Who is your "don't sleep on" player for 2024

[GregInPitt]

Worth watching.

Nick Saban played some elite freshmen O-linemen. Would Franklin consider it?

Consider it? Franklin/Trautwein Started Shelton 5 games in 2022 as a true freshman when Fashanu was injured and it's hard to describe Shelton as elite, especially with how he played in the Peach Bowl.

First Franklin/Trautwein have to have a freshman olineman that is elite as a freshman. Even Olu redshirted as a freshman although he was younger than most freshmen.

Hope Cousins is up to the task as it would be great to have a high performing young olinemen starting for 3/4 years no matter what position on the oline he plays. Center is awful hard to come in as a young player and start and play well due to the calls as the team lines up and it might be more reasonable for a player like Cousins to play Guard as a true freshman and then move to Center in his 2nd year. But have to hope enrolling early that he can just take over Center with the glaring opening there for 2024 by being a more natural player there than the returning interior olinemen such as Dawkins, Loane, ......

 

[ryoder1]

This didn’t age well. Cephas was benched in the Peach Bowl for a reason and now he gone. Good riddance! The fact that he had trouble becoming academically eligible should’ve been a huge red flag. Out of the WRs I’ll go with Saunders who got more involved as the season went on and should be our primary PR unless Mack steps up. From all reports Saunders was really behind physically and needed a lot of work in the weight room. I think Fleming will be huge for our WR room not just talent wise, but the fact that he’s a physical WR who is an excellent blocker downfield and can really set an example for the younger guys. We sorely missed any real leadership in the WR room.

I have been hoping/waiting for Saunders to step up. He was a highly ranked recruit. Maybe next season is his year. Also Liam Clifford is a player to watch, good hands and good route runner.

 

[Marylovesthelions]

I am changing my pick. I pick the WR room. I stand by my belief. This coaching staff did not recruit 17 stone hands, two left feet WRs.
"They are never open." I watched Washington. Pennix threw his long receptions long before the reciever was open. I expect that AK has a plan to solve the WR issues. Hint, it will include QB training, schemes, and other issues, not just morale and skill issues.
Teams with less talented WRs and QBs had successful WR rooms. Marvin Harrison has no clones. This is absolutely my last words on 2023 WRs.

 

[91Joe95]

I am changing my pick. I pick the WR room. I stand by my belief. This coaching staff did not recruit 17 stone hands, two left feet WRs.
"They are never open." I watched Washington. Pennix threw his long receptions long before the reciever was open. I expect that AK has a plan to solve the WR issues. Hint, it will include QB training, schemes, and other issues, not just morale and skill issues.
Teams with less talented WRs and QBs had successful WR rooms. Marvin Harrison has no clones. This is absolutely my last words on 2023 WRs.

I'm a big believer that wr's are a dime a dozen. Sure, a really good one can help put an offense on a higher level, but if they all stink its time to look at who's throwing the ball to them. I know I've said it before, but DWill, Butler, and Norwood didn't suddenly become bad receivers during the Morelli years. I'll also repeat that's one regular recruit, a walk-on, and a gray shirt as one of the greatest receiving groups in psu history.

 

[Obliviax]

Get your point. But if you can find anyone that would really sleep on Rojas bring him here to testify. Rojas has shown enough that he could end up with the sticks after Carter is gone. Didn't he play like 15 minutes in one of the games and had around 8 tackles? Saying to not sleep on Rojas is about as logical as saying don't sleep on Parsons after the show he put on as a true freshman.

I can see the staff using him as a hybrid S/LB and line him up all over the field.

On offense, I see Kahlil Dinkins breaking out. My hope is that both Malik McClain and Malick Meiga break out just to drive the announcers nuts.

 

[GregInPitt]

I can see the staff using him as a hybrid S/LB and line him up all over the field.

On offense, I see Kahlil Dinkins breaking out. My hope is that both Malik McClain and Malick Meiga break out just to drive the announcers nuts.

I still believe Rojas is a LB all the way. He was 225+ last season and is likely to be closing in on 230-235 lbs going into Fall 2024. At Sam he does get some pass coverage work. But I'm intested to see how the couple big, new Safety recruits end up being used, 2023 Dakaari Nelson listed at 6'3", 220 and 2024 Dejaun Lane listed at 6'3" 195. Nelson was listed at 203 lbs as a recruit so the S&C may be turning him into either a monster Safety or an OLB., or a hybrid.

Dinkens has consistently looked very good as a receiver the last 2 years and he will be a weapon in 2024. I'm also looking forward to seeing Rappleayea emerge in 2024 as it seemed the coaches thought he was good enough to play in 2023 but just too much talent and experience ahead of him.

With the log jam at WR (in more of a mediocre way than a very positive way....) it would not surprise me to see Meiga leave the program. Right now the roster projects to be 11 over the 85 and there are some positions where attrition is unlikely such as QB. Those scholarships have to come from somewhere and WR's that have had 3 years or more to emerge seem to be candidates. It is pretty easy to come up with 6-8 players across the roster that also seem to have gotten a long tryout but now face getting passed on the depth chart by 2023 and 2024 players but naming lot of names doesn't seem like a proper thing to do.

 

[Marylovesthelions]

I still believe Rojas is a LB all the way. He was 225+ last season and is likely to be closing in on 230-235 lbs going into Fall 2024. At Sam he does get some pass coverage work. But I'm intested to see how the couple big, new Safety recruits end up being used, 2023 Dakaari Nelson listed at 6'3", 220 and 2024 Dejaun Lane listed at 6'3" 195. Nelson was listed at 203 lbs as a recruit so the S&C may be turning him into either a monster Safety or an OLB., or a hybrid.

Dinkens has consistently looked very good as a receiver the last 2 years and he will be a weapon in 2024. I'm also looking forward to seeing Rappleayea emerge in 2024 as it seemed the coaches thought he was good enough to play in 2023 but just too much talent and experience ahead of him.

With the log jam at WR (in more of a mediocre way than a very positive way....) it would not surprise me to see Meiga leave the program. Right now the roster projects to be 11 over the 85 and there are some positions where attrition is unlikely such as QB. Those scholarships have to come from somewhere and WR's that have had 3 years or more to emerge seem to be candidates. It is pretty easy to come up with 6-8 players across the roster that also seem to have gotten a long tryout but now face getting passed on the depth chart by 2023 and 2024 players but naming lot of names doesn't seem like a proper thing to do.

Since we now are a pro team, why should the NCAA limit scholarships? Let teams sign 150 if they want. Mo player is bound yo a team any more.

 

[GregInPitt]

That's an interesting thought on the young super-sized safeties. Lots of ways that they could be utilized and developed.

What's crazy is that the quality TE depth is even deeper than you have listed and seems to have even more natural talent the deeper that you go.

Yep, with Schlaffer seemingly needing to develop his body moreso than Rappleyea and possibly more patient to wait his turn, and Reynolds being pretty much readly to contribute as a freshman, this seems like a make or break Spring for Cross. JMO.

 

[GregInPitt]

Definitely easier to start at OG and move over after a year or more. But do we have a starter ready for OC? Is that starter better than those who play OG and may not be as strong at OC? We'll see. I'm not calling it to definitely happen, it's rare. That's why I called Cousins my deep sleeper pick.

Connor McGovern did what we are talking about as a true freshman in 2016 for PSU, starting at Guard and then in 2017 moving to Center. He's playing today for Buffalo.

From Wikipedia:
McGovern accepted a football scholarship from Penn State University. As a true freshman, he started nine out of 13 games playing at right guard. He was named the Big Ten Freshman of the week during week 10 of his freshman season, and became the first offensive lineman to receive the honor. He also became the third Big Ten offensive lineman to receive any player of the week award since Penn State joined the conference, after Korey Stringer of Ohio State and Sean Poole of Michigan State.[1]

As a sophomore, McGovern was moved from guard to the center position, starting all 13 games.[2] As a junior, he started 12 games at right guard and one at center.

On January 2, 2019, McGovern announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2019 NFL Draft.[3]

 

[LongJakk]

I'll go with Rucci to step in at LT on day 1

 

[ryoder1]

Yep, with Schlaffer seemingly needing to develop his body moreso than Rappleyea and possibly more patient to wait his turn, and Reynolds being pretty much readly to contribute as a freshman, this seems like a make or break Spring for Cross. JMO.

Could any of the TEs slim down a little and move to WR? It's like we have the top TE room in the country and the 120th ranked WR room.

 

[GregInPitt]

Could any of the TEs slim down a little and move to WR? It's like we have the top TE room in the country and the 120th ranked WR room.

Reynolds wouldn't have to slim down as he's pretty much built like a WR. That is before he gets too far in PSU's S&C program......

 

[voltz99]

Could any of the TEs slim down a little and move to WR? It's like we have the top TE room in the country and the 120th ranked WR room.

Why do you care if they are slim?

If a player is 6'6, slow, can't get any separation and makes catches in traffic, does it matter?

If you are 6'6 do you need separation to make a catch?

 

[ryoder1]

Why do you care if they are slim?

If a player is 6'6, slow, can't get any separation and makes catches in traffic, does it matter?

If you are 6'6 do you need separation to make a catch?

What I am thinking is 220 or 225 not 250 just for quickness reasons and help them get some separation. I'm not a coach so I don't understand all the nuances of the WR position. I do know you have outside speed guys and more slot possession guys. My overall point is if we could utilize one of our younger TEs in the WR role? At 6'6" they could dominate a corner and even a safety in terms of a height advantage and like you say be able to catch balls in traffic and/or win 50/50 balls. We need to look at all options to improve our WR room. Remember Joe Jurevicius? He was 6'5" I think and was a great WR for us.

 

[voltz99]

What I am thinking is 220 or 225 not 250 just for quickness reasons and help them get some separation. I'm not a coach so I don't understand all the nuances of the WR position. I do know you have outside speed guys and more slot possession guys. My overall point is if we could utilize one of our younger TEs in the WR role? At 6'6" they could dominate a corner and even a safety in terms of a height advantage and like you say be able to catch balls in traffic and/or win 50/50 balls. We need to look at all options to improve our WR room. Remember Joe Jurevicius? He was 6'5" I think and was a great WR for us.

I pretty much agree except TE weight is not an issue to me. I don't expect them to be burners. If they make catches by bullying a guy then great.

Remember when we had Moorhead and OSU used to say all mcsorley did was throw jumpballs? There was a little truth to that. Godwin and gesecki caught a lot of balls in traffic. Don't always have to have separation to make plays. I still want speed at WR but we need generate more offense.

 

[ryoder1]

I pretty much agree except TE weight is not an issue to me. I don't expect them to be burners. If they make catches by bullying a guy then great.

Remember when we had Moorhead and OSU used to say all mcsorley did was throw jumpballs? There was a little truth to that. Godwin and gesecki caught a lot of balls in traffic. Don't always have to have separation to make plays. I still want speed at WR but we need generate more offense.

Yeah, at its most basic level we need more WRs to make catches. Whether he has separation or not just get some completed passes. If a converted TE can do that for us because he is bigger and stronger and can out jump or out muscle a smaller DB then great.