The question mark is D-Line. Specifically the tackles as I believe with Issac, Chop and DDS we have very good DE/edge rushing talent. Key will be to use their athleticism to get after the QB and get a lot of pressure. Not sure the DTs are good enough to get us over the hump of beating O$U in Columbus this year for example. Jimmah will work like hell to expose our DTs when he comes calling as well.
Whens the last time PSU had this much quality depth at every position?
- Thread starter PSUWrestlingFanSince2011
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I know players that come in as true freshmen and create a splash when they get on the field are not too common. But Robinson is reportedly practicing at Mike this Spring and into Fall and he reportedly is a much higher level athlete than either King or Elsdon. If Robinson had played as a senior in H.S. and dominated, building on his earlier H.S. career, he would likely have been more hyped than Rojas and he is much more physically ready to play B10 football than most incoming freshman LB's. More on the line of Carter. Although I agree that if King continues to improve he'll likely pass Elsdon on the Mike depth chart, I'm not ruling out Robinson making an early impact at Mike, especially if Elsdon and King continue to struggle some.....
I'd like to hear the coaches single out Robinson as a top performer in winter workouts, but he reportedly already has nice size, listed at 6'3" 230, roughly the same as Carter.
Please not to offend anyone. No athlete can add quality size of that amount in one year, if they did it is unhealthy and no way the athlete testing metrics improve. Nutritional guidance is provided for every sport. The reality is there are minimal gifted genetic large athletes.
Yeah and then there is Beamon who actually LOST 25 pounds in a year so I will stand by my statement.
Body composition is the key. No one is adding 50 pounds of "good" weight in less than a year. Keep in mind that these are individuals that have already been on an intensive SC program, so they've already achieved most of the benefits of resistance training and high quality diet.
If simply being 300 pounds is the goal, why not put a 25 pound weight in a DT's game pants?
PSU will attract more top tier DTs when it sends a bunch of them to the NFL.
For DT the extra weight has to be muscle, it can't be fat. And everybody's body chemistry is different. A 260 lb strong and quick DT is more valuable than a 300 pound DT who just occupies space and can't move.
How did it workout vs Michigan with 320 lb PJ?
How did OSU do vs Michigan?
Do you want to build a team based on one game? If so you should probably copy tcu and have LBs who go 250lb, 245 and 240.
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Well yeah, obviously, if your opponent has 320 pound OL who CAN move, you're screwed with 260 pound DTs but you're also screwed with slow fat 300 pounders.
A D-lineman who can't run is basically a player who doesn't even have to be blocked. Offenses can ignore him.
I'm in the camp that believes Penn State will be overmatched at the line of scrimmage once again against Michigan and Ohio State. But you don't solve the problem by fattening up your D-line on burritos as some people in this thread seem to think. You can only solve it by recruiting more of the kind of athletes that Ohio State recruits.
None of our quarterbacks have started a college football game and if I'm not mistaken our field goal kicker to replace Pinegar hasn't had to make a kick under pressure. So question marks at the most important position on the field and at kicker. Depth everywhere else seems pretty solid but those are two big question marks. Not all 5 Star QBs pan out, just sayin....
College aged players can get bigger, stronger, faster in case you haven't noticed.
Certainly everyone knows this. However, a college freshman who reports at 6'6" and 260 has at least 2 factors in his favor in terms of "getting bigger, stronger and faster."
1. Human development. While most boys gain most of their height around 16 or 17 even non athletes will continue to put on weight.
2. No matter what, a top flight university strength, conditioning and nutrition program will be designed for an athlete to gain lean mass which can produce significant results when combined with (see #1)
But you are talking about athletes that are ages 20-22 and have been in those SC programs for 3 or 4 years. Their potential for adding lean mass is minimal.
Tell that to Anthony Cassar. Years in the wrestling program then bumps up to Heavyweight, added over 30 pounds of pure muscle in an off season and wins a NC, including 2 wins over legend Gable Steveson.....
He stopped cutting weight. Big difference.
There are middle weights whose off season weight is 30 lbs over their class.
Looking at the DT depth though I am a little concerned though tbh. Starters will be Izzard and Ellies. 2nd team Beamon and Durant. After that though its pretty shaky, Artis, Townley, Van Den Berg, and Blanding. No clue who's the 5th man up but my guess would be Artis. Would be nice to get a miracle DT in the portal. Cant afford any injuries/suspensions from the 2 deep.
As Beamon started last season at 3 tech it seems likely he starts there again, with Durant backing him up and Izzard and Ellies at 1 tech. That's a pretty solid 2 deep.
And Van den berg got some playing time last season so it's likely that he'll be in the rotation as 2023 will be his 3rd year at PSU. It will be interesting to see where the other 3 play at DT. Artis is the biggest of the 3, maybe the biggest DT on the roster so it seems logical he plays at 1 tech, but who will be the 3rd string 3 tech? Maybe Townley.
Franklin and Scott will be looking for a transfer player as well but if they find one that player will have to earn his snaps in Fall camp. It would seem likely that they would go after a player with at least 2 years to play given that Beamon and Ellies will likely be gone after the 2023 season. That is if they can find one........
Lots of opportunity for the young DT's, Artis and Blanding, to get their feet wet in 2023 and then get in the 2 deep in 2024.
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Additional info that Townley may be a big part of the future for PSU at DT........
triblive.com
After entering the transfer portal, Davon Townley is back at Penn State: ‘Expect big things’
Drew Shelton was asked last week if there’s a defensive lineman on Penn State’s roster — someone from his 2022 recruiting class or maybe a year or two older — that has impressed him since the summer. The offensive tackle didn’t hesitate. “Obviously you guys know about Dani,” Shelton said
triblive.com
Just what the Doctor orderedAdditional info that Townley may be a big part of the future for PSU at DT........
After entering the transfer portal, Davon Townley is back at Penn State: ‘Expect big things’
Drew Shelton was asked last week if there’s a defensive lineman on Penn State’s roster — someone from his 2022 recruiting class or maybe a year or two older — that has impressed him since the summer. The offensive tackle didn’t hesitate. “Obviously you guys know about Dani,” Shelton said
