Seniors in the two-deep / State of the Program

[Brian LB-U]

The below list of two-deep seniors says a lot to me about the positive state of James Franklin's program. What we're now seeing in terms is player participation is a nice mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen with several close position battles on both sides of the ball. Even our kickers are good. This, to me, is a sign of a healthy program.

I chuckle when just about every game the announcers bring up how Franklin was on the "hot seat" before the 2016 win over Minnesota. What they fail to mention is he beat Boston College in the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl with 47 recruited scholarship players on the roster, including a bunch of Bill O'Brien's "blood and guts" seniors (Love those f-in guys!). The fact of the matter is Coach Franklin inherited a complete overhaul and he needed time to build the roster from the bottom up, a multi-year process just to get the scholarship #s to 85. No other coach in the country faced a similar challenge.

I am a huge fan of Bill O'Brien and feel he would have been tremendously successful at PSU if he stayed long enough to be on an even playing field with our rivals from a scholarship standpoint. Terrific coach but I don't think anybody would label him the world's best recruiter. James Franklin is an elite recruiter.

And that leads us to where we are today. This is a relatively young, deep, extremely athletic "top 10ish" team that admittedly is not without its faults. The good news is they seem to be improving week-to-week in critical areas (DE, DT, LB, OL). Next year we should be very, very good......

2-deep players in their final year of eligibility (current starters in bold):
QB - McSorley (G.O.A.T.)
WR - Tompkins
RB - Mark Allen (Slade will likely continue to split carries here as Sanders' backup)
RT - Chasz Wright
OLB - Koa Farmer (Parsons is obviously pushing Koa for the starting spot)
CB - Oruwariye
S - Nick Scott

 

[Raffycorn]

The below list of two-deep seniors says a lot to me about the positive state of James Franklin's program. What we're now seeing in terms is player participation is a nice mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen with several close position battles on both sides of the ball. Even our kickers are good. This, to me, is a sign of a healthy program.

I get a chuckle when just about every game the announcers bring up how Franklin was on the "hot seat" before the 2016 win over Minnesota. What they fail to mention is he beat Boston College in the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl with 47 recruited scholarship players on the roster, including a bunch of Bill O'Brien's "blood-and-guts" seniors (Love those f-in guys!). The fact of the matter is Coach Franklin inherited a complete overhaul and he needed to build the roster from the bottom up. No other coach in the country faced a similar challenge.

I am a huge fan of Bill O'Brien and feel he would have been tremendously successful at PSU if he stayed long enough to be on an even playing field with our rivals from a scholarship standpoint. Terrific coach but I don't think anybody would label him the world's greatest recruiter. James Franklin is an elite recruiter.

And that leads us to where we are today. This is a relatively young, deep, extremely athletic "top 10ish" team that admittedly is not without its faults. The good news is they seem to be improving week-to-week in critical areas (DE, DT, LB, OL). Next year we should be very, very good......

Senior 2-deep players in their final year of eligibility (current starters in bold):
QB - McSorley (G.O.A.T.)
WR - Tompkins
RB - Mark Allen (Slade will likely continue to split carries here as Sanders' backup)
RT - Chasz Wright
OLB - Koa Farmer (Parsons is obviously pushing Koa for the starting spot)
MLB - Jan Johnson
CB - Oruwariye
S - Nick Scott

Jan Johnson is a redshirt junior. He’s got another year left.

 

[MtNittany]

Pretty sure Jan Johnson has another year of eligibility left.

 

[Brian LB-U]

Jan Johnson is a redshirt junior. He’s got another year left.

Thanks guys, I'm going to fix it.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

The below list of two-deep seniors says a lot to me about the positive state of James Franklin's program. What we're now seeing in terms is player participation is a nice mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen with several close position battles on both sides of the ball. Even our kickers are good. This, to me, is a sign of a healthy program.

I get a chuckle when just about every game the announcers bring up how Franklin was on the "hot seat" before the 2016 win over Minnesota. What they fail to mention is he beat Boston College in the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl with 47 recruited scholarship players on the roster, including a bunch of Bill O'Brien's "blood-and-guts" seniors (Love those f-in guys!). The fact of the matter is Coach Franklin inherited a complete overhaul and he needed to build the roster from the bottom up. No other coach in the country faced a similar challenge.

I am a huge fan of Bill O'Brien and feel he would have been tremendously successful at PSU if he stayed long enough to be on an even playing field with our rivals from a scholarship standpoint. Terrific coach but I don't think anybody would label him the world's greatest recruiter. James Franklin is an elite recruiter.

And that leads us to where we are today. This is a relatively young, deep, extremely athletic "top 10ish" team that admittedly is not without its faults. The good news is they seem to be improving week-to-week in critical areas (DE, DT, LB, OL). Next year we should be very, very good......

Senior 2-deep players in their final year of eligibility (current starters in bold):
QB - McSorley (G.O.A.T.)
WR - Tompkins
RB - Mark Allen (Slade will likely continue to split carries here as Sanders' backup)
RT - Chasz Wright
OLB - Koa Farmer (Parsons is obviously pushing Koa for the starting spot)
CB - Oruwariye
S - Nick Scott

In short, Franklin was never in the 'hot seat' and these talking heads remain fixed in their 'Dunce Seats'. Does anybody actually work at their jobs and produce actual work product anymore?

 

[blion72]

Jan Johnson is a redshirt junior. He’s got another year left.

he came in 2015 fall season and got the ACL injury at the UMich game when there were no LBs left on the team to play. he should graduate this year, but would have another year if he wanted it.

There are quite a few guys who graduate this year, and could come back for PG year next year if they want. I think Bates and Gonzo are examples of that group. some will not come back if they think they are going to be relegated to backup or no roles.

 

[srg1]

he came in 2015 fall season and got the ACL injury at the UMich game when there were no LBs left on the team to play. he should graduate this year, but would have another year if he wanted it.

There are quite a few guys who graduate this year, and could come back for PG year next year if they want. I think Bates and Gonzo are examples of that group. some will not come back if they think they are going to be relegated to backup or no roles.

I cant say what Sandy was actually thinking but from a general fan's perspective it sure felt like Franklin was on the hot seat during the Minnesota game. The Hackenberg experiment had failed and the team had already lost to Pitt. Also with Donovans offense the prior years they seemed very disorganized. It may have been Donovans fault but that also falls on the head coach. There was a question of "is he all talk?" There was a feeling that perhaps Penn State would now be a middle tier team. I was at the Temple game in Philly and we looked completely unprepared for that destruction. Again, that was partially a result of the sanctions but the perception lingered that we may not be able to Dominate the State and move back the upper echelon of the Big Ten. A home loss to Minnesota would have fed that narrative.

Even this year 2-1 is much different than 3-0. With a loss people would have been quick to point to Moorhead earning all the success over the last 2 years. And we looked shellshocked at times against App State.

And if we lose to Ohio State at home - what is the narrative? Franklin is almost there but needs more time? Franklin will never get there? Franklin's failure to recruit elite DTs doesnt yet allow us to play with OSU? Franklin is nothing without Barkley and Moorhead?

My opinion is that Penn State could not have done better with Obrien and Franklin. Franklin has a vision and the energy and has already taken Penn State to a level that I did not think was possible a few years ago.

 

[grad83psu]

I cant say what Sandy was actually thinking but from a general fan's perspective it sure felt like Franklin was on the hot seat during the Minnesota game. The Hackenberg experiment had failed and the team had already lost to Pitt. Also with Donovans offense the prior years they seemed very disorganized. It may have been Donovans fault but that also falls on the head coach. There was a question of "is he all talk?" There was a feeling that perhaps Penn State would now be a middle tier team. I was at the Temple game in Philly and we looked completely unprepared for that destruction. Again, that was partially a result of the sanctions but the perception lingered that we may not be able to Dominate the State and move back the upper echelon of the Big Ten. A home loss to Minnesota would have fed that narrative.

Even this year 2-1 is much different than 3-0. With a loss people would have been quick to point to Moorhead earning all the success over the last 2 years. And we looked shellshocked at times against App State.

And if we lose to Ohio State at home - what is the narrative? Franklin is almost there but needs more time? Franklin will never get there? Franklin's failure to recruit elite DTs doesnt yet allow us to play with OSU? Franklin is nothing without Barkley and Moorhead?

My opinion is that Penn State could not have done better with Obrien and Franklin. Franklin has a vision and the energy and has already taken Penn State to a level that I did not think was possible a few years ago.

The Temple game that PSU lost was in 2015 as was the "Hackenburg experiment" as you call it although I don't see why Franklyn playing a two year starter at QB could be considered an "experiment"---- perhaps (in hindsight) playing the RS frosh QB some at the end of the season may have helped that season.

 

[psuro]

Half this board was ready to get rid of Franklin prior to 2016 Minnesota game.

 

[WDLion]

Half this board was ready to get rid of Franklin prior to 2016 Minnesota game.

Board posters have a fake hot seat.

 

[srg1]

The Temple game that PSU lost was in 2015 as was the "Hackenburg experiment" as you call it although I don't see why Franklyn playing a two year starter at QB could be considered an "experiment"---- perhaps (in hindsight) playing the RS frosh QB some at the end of the season may have helped that season.

The feeling at the time with Hackenberg was that Franklin could not win with a 5 star QB that Obrien made look pretty good. I would not and did not blame Franklin for starting him at all but the narrative was that Hack's failures was evidence that Franklin was a bad coach.

 

[Lion Lineage]

The feeling at the time with Hackenberg was that Franklin could not win with a 5 star QB that Obrien made look pretty good. I would not and did not blame Franklin for starting him at all but the narrative was that Hack's failures was evidence that Franklin was a bad coach.

Hacks’s failure had more to do with three (if I remember correctly) O-lineman going to the NFL and perhaps most importantly Allen Robsinon going to the NFL.

 

[Ski]

he came in 2015 fall season and got the ACL injury at the UMich game when there were no LBs left on the team to play. he should graduate this year, but would have another year if he wanted it.

There are quite a few guys who graduate this year, and could come back for PG year next year if they want. I think Bates and Gonzo are examples of that group. some will not come back if they think they are going to be relegated to backup or no roles.

Johnson is already in Graduate school though still a Junior in eligibility.