Freshmen To Watch This Season

[lazydave841]

Two Penn State players make On3's list of freshmen who could have an impact this fall

Penn State had a strong recruiting class last year, and now two of those up-and-coming players have earned praise from On3's Matt Zenitz.

www.on3.com

Rojas and Mack.

Also, RB Cameron Wallace impressive since his May arrival. College ready body.

 

[Online Persona]

Two Penn State players make On3's list of freshmen who could have an impact this fall

Penn State had a strong recruiting class last year, and now two of those up-and-coming players have earned praise from On3's Matt Zenitz.

www.on3.com

Rojas and Mack.

Also, RB Cameron Wallace impressive since his May arrival. College ready body.

Was a great recruiting class but definitely not the same instant impact opportunity that we saw last year. We just don't have major gaps in the roster this season. These guys may be future 1st rounders but may have a tough time showing much of it as freshmen.

 

[BBG65]

Two Penn State players make On3's list of freshmen who could have an impact this fall

Penn State had a strong recruiting class last year, and now two of those up-and-coming players have earned praise from On3's Matt Zenitz.

www.on3.com

Rojas and Mack.

Also, RB Cameron Wallace impressive since his May arrival. College ready body.

If Wallace sees much playing time, that isn't good because it means injuries to the 3 guys ahead of him.

 

[royboy]

If Wallace sees much playing time, that isn't good because it means injuries to the 3 guys ahead of him.

Assume you're putting Potts, the transfer from Minnesota, as the likely 3rd back?

Is he expected to get some solid minutes or not unless there are injury issues with Singleton and K. Allen?

 

[GregInPitt]

If Wallace sees much playing time, that isn't good because it means injuries to the 3 guys ahead of him.

The article mentioned Wallace as as being a pleasant surprise. It didn't say he had a farts chance in a wind storm of moving up past 4th on the depth chart, not that you were implying that at all. Just that he seems more physically ready to play than what might be expected.

Seems to me that it would take dramatic injuries for Wallace to play more than a few carries here and there in garbage time, as you implied. Short of two of Singleton, Allen and Potts getting multi game injuries Wallace's path to burning his redshirt seems to be his being a KO returner too good not to use. i.e. on a par with what Singleton brings as a KO returner, but with the staff wanting to not risk injury for Singleton.

The staff brought Potts in to play a role and with Potts being a physically mature RB that has proven himself in the B10 against the top teams in the B10 it seems pretty likely that the staff will carve out a reasonable role for him which seems to be stop sign for any freshman RB burning their redshirt as a RB.

 

[voltz99]

The article mentioned Wallace as as being a pleasant surprise. It didn't say he had a farts chance in a wind storm of moving up past 4th on the depth chart, not that you were implying that at all. Just that he seems more physically ready to play than what might be expected.

Seems to me that it would take dramatic injuries for Wallace to play more than a few carries here and there in garbage time, as you implied. Short of two of Singleton, Allen and Potts getting multi game injuries Wallace's path to burning his redshirt seems to be his being a KO returner too good not to use. i.e. on a par with what Singleton brings as a KO returner, but with the staff wanting to not risk injury for Singleton.

The staff brought Potts in to play a role and with Potts being a physically mature RB that has proven himself in the B10 against the top teams in the B10 it seems pretty likely that the staff will carve out a reasonable role for him which seems to be stop sign for any freshman RB burning their redshirt as a RB.

Dramatic injuries = ONE injury and he is third string. That is in a sport with tons of injuries at a position that probably has the MOST injuries.


1n 2012 Zwinak start the season as 5th string. By week 4 he was the starting RB after the first four were INJURED.

Potts also has a history of injuries.

 

[lazydave841]

If Wallace sees much playing time, that isn't good because it means injuries to the 3 guys ahead of him.

Wallace's path to burning his redshirt seems to be his being a KO returner

I think he's safely in the "plays 4 games" window unless he's an electric return guy that you can't keep off the field.

 

[voltz99]

I think he's safely in the "plays 4 games" window unless he's an electric return guy that you can't keep off the field.

So you think he is redshirting unless he really good and does not redshirt?????

 

[lazydave841]

So you think he is redshirting unless he really good and does not redshirt?????

Not every redshirt is going to play in the 4 games. We only have 2 where the walk ons are near guaranteed snaps. Go back and search the articles. The RS has phases as well now. Notice some play just 1 or 2 games.

When you play your games matters as well. If Wallace plays vs WVU, that's possibly a sign that he might not RS at all.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Thought that one or two of the freshman o line had a good possibility of seeing serious game time?

 

[GregInPitt]

Dramatic injuries = ONE injury and he is third string. That is in a sport with tons of injuries at a position that probably has the MOST injuries.


1n 2012 Zwinak start the season as 5th string. By week 4 he was the starting RB after the first four were INJURED.

Potts also has a history of injuries.

Yep, but we have seen many times that Franklin has played only 2 RB's in many games. We have also seen that even though there was a need for a true freshman to play less than 4 games due to the injuries of those ahead on the depth chart that Franklin will still try and preserve a players redshirt. So unless there were less than 2 of Singleton, Allen and Potts availble for more than 4 games I believe Franklin will still try and redshirt Wallace.

Call it "dramatic" or whatever, but unless Wallace can carve out a significant role on special teams Franklin will more than likely do what he has in the past and try and redshirt him.

 

[bdgan]

1n 2012 Zwinak start the season as 5th string. By week 4 he was the starting RB after the first four were INJURED.

I thought he was a solid RB but he had too many fumbles and O'Brien had no patience for that.

 

[voltz99]

I thought he was a solid RB but he had too many fumbles and O'Brien had no patience for that.

He finished the season as the leading rusher.

 

[The Spin Meister]

He finished the season as the leading rusher.

Didn’t he also have a hairline fracture in the wrist or arm?

 

[voltz99]

Didn’t he also have a hairline fracture in the wrist or arm?

I dont remember. I looked up his stats. I think he was hurt in 2014. Not many carries.

 

[voltz99]

I thought he was a solid RB but he had too many fumbles and O'Brien had no patience for that.

Did you prefer whoever was getting the carries vs Ohio Bobcats(loss) and derrick Day vs Virginia? Day had 20 carries for 40 yards in that loss.


The problem with Zwinak was he was a FB as our #1 RB. He should not have been getting that many carries but we did not have many options. Belton was a converted WR. Zordich was a converted LB. Day was a walk on and Curtis Dukes. We started winning when Zwinak got the carries. He was a warrior but he was not running away from anyone or making anyone miss.


I love a player like Zwinak. I am not looking to bring back the Power I or 2 RB set but I would love to see ONE FB on the roster.

JF uses the TE as an HB. How about we find a FB who can catch? James Connor was one of the best FBs and nobody really wanted him as a RB. Teams were recruiting him as DE. FBs get overlooked.


Our 3rd and 4th RBs can have the carries that Clifford and Tank Smith used to get.

 

[lazydave841]

Thought that one or two of the freshman o line had a good possibility of seeing serious game time?

Five true freshmen who could make immediate impact for Penn State football in 2023

Penn State is well-positioned for the future with its new freshman class.

www.psucollegian.com

This one mentions Williams. He or Birch seem to have similar chance IMO.

Threw out Taylor. He's small, but fast (162 lbs, 4.4 ish 40). Perhaps he could be the Omari Evans who comes in and catches a bomb at some point.