Last week when Coach Franklin was telling the media about how there might be a few changes with the way Penn State deals with its freshman class of 2019 and how those freshmen players would only play in four games so they would not lose their freshman eligibility; Coach Franklin said Penn State knows about a couple of members from Penn State's class of 2019 they know they want to redshirt, but they won't end up playing in September during the non-conference schedule, but still will end up playing most likely in the final three games of the regular season and the bowl game.
The reason for the change in approach is because Penn State has identified those players from their performance in preseason practice that they believe are fully capable of playing their freshman year, and they want to hold off playing them in September in case their is an injury among the projected starters on offense and defense where those players are capable of playing.
BWI has been able to identify two of those class of 2019 players that fall into this category. They are OG Saleem Wormley [6-3, 319] and OT Caedan Wallace [6-5, 333]. Normally, freshmen offensive linemen are automatic redshirts their freshman year. That, however, isn't the case with Wallace and Wormley.
Both players, even though they only arrived on Penn State's campus in June, they were two of the most impressive members of Penn State's class of 2019 during the first three weeks of Penn State's preseason practice session. On a regular basis during the third week of preseason practice you could find Wormley and Wallace practicing with the second team offensive line. Wormley at the RG and LG positions and Wallace at the LT and RT positions.
If needed it now appears Penn State's coaching staff believes that if injuries occur among the projected starters on the offensive line sometime during the 2019 season, Wallace and Wormley are fully capable of stepping in and are fully able to do the job. That is an impressive statement about the type of freshmen offensive linemen both Wallace and Wormley are. The only other freshman offensive lineman during the "Franklin Era"at Penn State who I believe was capable of playing his freshman year at Penn State and not redshirting is Rs.Fr. LT Rasheed Walker [6-6, 324], who is projected to start this fall at the LT position on the offensive line.
Now here is my 2-deep projection on offense and defense following Penn State's first game week day [Wednesday, August 21] preparation for the opening game against Idaho on Saturday, August 31.
Offense
QB--Sean Clifford/Will Levis
RB--Ricky Slade/Journey Brown OR Noah Cain
X-WR--Justin Shorter/Daniel George
Z-WR--Jahan Dotson/Daniel George
Slot-WR--K.J. Hamler/Mac Hippenhammer OR Jahan Dotson
TE-H-back--Pat Freiermuth/Nick Bowers
LT--Rasheed Walker/ Desmond Holmes
LG--Steven Gonzalez [if healthy]/Michael Miranda
C---Michal Menet/Hunter Kelly OR Michael Miranda
RG--C.J. Thorpe/Michael Miranda
RT--Will Fries/Desmond Holmes
Defense
DE--Yetur Gross-Matos/Shane Simmons or Daniel Joseph
DT--Antonio Shelton/P.J. Mustipher
DT--Robert Windsor/Fred Hansard OR Damion Barber
DE---Shaka Toney/Jayson Oweh/Adisa Isaac
Sam OLB--Cameron Brown/Charlie Katshir OR Lance Dixon
MLB--Jan Johnson/Ellis Brooks/ Jesse Luketa
Will--OLB--Micah Parsons/ Jesse Luketa/Brandon Smith
Field CB--John Reid/ Donovan Johnson OR Keaton Ellis
Field safety-- Lamont Wade/Jaquan Brisker
Boundary safety-- Garrett Taylor/Jonathan Sutherland
Boundary CB-- Tariq Casto-Fields/Keaton Ellis or Trent Green
NB--Donovan Johnson OR John Reid OR Keaton Ellis
One thing to be aware of at the Sam OLB position. Cameron Brown is suspended for the first half of the opening game against Idaho because of a targeting call against him in the second half of the Citrus Bowl against Kentucky. There is some speculation that Parsons will be moved to the Sam OLB position for the first half of the game against Idaho and that Jesse Luketa [6-3, 247] will start at the Will OLB position against the Vandals of Idaho.
That would make freshman Will OLB Brandon Smith [6-4, 240] the No. 1 backup to Luketa at the Will OLB position at the start of the game against Idaho and place Charlie Katshir OR Lance Dixon as the backup to Parsons at the Sam OLB in the first half against the Vandals.
One other note, Virginia Tech transfer Rs.So. PK Jordan Stout [6-3, 205] has won the kickoff job. He's having a tremendous preseason practice session with 90-percent of his kickoffs being touchbacks during preseason practice.
The reason for the change in approach is because Penn State has identified those players from their performance in preseason practice that they believe are fully capable of playing their freshman year, and they want to hold off playing them in September in case their is an injury among the projected starters on offense and defense where those players are capable of playing.
BWI has been able to identify two of those class of 2019 players that fall into this category. They are OG Saleem Wormley [6-3, 319] and OT Caedan Wallace [6-5, 333]. Normally, freshmen offensive linemen are automatic redshirts their freshman year. That, however, isn't the case with Wallace and Wormley.
Both players, even though they only arrived on Penn State's campus in June, they were two of the most impressive members of Penn State's class of 2019 during the first three weeks of Penn State's preseason practice session. On a regular basis during the third week of preseason practice you could find Wormley and Wallace practicing with the second team offensive line. Wormley at the RG and LG positions and Wallace at the LT and RT positions.
If needed it now appears Penn State's coaching staff believes that if injuries occur among the projected starters on the offensive line sometime during the 2019 season, Wallace and Wormley are fully capable of stepping in and are fully able to do the job. That is an impressive statement about the type of freshmen offensive linemen both Wallace and Wormley are. The only other freshman offensive lineman during the "Franklin Era"at Penn State who I believe was capable of playing his freshman year at Penn State and not redshirting is Rs.Fr. LT Rasheed Walker [6-6, 324], who is projected to start this fall at the LT position on the offensive line.
Now here is my 2-deep projection on offense and defense following Penn State's first game week day [Wednesday, August 21] preparation for the opening game against Idaho on Saturday, August 31.
Offense
QB--Sean Clifford/Will Levis
RB--Ricky Slade/Journey Brown OR Noah Cain
X-WR--Justin Shorter/Daniel George
Z-WR--Jahan Dotson/Daniel George
Slot-WR--K.J. Hamler/Mac Hippenhammer OR Jahan Dotson
TE-H-back--Pat Freiermuth/Nick Bowers
LT--Rasheed Walker/ Desmond Holmes
LG--Steven Gonzalez [if healthy]/Michael Miranda
C---Michal Menet/Hunter Kelly OR Michael Miranda
RG--C.J. Thorpe/Michael Miranda
RT--Will Fries/Desmond Holmes
Defense
DE--Yetur Gross-Matos/Shane Simmons or Daniel Joseph
DT--Antonio Shelton/P.J. Mustipher
DT--Robert Windsor/Fred Hansard OR Damion Barber
DE---Shaka Toney/Jayson Oweh/Adisa Isaac
Sam OLB--Cameron Brown/Charlie Katshir OR Lance Dixon
MLB--Jan Johnson/Ellis Brooks/ Jesse Luketa
Will--OLB--Micah Parsons/ Jesse Luketa/Brandon Smith
Field CB--John Reid/ Donovan Johnson OR Keaton Ellis
Field safety-- Lamont Wade/Jaquan Brisker
Boundary safety-- Garrett Taylor/Jonathan Sutherland
Boundary CB-- Tariq Casto-Fields/Keaton Ellis or Trent Green
NB--Donovan Johnson OR John Reid OR Keaton Ellis
One thing to be aware of at the Sam OLB position. Cameron Brown is suspended for the first half of the opening game against Idaho because of a targeting call against him in the second half of the Citrus Bowl against Kentucky. There is some speculation that Parsons will be moved to the Sam OLB position for the first half of the game against Idaho and that Jesse Luketa [6-3, 247] will start at the Will OLB position against the Vandals of Idaho.
That would make freshman Will OLB Brandon Smith [6-4, 240] the No. 1 backup to Luketa at the Will OLB position at the start of the game against Idaho and place Charlie Katshir OR Lance Dixon as the backup to Parsons at the Sam OLB in the first half against the Vandals.
One other note, Virginia Tech transfer Rs.So. PK Jordan Stout [6-3, 205] has won the kickoff job. He's having a tremendous preseason practice session with 90-percent of his kickoffs being touchbacks during preseason practice.
