Twelve members of Penn State’s Class of 2020 were enrolled and in the program in January, participating in winter workouts in anticipation of the start of spring practices in March.
That, of course, never came to fruition.
Disbanding with the rest of the program the first weekend in March for spring break, the early enrollees with the Nittany Lions didn’t get their first spring practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and wouldn’t return for workouts at the football complex until this summer.
They were joined by 15 of their classmates, the rest of Penn State’s 27-man Class of 2020 arriving in late-June as part of the program’s second phase in its return to football.
With the entirety of the class now working out and, for the first time, taking part in on-field walkthroughs (with a ball), we sought out some insight and impressions of its members. We’ll start today with a look at some of the notables on the offensive side of the ball, finishing Friday with a roundup on defense.
Full and obvious disclaimer: It’s early. As in, way too early to make any determinations on greens, yellows, and reds. But, for the time being, here are some of those initial impressions among the offensive players.
Quarterback
Let’s kick things off with the newest addition to Penn State’s quarterbacks' room.
The reality for Micah Bowens is that the full and obvious disclaimer above applies especially to Bowens. You have to see a quarterback throw on air and work his way through a playbook and, obviously, against a defense, before you truly know where he’s at. So at this stage in the phased return to football, Bowens hasn’t been in those situations enough to form much of an opinion about where he is.
But, physically, Bowens checks the boxes. He’s strong, he’s quick, and he’s already putting some good weight on, enough to make him look the part.
Running backs
We’ve already talked at length about Caziah Holmes. The early impressions of Holmes through the winter were so good that he’s going to force his way onto the field, even though Penn State already feels amazing about what it has in Journey Brown, Noah Cain, and Devyn Ford.
The second piece of the two-man running back class has arrived this summer, though, in Keyvone Lee. Listed at 6-foot, 220 pounds on his Signing Day profile in December, the four-star back is reportedly now up to 230 pounds and has the frame to carry even more weight than that.
Lee has lots of room to grow when it comes to the college game, though. He’s acclimating himself to Penn State’s lifting program and will be a guy the program will look to mold and sharpen from his raw form at this stage.
Wide receivers
We’ve already talked at length about KeAndre Lambert-Smith and the solid work he put in during winter workouts. He had the program buzzing about his potential for this season.
Early word among the June arrivals is that Parker Washington could join him in contributing right off the bat. Now up to 210 pounds, Washington is a heady player who is ready for this level and all it entails. Call it smarts or maturity or his overall development, but all of those things add up to the picture of a guy who could come in and play early.
When it comes to overall potential, the 6-4, 190-pound Malick Meiga might lead the way. It’ll take more than his generous speed and size for Meiga to make an impact this season though.
Tight ends
You already know how much Penn State liked the addition of Theo Johnson to its tight ends room over the winter. Even though Johnson was still recovering from an all-star game injury before his enrollment, he has gotten bigger and filled out even more in the past seven months.
Tyler Warren might not be far behind, though. Every bit of his listed 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, Warren has the size and, maybe just as important, is a dog. He’s got a relentless work ethic and lives it, and if his trajectory this summer continues, he could be in a position with Johnson to have the luxury of a slow-burn development this season or to be so good that it pushes them onto the field as complements to Pat Freiermuth.
Offensive Line
They're massive. That’s the bottom line for Penn State’s five-man offensive line class in 2020, four of whom just arrived on campus this summer.
The good news for all of these guys, though, is that there is absolutely no rush on their development given the situation that Penn State finds itself with a two-deep it feels quite good about already.
Still, the early impressions of the group are positive. Olu Fashanu checked in at his listed 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, but just looks jacked and defined, which is a rarity at the position at this stage. Jimmy Christ is 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, and has already demonstrated the obvious benefit of having three brothers who have played college football. Ibrahim Traore is now topping 320 pounds, up from his listed 300 on Signing Day. He’s raw, we’re told, but has the size and athleticism that gets a guy like Phil Trautwein excited about his potential.
The biggest physically of the group, Golden Israel-Achumba, is getting into the routine and swing of things with Penn State’s strength and conditioning program after coming off an injury during the 2019 season. Currently checking in at 350 pounds, Achumba will look to get back down into the 320s to better take advantage of his natural offensive lineman abilities.
*****
We’ll take a crack at some of the early impressions of Penn State’s defensive June arrivals tomorrow.
That, of course, never came to fruition.
Disbanding with the rest of the program the first weekend in March for spring break, the early enrollees with the Nittany Lions didn’t get their first spring practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and wouldn’t return for workouts at the football complex until this summer.
They were joined by 15 of their classmates, the rest of Penn State’s 27-man Class of 2020 arriving in late-June as part of the program’s second phase in its return to football.
With the entirety of the class now working out and, for the first time, taking part in on-field walkthroughs (with a ball), we sought out some insight and impressions of its members. We’ll start today with a look at some of the notables on the offensive side of the ball, finishing Friday with a roundup on defense.
Full and obvious disclaimer: It’s early. As in, way too early to make any determinations on greens, yellows, and reds. But, for the time being, here are some of those initial impressions among the offensive players.
Quarterback
Let’s kick things off with the newest addition to Penn State’s quarterbacks' room.
The reality for Micah Bowens is that the full and obvious disclaimer above applies especially to Bowens. You have to see a quarterback throw on air and work his way through a playbook and, obviously, against a defense, before you truly know where he’s at. So at this stage in the phased return to football, Bowens hasn’t been in those situations enough to form much of an opinion about where he is.
But, physically, Bowens checks the boxes. He’s strong, he’s quick, and he’s already putting some good weight on, enough to make him look the part.
Running backs
We’ve already talked at length about Caziah Holmes. The early impressions of Holmes through the winter were so good that he’s going to force his way onto the field, even though Penn State already feels amazing about what it has in Journey Brown, Noah Cain, and Devyn Ford.
The second piece of the two-man running back class has arrived this summer, though, in Keyvone Lee. Listed at 6-foot, 220 pounds on his Signing Day profile in December, the four-star back is reportedly now up to 230 pounds and has the frame to carry even more weight than that.
Lee has lots of room to grow when it comes to the college game, though. He’s acclimating himself to Penn State’s lifting program and will be a guy the program will look to mold and sharpen from his raw form at this stage.
Wide receivers
We’ve already talked at length about KeAndre Lambert-Smith and the solid work he put in during winter workouts. He had the program buzzing about his potential for this season.
Early word among the June arrivals is that Parker Washington could join him in contributing right off the bat. Now up to 210 pounds, Washington is a heady player who is ready for this level and all it entails. Call it smarts or maturity or his overall development, but all of those things add up to the picture of a guy who could come in and play early.
When it comes to overall potential, the 6-4, 190-pound Malick Meiga might lead the way. It’ll take more than his generous speed and size for Meiga to make an impact this season though.
Tight ends
You already know how much Penn State liked the addition of Theo Johnson to its tight ends room over the winter. Even though Johnson was still recovering from an all-star game injury before his enrollment, he has gotten bigger and filled out even more in the past seven months.
Tyler Warren might not be far behind, though. Every bit of his listed 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, Warren has the size and, maybe just as important, is a dog. He’s got a relentless work ethic and lives it, and if his trajectory this summer continues, he could be in a position with Johnson to have the luxury of a slow-burn development this season or to be so good that it pushes them onto the field as complements to Pat Freiermuth.
Offensive Line
They're massive. That’s the bottom line for Penn State’s five-man offensive line class in 2020, four of whom just arrived on campus this summer.
The good news for all of these guys, though, is that there is absolutely no rush on their development given the situation that Penn State finds itself with a two-deep it feels quite good about already.
Still, the early impressions of the group are positive. Olu Fashanu checked in at his listed 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, but just looks jacked and defined, which is a rarity at the position at this stage. Jimmy Christ is 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, and has already demonstrated the obvious benefit of having three brothers who have played college football. Ibrahim Traore is now topping 320 pounds, up from his listed 300 on Signing Day. He’s raw, we’re told, but has the size and athleticism that gets a guy like Phil Trautwein excited about his potential.
The biggest physically of the group, Golden Israel-Achumba, is getting into the routine and swing of things with Penn State’s strength and conditioning program after coming off an injury during the 2019 season. Currently checking in at 350 pounds, Achumba will look to get back down into the 320s to better take advantage of his natural offensive lineman abilities.
*****
We’ll take a crack at some of the early impressions of Penn State’s defensive June arrivals tomorrow.
