being a contrarian viz a vis Paterno. That was annoying but not a big deal. But when the Sandusky mess hit the fan, he did nothing to reel in Geiger when it came to slams on Paterno. He knew Paterno for years and he knew the false narrative was pure B.S. but he just let it go. He's a despicable person IMHO.
Yeah, I got nothing good to say about Rudel. He was an opportunist when the shit hit the fan. Just another gutless wonder happy to throw dear old State under the bus.
Ummmmm...Brandon Polk was touchdown king of preseason camp. We already knew about Taylor.
These players aren't even projected starters. The depth on this team is incredible......
These players aren't even projected starters. The depth on this team is incredible......
So what is your guess for the first punt returner we run out there?
I'll go with DeAndre Thompkins.
I'll go with DeAndre Thompkins.
That would be 1a for me. I just wonder if JF would trust him right off the bat when he's never done it in a game.
I haven't read that Sanders was getting any practice reps at PR.
Mark Allen had 5 punt returns in 2015. He had some drop issues though.
Nonetheless, he'd still be my preference due to his ability to make the 1st man miss. I'd expect two extra years of practice will help him tremendously in securing the ball.
I didn't remember that. I know JF likes him a lot (graduated in 3 years, great attitude) and would probably like him to have a role. So then he would be my guess as well.
Penn State Football: Meet Saquon Barkley, Wide Receiver
by Mike Poorman on August 25, 2017 11:00 PM
Saquon Barkley (26) in Penn State's Big Ten championship game victory over Wisconsin December 2016. Photo by Paul Burdick, StateCollege.com
There's a catch to getting running back Saquon Barkley the ball in open space more often in 2017.
Throw it to him.
All over the field.
Says who? Says Saquon.
"That idea came to my head when Coach (James) Franklin challenged me to try to become a better receiver, a better player overall," Barkley said at the start of summer drills.
"I feel that, and Coach Franklin will agree, that I'm capable of being lined up in the slot, being able to run routes. I did a lot of one-on-one reps this summer with the defense, against DBs and linebackers and working those guys and working out with Hammy (DaeSean Hamilton) and trying to really fix my routes to become more of a threat in the offense.
"I do feel like I'm capable to do a lot with the ball in my hand in space, and I just want to continue to grow in that area."
A GOOD RECEPTION IN 2016
Not that the Nittany Lions were too shabby in getting Barkley the ball through the air in 2016.
He had 28 receptions for 402 yards for Penn State last year, the most receiving yards by a PSU RB in a single season. As a receiver, especially on wheel routes, he was Breakout Barkley, with receptions of 16, 17, 17, 18, 19, 19, 21, 30, 32, 37, 40 and 44 yards.
Barkley's 14.4 yards per catch was right up there with Hamilton (14.9) and Mike Gesicki (14.1), and not too far from Chris Godwin (16.6). And it was huge jump ahead of the 8.1-yard average Barkley had as a freshman in 2015, on 20 receptions.
Charting Barkley's receptions in 2016 showed a very consistent pattern:
-- Nearly every one of his catches came after he lined up in the backfield.
-- Nineteen of his 28 grabs came in the second quarter (8 for 83 yards) and third quarter (11-155, 3 TDs). In fact, over the final four games of last season (Rutgers, Michigan State, Wisconsin, USC), Barkley did not have a single reception in the first or fourth quarter — 120 minutes of the Penn State passing game sans Saquon.
-- An overwhelming number of his receptions came on first down (13 for 170 yards) and second down (12 for 205). That's 89% of his total receptions. In 14 games, he had only three catches on third down.
Let's not forget the first and best use of Barkley is carrying the ball. Last season, he averaged 5.5 rushing yards on 272 carries, for 1,496 yards, with 18 TDs. Still, it takes almost three Barkley runs to equal one Barkley catch and run. With his 4.28 speed, he is big on YAC'ing — yards after the catch. So throwing to him is certainly not yucky.
WHAT JAMES AND JOEMO SAY
In 2017, Franklin plans to turn Barkley every which way, including loose.
"We're going to use Saquon in every way we possibly can to give our team the best chance to be successful, short term and long term," the head coach said. "That's obviously running the ball. That's getting him more involved in the passing game because everyone is going to be focused on not allowing Saquon Barkley to beat them as a runner. And then also in special teams as well."
For offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, the Nittany Lion offense is always about finding mismatches and flaws in the defense. Then exploiting them. Barkley as a wide receiver or in the slot could — OK, will — complicate things for opposing defenses, which will have to also contend with Barkley's fellow football freaks Gesicki and Juwan Johnson.
Gesicki is a preseason All-American selection as a 6-foot-6, 257-pound tight end who had 48 catches for 679 yards in 2016. And Johnson, the talk of the off-season as an emerging wide receiver, is nearly as chiseled as Barkley. Scary, huh?
"Juwan is a combination of a couple of things," quarterback Trace McSorley said on Wednesday. "His size and his speed are tough for defensive backs to handle. He's 6-4, 6-5 and 220, 230 pounds. He's able to run a 4.4. And with his vertical leap and his length, he's a problem for defensive backs."
Which explains why a clean-shaven Moorhead is grinning.
"Running backs coach Charles Huff does an awesome job with Saquon," said Moorhead, "and as we go through the game-planning process, whether it's Saquon out of the backfield or lined up in the slot sometimes, it's just a matter of -- one of the other things we talk about in the pass game, aside from stretching defenses horizontally or vertically, he's creating mismatches by number or personnel.
"That's part of the thing with the balls that we throw downfield, including the ones with Saquon. It's part of the process of where can we get him matched up on the person who can't defend him, like some of the other guys... So if we find a match-up we feel we can exploit, whether it's Saquon or someone else, we're going to give him an opportunity to go out and make a play."
HE'S JOSHING
Wide receivers coach Josh Gattis has a fleet of wide receivers who have the potential to be fast and furious, as well as crafty and savvy a la Hamilton, who is just 19 catches from breaking Penn State's all-time receiving record of 179, set by Deon Butler.
Gattis knows receivers. As a safety at Wake Forest he was twice All-ACC, and he played two seasons with the Chicago Bears. As a coach, he mentored Jordan White at Western Michigan (who had an NCAA record 140 catches in 2011) and two-time All-American Jordan Matthews, who finished his career at Vanderbilt as the SEC's career leader in receptions (262).
Gattis can't help but drool a bit over Barkley's potential if he is split wide. He sees Barkley come out early, before practice starts, with some of the other running backs to join the wide receivers in ball drills. And the coach often sees Barkley grabbing one short-range missile after another from the JUGS passing machine inside Lasch Building.
"Saquon has great ball skills," Gattis said on Wednesday. "Last year, he had close to 30 catches and he never dropped the ball. He's got soft hands. He's a really good route runner. Obviously, he's blessed with tremendous speed. If the defense sees him split out, they have to ask themselves, 'Who's going to guard him?' We have so many weapons on the field that no one can just isolate their best cover guy on any of our weapons. We have talent on the outside, talent on the inside, talent at tight end.
"Saquon is a complete running back. He can catch the ball from out of the backfield, he can score from in-between the tackles, he can pass protect. He's one of the more special — if not the most special — player I've ever been around."
Veteran Nittany Lion cornerback Christian Campbell shudders at the prospect of covering Saquon The Split End.
"I haven't gone up against him," said Campbell, smiling, "but I'm pretty sure he's good. He's a freak athlete."
Am I losing my mind? this says "in fact, over the final four games of last season (Rutgers, Michigan State, Wisconsin, USC), Barkley did not have a single reception in the first or fourth quarter — 120 minutes of the Penn State passing game sans Saquon."
Was the game winning TD catch vs Wisconsin not in the 4th quarter? i swear i have watched that game 20+ times... and that catch was in the 4th quarter every single time.
MFer
Big Ten spotlight: Farrell's title pick, bold predictions
Mike Farrell | Recruiting Director
Big Ten East Champion: Ohio State. Since I’m picking Ohio State to win the national title, of course I have them winning the division. I’m all in on J.T. Barrett’s improvement under Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day and the emergence of playmakers at wide receiver. The defense will be one of the best in the country even with some unproven talent in the secondary.
Big Ten Champion: Ohio State. The Buckeyes are too athletic and deep for the Badgers, but this could be a physical and tough game regardless.
Biggest Disappointment: Penn State. This won’t go over well with the #WeAre folks, but the pressure is on and coming off 11 wins and a Big Ten title, similar heights will be expected. I’m not saying Penn State will slide like Michigan State did, but I can see an eight- or nine-win season and falling short of division title goals. The schedule isn’t easy with Pitt, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan, Ohio State and Nebraska as challenges and everyone will be gunning for the Nittany Lions this year. The question is, does missing out on a division title qualify as the biggest disappointment in the conference? Based on expectations, it does.
Big Ten spotlight: Farrell's title pick, bold predictions
Mike Farrell | Recruiting Director
Big Ten East Champion: Ohio State. Since I’m picking Ohio State to win the national title, of course I have them winning the division. I’m all in on J.T. Barrett’s improvement under Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day and the emergence of playmakers at wide receiver. The defense will be one of the best in the country even with some unproven talent in the secondary.
Big Ten Champion: Ohio State. The Buckeyes are too athletic and deep for the Badgers, but this could be a physical and tough game regardless.
Biggest Disappointment: Penn State. This won’t go over well with the #WeAre folks, but the pressure is on and coming off 11 wins and a Big Ten title, similar heights will be expected. I’m not saying Penn State will slide like Michigan State did, but I can see an eight- or nine-win season and falling short of division title goals. The schedule isn’t easy with Pitt, Iowa, Northwestern, Michigan, Ohio State and Nebraska as challenges and everyone will be gunning for the Nittany Lions this year. The question is, does missing out on a division title qualify as the biggest disappointment in the conference? Based on expectations, it does.
I keep reading this over and over and over as a reason why this season will be so tough.
Practically NO ONE is picking us to win the division. So how is everyone "gunning for us" if they don't think we're the best team?
While I am hoping for 10 or 11 regular season wins (yes, I know some are predicting 12), I would not consider 9-3 with a bowl victory a disappointment. 10-3 likely means a top 10 finish. There are many things beyond a team and coaches control in football, injuries being the biggest. Okay, here we go!
This may be playing with semantics, but although I'd be disappointed (for the team) if they lost three games, I wouldn't consider a 10-3 season a disappointment. The only thing that would qualify as such for me is if there were 4-5 losses with 2-3 of them being blowouts, and I don't expect to see that happen.
It is a tough conference schedule; that much seems true. PSU will likely be the underdog in Columbus, but favored otherwise. It wouldn't be the first time that Mike Farrell has been wrong.
Yeah, but one thing to remember is that if OSU beats PSU in Columbus, then for us to get to Indianapolis, Ohio State is going to have to lose two other B1G games. That's just not going to happen.
