Probably don't win the Purdue game without lee.
Football Penn State RB Keyvone Lee enters transfer portal
- Thread starter Dylan Callaghan-Croley
- Start date
Holmes, Ford, Cain, Lee - they all brought some dimensions that contributed as best they could. We don't win Iowa 2019 without Cain. We don't win against Purdue this past season without Ford and Lee. Reality seems that they were recruited for a different style offense. Move the chains backs. Without a dominant OL, they could not provide spark. None brought elite speed like Nick or game changing elusiveness and strength like Tron.
Good idea. It's hard to share the ball 3 ways but I believe he deserved more carries and will make the NFL if he developes a little more wiggle.
Let's not forget...guys hit the portal to test the waters sometimes. And then come back when they don't find any better offers.
It seems like 1/3 of them are gone. 1/3 are testing waters and get better offers. And a 1/3 are testing waters and don't get better offers.
Cain got good reps at LSU...but he wasn't the #1 back. I think he was in the "test waters and get better offers" and it worked out fine for him. Not sure he would have been a definitive #1 at PSU either. (He's still a big "what if" for me...those two seasons of injuries derailed him. Seemed to have "it" in his first season.)
All that to say...Lee might not find greener grass than being a 3rd down back and situational back-up at PSU.
It seems like 1/3 of them are gone. 1/3 are testing waters and get better offers. And a 1/3 are testing waters and don't get better offers.
Cain got good reps at LSU...but he wasn't the #1 back. I think he was in the "test waters and get better offers" and it worked out fine for him. Not sure he would have been a definitive #1 at PSU either. (He's still a big "what if" for me...those two seasons of injuries derailed him. Seemed to have "it" in his first season.)
All that to say...Lee might not find greener grass than being a 3rd down back and situational back-up at PSU.
Yes, nice size up of his current situation.
Right now he does not in reality have a scholarsip at PSU. If Franklin and Seider, based upon their knowledge of how they expect the 2 incoming backs can likely contribute in 2023, believe they need Lee then they would find a scholarship for him. Its possible they may have even told him up front that if he does not find a better situation they would take him back. Or given him a time period until his opportunity to come back woud end. Who knows.
JMO, but I believe Franklin might want to give the RB situation some time to sort out. Keep tabs on Montgomery's rehab.
I don't believe Franklin and Seider necessisarily want more than 4 scholarship RB's on the roster. It would just make it harder to recruit 1 or 2 top RB's in the 2024 class given that Singleton and Allen can't go to the NFL until after the 2024 season. And the staff seems focused on WR and DT for portal transfers.
And with what Lee has shown in his time at PSU it would seem ikely that he would find a P5 team that would welcome him into a legit competition to be their starting RB. Maybe not a team as talented as LSU, but probably a number of the 2nd tier B10 teams for example.
Last edited:
Didn't he go to Old Dominion and eventually drop out of football?
Last edited:
UGA just went through a season where they split reps amongst 3 RBs. Leading rusher had 7xx yards.
Accommodating multiple backs is possible, but the offense has to be efficient and you can't have a big step down from each back.
I would have liked for Lee to stay, but I don't know his goals.
Accommodating multiple backs is possible, but the offense has to be efficient and you can't have a big step down from each back.
I would have liked for Lee to stay, but I don't know his goals.
The problem I have with the three back system is that each guy tries to do too much with his carries because he knows he'll only get 7 or 8 a game. Nobody wants five yards (and 40 for the game)...so they hope to hit a 15-yarder...but end up with zero (or negative) yards.
A guy who knows he'll get 12-15 touches is going to take what the defense gives more frequently.
I can live with a two-back rotation, especially with two backs as equal as 10 and 13.
A guy who knows he'll get 12-15 touches is going to take what the defense gives more frequently.
I can live with a two-back rotation, especially with two backs as equal as 10 and 13.
In 2012 the first four RBs were injured by game three. Zwinak started the season as RB5 and was forced to start game 4.
Excellent point. When guys get very few carries they try to hit home run every time they touch the ball. So instead of hitting the hole and getting 4-5 yards they start dancing and juking and jiving at the LOS or even in the backfield. Seldom results in a positive outcome.
Rumor was Ricky couldn't live without the sticky....and thus hung up the cleats.
As long as the top two stay healthy, trying to get three running backs enough carries in a game is not beneficial and destroys the continuity of the offense. Running backs need carries to establish a rhythm and can't do that if they only play the equivalent of a quarter or less of a game. However, as we all know, it's almost impossible to get through a season with the top two staying healthy; look at OSU this past season. Therefore, you need at least a third competent if not great back. Hopefully we shall have that this season.
Good point. In addition, it takes a few carries to understand where the holes are. For example, if you are to run between the RG and RT, it is common that the RDE will crash down and the hole will be off tackle. It takes a couple of series to see who is really performing on the OL and DL/LB to get a feel for how to attack and where the holes will be.
One of the common misconceptions is that football is about the best players. And there is some truth to that in terms of making a team bend to defend great players. But it is also about the teams worst player as this is where offensive teams will attack. A chain is only as stong as its weakest link. It takes some time to discern that.
