James Franklin updates the status of Penn State defensive lineman Coziah Izzard

Penn State has had a fast start to the season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. However, they’ve had to do this without Coziah Izzard, a talented defensive lineman. To this point in the season, Izzard has been unavailable for games but has worked with the team’s practice squad.

While speaking to the media, James Franklin was asked if Coziah Izzard no longer working with the scout team was an indicator that he was finally going to be available to play this week. Franklin, in response, was coy.

“That’s possible,” James Franklin said. “We’ll see how this plays out, you know, this week. But that’s possible.”

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James Franklin has continually declined to comment on why Coziah Izzard and fellow defensive lineman Smith Vilbert have been unavailable.

“Just not available…I got a ton of respect for all the players in our program, and I want to be respectful of their situations, whether it’s personal, whether it’s professional, whether it’s academic, whatever it may be. I want to be respectful of those things,” James Franklin said.

Coziah Izzard was a four-star edge rusher in the Class of 2020. He was expected to be a key producer on the defensive line after notching 21 tackles (three for loss) and recording two sacks in 2021.