Some quick takeaways to pass along from fourth-year offensive lineman Rasheed Walker's zoom with the media this morning. No real surprises, but affirmations of things we've previously reported nonetheless:
1) Juice Scruggs is starting at right guard. "He's gonna be great. He's doing very good. He's very strong, very smart... so he's gonna have a heckuva season."
2) Walker said there is quite a rotation of players he's alongside at left guard including, in order he mentioned them, Anthony Whigan, Des Holmes, and Saleem Wormley.
"I can't even tell you who the best one is because everybody's doing so good. Everyone's developing and getting better every single day. I feel real comfortable with whoever I have on my side."
If I'm betting, my anticipation is still for Holmes/Whigan to shake out in that order with Wormley maybe working himself at both left and right.
3) Strong marks for Caedan Wallace's development:
"He's going to be a very good offensive lineman. The growth that he's had from when he's first got here to now is like, it's crazy. He's very confident, he's very strong, very strong. His technique is getting better every single day and he's very coachable, so he's going to be a very good offensive lineman. He's real big and strong. The other day, we were doing a little bit of running and his top speed was like 19 miles per hour or something crazy like that. Caedan is going to be a good football player. He's approaching everything the right way."
4) Still on the offensive line, Walker offered an early assessment of Landon Tengwall in his first few months on campus and in the room.
"He came in very, very sharp. You can tell that he has some type of extra training before he even got to college, because he just came in very sharp. He knew his plays when he came in. He was very athletic. He had a good set. His footwork was good. So I feel like he's going to be a very good offensive lineman here at Penn State. He just has to learn his body a little bit more because he's strong as an ox, he's smart, very smart. So he just needs a little bit more time. I can see him being a starter his second year playing. He might even play this year because he's very good. I can say he came in ahead of everybody else in his class."
5) Walker's insight wasn't limited to the offensive line room, as he also offered some perspective into the defensive ends that, again, are pretty clearly separating themselves from the rest of the pack. Noting that he tries to get reps against "the best D-ends that" the program has, Walker listed out Adisa Isaac, Smith Vilbert, Arnold Ebiketie and Nick Tarburton by name.
"AK, he's a very good speed rusher. The first day of practice, he kind of surprised me with his athletic abilities, his speed, the way he can bend the corner. So he's going to be a real good edge defender for us," Walker said. "Adisa Isaac, I'm pretty sure you know a little bit about him, but he's special. He's fast. He plays hard to the whistle. He's strong. He's gonna do good. We also have Smith Vilbert. I often tell him he really reminds me a lot of Jason Pierre Paul, just by the way he plays, his measurements and whatnot. He's gonna be a very good player. Coach Scott, you can tell him and Deion Barnes have been putting in extra work with them also because they're all looking real sharp."
Bonus) Asked about who has made the most impressive play of the spring practice session and what it was, Walker provided some more buzz for what a healthy Cam Sullivan-Brown might bring to the receivers room. Again, CSB was primed to be a real contributor last season before his year got derailed by injury. Back healthy, he's there with that group of Dotson, Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith that have kind of distinguished themselves from the rest of the room at this point.
"Yesterday, Cam Sullivan-Brown had a crazy one-hand catch off the back shoulder on the sideline yesterday on somebody. I don't know, but I was blocking and looked up and seen it and I was very impressed. I know we didn't get to see a lot of Cam last year, so it's just great to see him doing those crazy things. But yeah, Cam Sullivan-Brown had a crazy one hand catch on the sideline on like two defenders yesterday."
1) Juice Scruggs is starting at right guard. "He's gonna be great. He's doing very good. He's very strong, very smart... so he's gonna have a heckuva season."
2) Walker said there is quite a rotation of players he's alongside at left guard including, in order he mentioned them, Anthony Whigan, Des Holmes, and Saleem Wormley.
"I can't even tell you who the best one is because everybody's doing so good. Everyone's developing and getting better every single day. I feel real comfortable with whoever I have on my side."
If I'm betting, my anticipation is still for Holmes/Whigan to shake out in that order with Wormley maybe working himself at both left and right.
3) Strong marks for Caedan Wallace's development:
"He's going to be a very good offensive lineman. The growth that he's had from when he's first got here to now is like, it's crazy. He's very confident, he's very strong, very strong. His technique is getting better every single day and he's very coachable, so he's going to be a very good offensive lineman. He's real big and strong. The other day, we were doing a little bit of running and his top speed was like 19 miles per hour or something crazy like that. Caedan is going to be a good football player. He's approaching everything the right way."
4) Still on the offensive line, Walker offered an early assessment of Landon Tengwall in his first few months on campus and in the room.
"He came in very, very sharp. You can tell that he has some type of extra training before he even got to college, because he just came in very sharp. He knew his plays when he came in. He was very athletic. He had a good set. His footwork was good. So I feel like he's going to be a very good offensive lineman here at Penn State. He just has to learn his body a little bit more because he's strong as an ox, he's smart, very smart. So he just needs a little bit more time. I can see him being a starter his second year playing. He might even play this year because he's very good. I can say he came in ahead of everybody else in his class."
5) Walker's insight wasn't limited to the offensive line room, as he also offered some perspective into the defensive ends that, again, are pretty clearly separating themselves from the rest of the pack. Noting that he tries to get reps against "the best D-ends that" the program has, Walker listed out Adisa Isaac, Smith Vilbert, Arnold Ebiketie and Nick Tarburton by name.
"AK, he's a very good speed rusher. The first day of practice, he kind of surprised me with his athletic abilities, his speed, the way he can bend the corner. So he's going to be a real good edge defender for us," Walker said. "Adisa Isaac, I'm pretty sure you know a little bit about him, but he's special. He's fast. He plays hard to the whistle. He's strong. He's gonna do good. We also have Smith Vilbert. I often tell him he really reminds me a lot of Jason Pierre Paul, just by the way he plays, his measurements and whatnot. He's gonna be a very good player. Coach Scott, you can tell him and Deion Barnes have been putting in extra work with them also because they're all looking real sharp."
Bonus) Asked about who has made the most impressive play of the spring practice session and what it was, Walker provided some more buzz for what a healthy Cam Sullivan-Brown might bring to the receivers room. Again, CSB was primed to be a real contributor last season before his year got derailed by injury. Back healthy, he's there with that group of Dotson, Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith that have kind of distinguished themselves from the rest of the room at this point.
"Yesterday, Cam Sullivan-Brown had a crazy one-hand catch off the back shoulder on the sideline yesterday on somebody. I don't know, but I was blocking and looked up and seen it and I was very impressed. I know we didn't get to see a lot of Cam last year, so it's just great to see him doing those crazy things. But yeah, Cam Sullivan-Brown had a crazy one hand catch on the sideline on like two defenders yesterday."
