Good evening, everyone!
Just arrived back at my place after Penn State's final partially opened Wednesday practice session of the spring, now just a couple of days away from the conclusion of spring practice with the Blue White Game on Saturday afternoon. As luck would have it, forecasts for some generally nice weather the next couple of days followed by anticipated rain on Saturday. They'll be at Beaver Stadium Friday for a walk-through before Saturday's game.
In any case...
We were able to catch a few minutes of football before James Franklin huddled up his team and then went over to speak to reporters. A few minutes were also granted to reporters with punter Blake Gillikin and running back Andre Robinson.
Let's get right into it:
1) Franklin seemed to be pretty animated in his discussions with the team after practice, and through the final few moments that we were able to see. As in, in a displeased kind of way. Not that he's unhappy - I think it's been abundantly clear from everything he and players and other assistants have said this spring that it's been a very competitive few weeks of practices - but I'm gathering that it's about taking performances to the next level.
There was a time when the program's aspirations were to compete and do everything possible to come away with wins, but now it's about the tiniest of details and how they manifest themselves when it counts on the field. Take that as you will, but it seems pretty clear to me that he's working hard to up the ante with this group to make sure there's a program-wide understanding of what it takes to actually duplicate and exceed what happened last year and prevent it from being a one-off.
2) Franklin discussed some topical stuff after practice including the early signing period and a 10th coach, but I want to keep this to actual football while we still have actual drills and work being done this spring.
So with that in mind, let's go through some of the players Franklin reiterated as having stepped up this spring:
Tommy Stevens: "I think Tommy Stevens has really had a really really good spring. I’m very very pleased with him and the (progress) he’s made really since every year that he’s been here. Winter workouts this year, did a great job in the weight room, did a great job out here as you guys know he’s played a lot of football for us. We have viewed him as a starter since he’s been here, those three guys, so we’re excited about what he’s going to do and he’s had a great offense so far."
Jonathan Holland: "I don’t think he scrimmaged really well on Friday but besides that he’s improved dramatically. He’s about 255 pounds. He’s a guy who has the ability to block you. He’s made really good plays in the passing game, which is something that as come natural to him since he’s been here, but he’ a guy who really I think has factor din now. We feel like we’re in a really good situation there, as a legitimate back up to Mike (Gesicki)."
Koa Farmer: "Koa Farmer is a guy, as you guys know, who has bounced around from safety to linebacker, back to safety, back to linebacker again and he’s got everybody really excited. He’s finally kind of found a home and he’s comfortable. I have had a lot of conversations and arguments with Koa about this where I felt like since he got here was the right place for him, but we weren’t going to force him there. He has been fighting genetics for a long time. He’s finally embraced linebacker and he’s about 240 pounds right now, playing linebacker. Honestly I think he’s 239 right now by not trying to be as safety anymore. It’s just naturally happened."
Josh McPhearson: "Josh McPhearson has done a really good job for us. He’s a guy who has worked hard. We’re excited about him as a possible punt returner and what he can do as a running back as well, so we’re excited about those guys."
3) Franklin apparently saw the video of Minnesota's spring game in which the Gophers invited a few lucky fans to head down to the field to try their hand at catching a real punt. Spoiler: It didn't work out very well for either fan making the attempt.
Franklin offered up a bit of a twist though to the media tonight. He's inviting media members to get down on the field and try it out in front of all 85,000 fans (his attendance expectation for the game). I ran into him after his session and, truly, I think he's dead serious about the offer. That said, I declined. I have no trouble embarrassing myself on a near daily basis, but I'm not a masochist.
4) Franklin kind of indicated that there weren't really a ton of positions that had true starting battles this spring, which makes sense. Clearly, coming off a Rose Bowl season in which only a few starters were lost to the draft or graduation, they're really returning the bulk of the players expected to play a major role this season or have guys waiting in the wings that have a natural progression into a starting role.
Still, Franklin cited defensive end as one spot where they weren't really sure about what they have or who will step up, and apparently still aren't exactly sure. Clearly Torrence Brown and Shareef Miller bring some experience, along with Ryan Buchholz who might again be on track for that dual role at DT, but Shaka Toney and Shane Simmons have made an impression this spring. Franklin expects that to be resolved in preseason camp in August.
Additionally, and this is probably of note just because of its frequency, but Franklin put out another not subtle call to arms on Jake Zembiec, saying that they haven't really figured out the third quarterback. Billy Fessler has some experience in the program and Mike Shuster seems to have done some nice things, but Franklin said he still thinks "those guys have to take another step to feel like that we have three quarterbacks that we can win with in the Big Ten. That still needs to happen. There’s a lot of work that needs to happen between now and then."
Just something to note.
5) And then last but not least, building a bit on what Koa Farmer was saying yesterday, Franklin expanded on the development that Cam Brown has taken this spring. Might be worth putting him in the same spring-hype category as Juwan Johnson in terms of setting high expectations for the season ahead.
"I thought (Cam Brown) had one of the better off-seasons. When I say off-seasons, I’m really talking bout between now and the beginning of spring ball. Winter workouts he was a machine, weight room he was a machine. He came out and had a good spring. I thought he was going to take a bigger step but I do think he’s got an opportunity now to go back and (make further improvements)."
I'm going to leave it there for the moment. Let me know if you guys have any questions and I'll be happy to answer as best as I can.
Just arrived back at my place after Penn State's final partially opened Wednesday practice session of the spring, now just a couple of days away from the conclusion of spring practice with the Blue White Game on Saturday afternoon. As luck would have it, forecasts for some generally nice weather the next couple of days followed by anticipated rain on Saturday. They'll be at Beaver Stadium Friday for a walk-through before Saturday's game.
In any case...
We were able to catch a few minutes of football before James Franklin huddled up his team and then went over to speak to reporters. A few minutes were also granted to reporters with punter Blake Gillikin and running back Andre Robinson.
Let's get right into it:
1) Franklin seemed to be pretty animated in his discussions with the team after practice, and through the final few moments that we were able to see. As in, in a displeased kind of way. Not that he's unhappy - I think it's been abundantly clear from everything he and players and other assistants have said this spring that it's been a very competitive few weeks of practices - but I'm gathering that it's about taking performances to the next level.
There was a time when the program's aspirations were to compete and do everything possible to come away with wins, but now it's about the tiniest of details and how they manifest themselves when it counts on the field. Take that as you will, but it seems pretty clear to me that he's working hard to up the ante with this group to make sure there's a program-wide understanding of what it takes to actually duplicate and exceed what happened last year and prevent it from being a one-off.
2) Franklin discussed some topical stuff after practice including the early signing period and a 10th coach, but I want to keep this to actual football while we still have actual drills and work being done this spring.
So with that in mind, let's go through some of the players Franklin reiterated as having stepped up this spring:
Tommy Stevens: "I think Tommy Stevens has really had a really really good spring. I’m very very pleased with him and the (progress) he’s made really since every year that he’s been here. Winter workouts this year, did a great job in the weight room, did a great job out here as you guys know he’s played a lot of football for us. We have viewed him as a starter since he’s been here, those three guys, so we’re excited about what he’s going to do and he’s had a great offense so far."
Jonathan Holland: "I don’t think he scrimmaged really well on Friday but besides that he’s improved dramatically. He’s about 255 pounds. He’s a guy who has the ability to block you. He’s made really good plays in the passing game, which is something that as come natural to him since he’s been here, but he’ a guy who really I think has factor din now. We feel like we’re in a really good situation there, as a legitimate back up to Mike (Gesicki)."
Koa Farmer: "Koa Farmer is a guy, as you guys know, who has bounced around from safety to linebacker, back to safety, back to linebacker again and he’s got everybody really excited. He’s finally kind of found a home and he’s comfortable. I have had a lot of conversations and arguments with Koa about this where I felt like since he got here was the right place for him, but we weren’t going to force him there. He has been fighting genetics for a long time. He’s finally embraced linebacker and he’s about 240 pounds right now, playing linebacker. Honestly I think he’s 239 right now by not trying to be as safety anymore. It’s just naturally happened."
Josh McPhearson: "Josh McPhearson has done a really good job for us. He’s a guy who has worked hard. We’re excited about him as a possible punt returner and what he can do as a running back as well, so we’re excited about those guys."
3) Franklin apparently saw the video of Minnesota's spring game in which the Gophers invited a few lucky fans to head down to the field to try their hand at catching a real punt. Spoiler: It didn't work out very well for either fan making the attempt.
Franklin offered up a bit of a twist though to the media tonight. He's inviting media members to get down on the field and try it out in front of all 85,000 fans (his attendance expectation for the game). I ran into him after his session and, truly, I think he's dead serious about the offer. That said, I declined. I have no trouble embarrassing myself on a near daily basis, but I'm not a masochist.
4) Franklin kind of indicated that there weren't really a ton of positions that had true starting battles this spring, which makes sense. Clearly, coming off a Rose Bowl season in which only a few starters were lost to the draft or graduation, they're really returning the bulk of the players expected to play a major role this season or have guys waiting in the wings that have a natural progression into a starting role.
Still, Franklin cited defensive end as one spot where they weren't really sure about what they have or who will step up, and apparently still aren't exactly sure. Clearly Torrence Brown and Shareef Miller bring some experience, along with Ryan Buchholz who might again be on track for that dual role at DT, but Shaka Toney and Shane Simmons have made an impression this spring. Franklin expects that to be resolved in preseason camp in August.
Additionally, and this is probably of note just because of its frequency, but Franklin put out another not subtle call to arms on Jake Zembiec, saying that they haven't really figured out the third quarterback. Billy Fessler has some experience in the program and Mike Shuster seems to have done some nice things, but Franklin said he still thinks "those guys have to take another step to feel like that we have three quarterbacks that we can win with in the Big Ten. That still needs to happen. There’s a lot of work that needs to happen between now and then."
Just something to note.
5) And then last but not least, building a bit on what Koa Farmer was saying yesterday, Franklin expanded on the development that Cam Brown has taken this spring. Might be worth putting him in the same spring-hype category as Juwan Johnson in terms of setting high expectations for the season ahead.
"I thought (Cam Brown) had one of the better off-seasons. When I say off-seasons, I’m really talking bout between now and the beginning of spring ball. Winter workouts he was a machine, weight room he was a machine. He came out and had a good spring. I thought he was going to take a bigger step but I do think he’s got an opportunity now to go back and (make further improvements)."
I'm going to leave it there for the moment. Let me know if you guys have any questions and I'll be happy to answer as best as I can.
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