James Franklin says he is 'a big fan' of Jerry Cross

Penn State head coach James Franklin opened up about one of his true freshmen on Wednesday. Tight end Jerry Cross hasn’t been able to contribute thus far this season, however, Franklin revealed that he is close to seeing the field.

“I’m a big fan of Jerry,” Franklin said. “He got hurt in the summer so, he missed a bunch of time but he’s getting close to being back full-go. He’s been awesome though. He has a huge smile on his place and he’s worked extremely hard. He’s changed his body. Our training staff loves him, our strength staff loves him. Him and Zane Durant are like inseperatble, I never see one without the other.

“He’ll be a guy who hopefully towards the end of the season will have an opportunity to get some work and some reps. We’ll see how that plays out.”

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The 6-foot-5, 254-pound tight end out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin signed with the Nittany Lions in the 2022 class after a long commitment to the team.

Hailing from King High School, Cross was a four-star prospect and a top-5 recruit in Wisconsin. He was No. 265 overall in the 2022 signing class, according to the On3 Consensus, and the No. 12 tight end.

Cross has been adding weight to his frame since joining the team as an early enrollee and he’s shaping up to be a contributor for the Nittany Lions after he redshirts the 2022 season.

Franklin comments on possibility of Drew Allar playing versus Indiana

Two straight losses for James Franklin have brought quarterback questions into the program. 

Sean Clifford has been the guy for Penn State all season but true freshman Drew Allar is waiting for major action. While Allar has seen playing time at certain points, it’s never been consistent for the Nittany Lions.

Franklin was asked if Allar would get a look to start after losing to both Michigan and Ohio State. He gave the answer any college football coach around the country might, saying there is a constant evaluation process. However, he did say there is a conversation with other coaches inside the program about the quarterback situation.

“First of all, it’s not a decision I make on my own,” Franklin said. “Whenever there are big decisions like that, I want to make sure that I am not too close to it. So, had a good conversation with (offensive coordinator) Mike Yurcich, obviously. Talked to (defensive coordinator) Manny Diaz about it… I talked to guys that have been a college or NFL head coach before, got everybody’s thoughts. And we’ll continue to evaluate it like we always do.”

On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.