NittanyNation - NN TV: James Franklin addresses the media ahead of spring ball
Penn State Football HC James Franklin talks with the media ahead of spring ball.
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Football VIDEO/TRANSCRIPT/NOTES: James Franklin Spring Practice Updates
- Thread starter Dylan Callaghan-Croley
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Franklin calls it a big week for Penn State athletics with the men’s basketball team in the NCAA Tournament and the wrestling program in their pursuit for another team NCAA championship this weekend.
Franklin is excited to see what the early enrollees and transfers can do in their first spring … 15 total newcomers to the program.
Franklin has been “very impressed and pleased” with what Marques Hagans has done so far. The Deion Barnes hire was made yesterday. Says Calvin Lowry has done well since coming back and confirms Torrence Brown is back with the program as a graduate assistant.
“I was hoping to get it done before spring break and wanted the players to know first,” Franklin said about the process of finding their next DL coach. Once they didn’t get it done before spring break, they wanted to wait to make the announcement and hire till players got back.
Franklin notes that Barnes has been very intentional in taking everything in that he can and doing something with it. Also notes how he’s worked with high school, collegiate and NFL players. Went from training into coaching by becoming a graduate assistant. Believe his abilities to relate to players and build relationships on the recruiting trail will be a strength of his.
“I was very impressed with Deion by how he interviewed, you felt his passion for coaching D-Line, you felt his passion for Penn State, and you felt his passion for this specific group of d-linemen he has a relationship with.”
From a rotation standpoint, Franklin would like to keep QB reps as even as possible especially with Beau and Drew.
Franklin does note Beau may get more reps due to his skill set and the coaching staff wanting to work with that skill set.
Franklin notes Coziah Izzard has some bumps and bruises that may limit his reps this spring it sounds.
Franklin says they’ve been very transparent with Mega Barnwell about position flexibility. They’ll see how he develops at TE but has that position flexibility.
Khalil Dinkins and Jerry Cross as well as Mega and Joey Schlaffer are going to get a ton of reps this spring per Franklin. It also sounds like Tyler Warren and Theo Johnson are a bit banged up.
Penn State is hoping they have a more traditional spring game this season.
Olu is healthy and should be good to go this spring, Tengwall will be just practice three.
There’s a few others who will need a few practices as well before getting out on the practice field.
Nourzad and Dawkins are the primary competitors at center but will try others throughout the spring as well.
There’s a few others who will need a few practices as well before getting out on the practice field.
Nourzad and Dawkins are the primary competitors at center but will try others throughout the spring as well.
Talking about player weight - Penn State will net chase size just for size sake. Each players body weight is based off a few factors such as position (of course) but also body composition.
How did that workout vs Michigan? Didnt the coaches say the team needed to get bigger upfront?
He is a better recruiter than anyone who you wanted to hire. The next coach will not be as good a recruiter.
Hard to believe no reporter that asked a question asked if there were any position changes going into Spring practice. Not counting Townley who's switch to DT was reported when he came back from the transfer portal.
I can't think of any possibe moves based upon pretty much every position having pretty decent depth other than QB and RB. Don't see any candidates to move to QB, and I can't see Rojas delaying his very promising career as a PSU LB to add depth at RB even though he would likely be the 3rd string RB going into 2023 if he did so.
I can't think of any possibe moves based upon pretty much every position having pretty decent depth other than QB and RB. Don't see any candidates to move to QB, and I can't see Rojas delaying his very promising career as a PSU LB to add depth at RB even though he would likely be the 3rd string RB going into 2023 if he did so.
So CJF made the Pittsburgh news tonight.
He said he loved Aaron Donald. But Aaron Donald ruined college football! Said every player now wants to lose weight to be quicker and be the next Aaron Donald. “But there was one Aaron Donald in fifty years!”
So local Pitt station had to show the clip.
He said he loved Aaron Donald. But Aaron Donald ruined college football! Said every player now wants to lose weight to be quicker and be the next Aaron Donald. “But there was one Aaron Donald in fifty years!”
So local Pitt station had to show the clip.
He’s right about Donald
There are freaks and there are freaks that know how to use their unique (sometimes illogical) abilities, and there are coaches that know the same.
Around the 16 minute mark in the video, Franklin mentions that an offensive guy has moved over to DT. Who is it? Any guesses?
Maybe someone like Achumba that doesn't seem to get mentioned in the OL competition conversations, or a walk on olinemen?
There is a Sam Siafa, 6'4" 279 lbs, redshirt freshman, #88, now listed as a DT on the gopsusports roster that I don't remember seeing his name previously among the DT's listed on the PSU gopsusports roster.
This link lists him as an interior olinemen and now listed on the PSU roster as a DT so this is likely who Franklin was referring to.
Samuel Siafa - Penn State Nittany Lions - Defensive Line
Explore Samuel Siafa's athlete profile at On3.com. Get news and insights into his playing career, statistics, and achievements in sports.
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Early enrollee OT? The shot put kid who was as good on D as he was on O? Forget his name. Williams.
Not Siafa, he was already practicing as a DL last year according to the notes. on the PSU roster.Maybe someone like Achumba that doesn't seem to get mentioned in the OL competition conversations, or a walk on olinemen?
There is a Sam Siafa, 6'4" 279 lbs, redshirt freshman, now listed as a DT on the gopsusports roster that I don't remember seeing before.
This link lists him as an interior olinemen and now listed on the PSU roster as a DT so this is likely who Franklin was referring to.
Samuel Siafa - Penn State Nittany Lions - Defensive Line
Explore Samuel Siafa's athlete profile at On3.com. Get news and insights into his playing career, statistics, and achievements in sports.www.on3.com
The early enrollee olinemen have all been discussed recently by the staff as olinemen, with Birchmeier and Williams being high ceiling olinemen starting their PSU career's at OT and then settling in along the OL where they seem the best fit.
It would seem that if that DT was seriously considering PSU that he would show up at a PSU practice during the next couple of weeks.
Could be and if not now maybe eventually, but that wasn't how I was reading Franklin's discussion of Mega. It sounded to me like he's giving him a shot at TE first but was told from the beginning that he may move positions. It also sounded like the kid is all of that 6'6" 270 and still filling out so maybe the writing is on the wall already. But I got the impression that he was starting at TE and then we'll see from there.
Nothing to guess about.
Franklin said that Barnwell will practice this Spring at TE.
Actually he didn’t say that he will practice at TE this spring. He said he has position flexibility and that they will see how he develops. Much different. So who’s your guess?
My guess he he starts practicing @ TE in the Spring. Thy watch and determine were he ends up in fall camp.
Be interesting to see how he develops as his body matures and starts workouts. There are few TE’s in the NFL that play at 270lbs. If can inline block and create separation he may stay put. My guess is ends up weighing over 280 lbs. also think Franklin will give him a year at TE. With our young talent at DE he can try it at TE for most of the year. If he’s looking for a big paycheck DE is where you wanna be.
Watched that part of the PC again (starting around 23:15), and Franklin said that Mega was open to having position flexibility as he was recruited by PSU (TE,DL,OL) as long as he was given the opportunity to come in and compete at TE. Said players and coaches have seen that he has really good hands and moves well out on the field. So Franklin actually did say that Mega will compete at TE before thinking about a move to another position.
Franklin also said that he could be one of those exceptions and be a massive TE, possibly a true Y, but he is big. Had an injury that limited training and development.
Mentioned that there are 280 lb TE's at the combine and he could be one of them.
So I can't see how that could translate to him moving this Spring to anothe position. The promise that Franklin made to him is that he could come in and compete at TE indicates to me that Mega will compete at TE at least for the Spring and more than likely at least through the 2023 season. Training in the S&C program is not competing at TE. The competition takes place on the practice field which began earlier this week and to truely compete it seems to me that a player would want to spend at least a year at the position he wants to compete at, see how he stacks up against this years 3 deep as well as the TE's in his class (one of whom won't show up until the summer and take the field in practice until Fall camp) before entertaining a move to another position. I don't expect any potential move by Mega to practice at another position until at least after the 2023 season. JMO.
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So who are you guessing Franklin may have been referring to moving from offence to DT? He mentioned a bunch of OL competing for the guard and center positions. I'm thinking if mentioned, they weren't the guy. Is it our one of our early enrollee OL?
I still believe it is Siafa short of any other information although some one said that he was practicing at DT before now.
If Franklin mentioned it like he did he'll probably mention who it is by name before the end of Spring practice.
Hopefully some up and coming young PSU football reporter will ask Franklin next Wednesday who exactly is that player that switched from offense over to practice at DT......
Or the media may just notice who it is during the short open portion of practice next week.
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