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Nick Bowers - out for the season

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Philly Lion

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Sep 19, 2001
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Black Shoe Diaries is reporting that TE Nick Bowers (Jr/So) will not play at all this season. I truly wonder if this is the end of the line for him. Even if he were to somehow be ready to play in September 2018, it would be almost four years since he played a competitive game (Nov/Dec. '14). Redshirted in '15, injured and out for all of 2016, injured and out for all of 2017.

I feel badly for him, but it will be imperative that Zach Kuntz be ready to play next fall. I was hoping that Nick was going to get some time in the second half of the season in order to get ready for next year, but that is no longer a possibility. Freiermuth will redshirt next year.
 
This is why at least a look at the kid who is transferring from SC, is worth it. I'm saying TAKE A LOOK, not that the kid is the second coming.
 
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Interesting. Does Daniel Joseph get a look at TE if Bowers is really done with football? Joseph was a very good TE in high school. That said I hope Bowers fully recover and is able to play. He has so much potential.
 
BisbeeMike said:
This is why at least a look at the kid who is transferring from SC, is worth it. I'm saying TAKE A LOOK, not that the kid is the second coming.
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We already took a look at this kid. There is a reason he is behind two FR. Unless he wants to walk on, there is no room.
 
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No way Kuntz can contribute next year IMO. He has an incredibly bright future but is just too light. We may have more luck with Pat F., he looks more physically ready.

More realistically, it will be Holland and Dalton - I just cannot remember too many true Fr TEs contributing. I'm hoping Holland uses this year to develop and does a passable Gesicki impersonation next year. He is certainly athletically gifted, and got some good reviews in the offseason for his development as a blocker IIRC.
 
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Philly Lion said:
Black Shoe Diaries is reporting that TE Nick Bowers (Jr/So) will not play at all this season. I truly wonder if this is the end of the line for him. Even if he were to somehow be ready to play in September 2018, it would be almost four years since he played a competitive game (Nov/Dec. '14). Redshirted in '15, injured and out for all of 2016, injured and out for all of 2017.

I feel badly for him, but it will be imperative that Zach Kuntz be ready to play next fall. I was hoping that Nick was going to get some time in the second half of the season in order to get ready for next year, but that is no longer a possibility. Freiermuth will redshirt next year.
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If I had to guess, I would say you have it reversed. Freiermuth looks more physically ready to play B10 football than Kuntz.....
 
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hiptohoo said:
Interesting. Does Daniel Joseph get a look at TE if Bowers is really done with football? Joseph was a very good TE in high school. That said I hope Bowers fully recover and is able to play. He has so much potential.
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Most DE's were very good TE's in high school....... Joseph looks more like a DE than most of our other DE's.....
 
Saquon4Prez said:
No way Kuntz can contribute next year IMO. He has an incredibly bright future but is just too light. We may have more luck with Pat F., he looks more physically ready.

More realistically, it will be Holland and Dalton - I just cannot remember too many true Fr TEs contributing. I'm hoping Holland uses this year to develop and does a passable Gesicki impersonation next year. He is certainly athletically gifted, and got some good reviews in the offseason for his development as a blocker IIRC.
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Wasn't Dalton a highly regarded recruit? I think we'll be fine with what we have in the cabinet.
 
Player2BNamedL8r said:
I agree that we shouldn't offer this kid, but I thought I read that he is already sitting this year so he'll be ready in the fall. Perhaps I'm wrong.
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He was on USCs roster, but don't think he played in any games (at least I could not find any stats). Don't know if he can count sitting out this year or not.
 
I have wondered about Castagna playing TE. It's a great TE name, anyway.
 
Saquon4Prez said:
No way Kuntz can contribute next year IMO. He has an incredibly bright future but is just too light. We may have more luck with Pat F., he looks more physically ready.

More realistically, it will be Holland and Dalton - I just cannot remember too many true Fr TEs contributing. I'm hoping Holland uses this year to develop and does a passable Gesicki impersonation next year. He is certainly athletically gifted, and got some good reviews in the offseason for his development as a blocker IIRC.
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I disagree. He is enrolling early and Penn State doesn’t use tight ends to block with their hand in the dirt. They use them more like H backs then Tigh ends.
 
I expect Joseph will get a looksee at TE, and a couple others too; maybe the DE from harrisburg who came late...especially if we get all these DEs at the end here.
 
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Where is the article on black shoes? I did not see it. I talked to someone in the know, and Nick is practicing and has been practicing. My source contends this is fake news.
 
Lion8286 said:
He was on USCs roster, but don't think he played in any games (at least I could not find any stats). Don't know if he can count sitting out this year or not.
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Looks like he played in 2 games for them this year.

The redshirt freshman played little in the first two games and did not play against Texas. He was reportedly not in attendance at the Cal game this Saturday. Should his decision be final, Angeline's USC career ends with 19 total snaps and not a single catch.

http://usc.247sports.com/Bolt/Former-4-star-TE-Cary-Angeline-quits-the-team--107939685
 
GregInPitt said:


If I had to guess, I would say you have it reversed. Freiermuth looks more physically ready to play B10 football than Kuntz.....
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Kuntz is an athletic stud and is slightly ahead of Freirermuth. Yes, Pat is a bit more built at 6'4"/225 than Zack (6'7/221), but Kuntz would be more ready to help in the passing game. You would be right in that Zack would not be ready to help much as a blocking tight end though. The drop-off from Gesicki to Holland and Dalton is steep so they are going to need someone to play. Pancoast and Gesicki are gone after this season. I have little or no faith that Bowers ever plays again.
 
Philly Lion said:
Black Shoe Diaries is reporting that TE Nick Bowers (Jr/So) will not play at all this season. I truly wonder if this is the end of the line for him. Even if he were to somehow be ready to play in September 2018, it would be almost four years since he played a competitive game (Nov/Dec. '14). Redshirted in '15, injured and out for all of 2016, injured and out for all of 2017.

I feel badly for him, but it will be imperative that Zach Kuntz be ready to play next fall. I was hoping that Nick was going to get some time in the second half of the season in order to get ready for next year, but that is no longer a possibility. Freiermuth will redshirt next year.
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I don't think Kuntz will be physically ready for college football next season. I think Freiermuth will be the freshman who gets PT next year.
 
Samurailion said:
I don't think Kuntz will be physically ready for college football next season. I think Freiermuth will be the freshman who gets PT next year.
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Freiermuth comes from Massachusetts, a state not known for competitive high school football and so he, like Danny Dalton, may take a year to develop. In Dalton's case it is going to take more than a year as he is now a redshirt freshman and still not getting on the field. If Kuntz cannot play next year they will then have a significant drop-off at tight end and will have to modify the offense a bit as Holland is not going to give them Gesicki did and Dalton will probably only be slightly more ready. I would love to see Danny take the big step in '18; however, I think that is a bit unrealistic. Maybe you're right, maybe Freiermuth makes the depth chart, but I will guess we won't know until the latter part of August.
 
Penn State can't afford to add a transfer player unless you want to turn away Jayson Oweh, Tyreke Smith, or Micah Parsons. Especially if that player can't help us in 2018.

IMO, the best solution is to move Darien to TE effective immediately. Then let him add 20lbs in the offseason in anticipation that he might be our #2 TE next year.
 
Philly Lion said:
Kuntz is an athletic stud and is slightly ahead of Freirermuth. Yes, Pat is a bit more built at 6'4"/225 than Zack (6'7/221), but Kuntz would be more ready to help in the passing game. You would be right in that Zack would not be ready to help much as a blocking tight end though. The drop-off from Gesicki to Holland and Dalton is steep so they are going to need someone to play. Pancoast and Gesicki are gone after this season. I have little or no faith that Bowers ever plays again.
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The coaches told you Kuntz was ahead of Freiremuth? No. Just because some ratings service rates one slightly higher in potential does not mean that one is or will be ready sooner to play B10 football. Coach Franklin will determine who may play as a true freshmen after he evaluates their 2018 preseason camp performance as well as the TE depth going into the 2018 season.

As we all know, part of a TE job is to block. CJF may choose to use Kuntz mainly as a receiver, but would he play as a true freshmen TE strictly as a receiver given the likely WR depth in 2018 over a 5 star true freshmen WR, Shorter? I doubt it, but we'll see next year.

If Bowers career is over, a big assumption but possible, one or both of the 2018 true freshmen TE's will likely play. But CJF went through the whole 2015 season with limited TE depth and still redshirted Holland and Bowers. Time will tell, but if Dalton makes significant progress going into 2018 CJF may choose to go with Holland and Dalton and redshirt both true freshmen.

One could make the assumption that Kuntz has played more competitive football, but Freiremuth has also competed in camp environments against top athletes. Just because a player plays against better competition does not make that player better. And with the physical demands of the TE position, the fact that Freiremuth looks much bigger and stronger may give him a big advantage in being able to play as a true freshmen.
 
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Philly Lion said:
Black Shoe Diaries is reporting that TE Nick Bowers (Jr/So) will not play at all this season. I truly wonder if this is the end of the line for him. Even if he were to somehow be ready to play in September 2018, it would be almost four years since he played a competitive game (Nov/Dec. '14). Redshirted in '15, injured and out for all of 2016, injured and out for all of 2017.

I feel badly for him, but it will be imperative that Zach Kuntz be ready to play next fall. I was hoping that Nick was going to get some time in the second half of the season in order to get ready for next year, but that is no longer a possibility. Freiermuth will redshirt next year.
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I think you've got that backwards. Freiermuth is much more prepared physically to contribute as a freshman than Kuntz. Kuntz is similar to Toney right now; fast and situational performer, but doesn't have the body yet to hold up to B1G pounding. Right now, Kuntz is a tall receiver in the vein of early Gesicki, James, or even upperclassmen Brackett. They both could redshirt, but if one gets the green light, today I'd bet the farm on Freirmuth.
 
FOS has a photo of Bowers hand and hand with Holland in full pads at an Indiana pre-game practice. Something is fake!
 
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