Coachspeak: Decoding James Franklin's week of media appearances

James Franklin is a head football coach. Holding the title at Penn State, now into his ninth season, means he has had to fulfill one of the most frequent responsibilities the job entails.

He has to talk, talk, and talk some more.

From his regularly scheduled Tuesday press conferences, Wednesday post-practice scrums, and Thursday weekly radio shows, to pre-, in-, and post-game TV and radio interviews, in-house obligations throughout the week, and of course his post-game press conferences, Franklin is tasked with carrying the verbal torch for the program.

But, like anyone else holding his position in the game, Franklin works to balance offering as much insight into the Nittany Lions as possible for fans and media while refraining from saying much of anything at all. 

More forthcoming than he’s given credit for being, Franklin has a way of hammering home the nuts and bolts realities at hand for Penn State from week to week. He also avoids injury talk, a practical sensitivity to situations of his players as well as the strategic ramifications their revelations could have, or providing schematic detail.

Still, every week, Franklin’s commentary has a few moments that are ripe for reading between the lines. And, having covered nearly every word the man has spoken since January 2014, this seems as good of an opportunity as any to help Penn State fans understand why Franklin says what he does.

In a fun exercise we’d like to give a try through the course of this season, here, we filter through the coachspeak to nail down the week that was for James Franklin and the Penn State football program:

Coachspeak: Translating James Franklin’s comments

James Franklin: “We want more production, we want more tackles for loss, we want more sacks, we want more interceptions. All those disruptive-type plays that are drive-killers and momentum changers. So we need more of them. There’s no doubt about it. And, that’s for our entire defense.”

“We do need some more of those, what we would call ‘chaos plays,’ where you’re getting a little bit more turnovers instead of PBUs and tackles for loss and sacks.” 

James Franklin Translation

Let’s start with the easiest one right from the top. Whatever might be said of Franklin obfuscating his intentions at times, or maybe more warranted, purposefully keeping them vague, this doesn’t fall into the category.

Franklin wants sacks and turnovers. Franklin believes this Penn State defense is very much capable of getting them. And, most important, Franklin isn’t providing cover for the fact that this defense hasn’t yet done so through the first two games this season.

Make no mistake, having allowed 24 points defensively at Purdue to open the season, then limiting Ohio and its talented quarterback to just 10 points on Saturday back at Beaver Stadium, Franklin isn’t displeased with Manny Diaz or the defense as a whole. The unit has work to do cleaning up its gap responsibilities, solidifying tackles, and understanding assignments. But, Franklin has largely been pleased by the start to the 2022 season on that side of the ball.

That doesn’t mean he can’t or doesn’t want more, though.

Better framed as a situation in which a parent is a witness to a talented child coming home with B-pluses when the potential is there for across-the-board As, this is the point Franklin hammered home throughout the week.

The linebackers are a position group that has long been understood to need development this season. There is a confidence that it’ll get there, but wiggle room is built-in for some growing pains. 

On the defensive line and in the secondary, however, Penn State is expecting excellence. That tackles for a loss, sacks, and interceptions haven’t yet happened can be partially explained away. But, the repeated messaging on this point is purposeful in its intent.

Game-changing splash plays are necessary for this group. Franklin is setting the bar high so it knows it. 

Heir to the throne

James Franklin: “Sean’s superpower, his gift, is his football IQ. Especially when we’re talking about in a meeting room, how to watch tape, how to break down protections and defenses and pressures; he’s really good at that stuff. 

“Being able to include those other guys, whether it’s Christian Veilleux, or Drew Allar, or Beau Pribula, being able to sit in that meeting room, watch tape, kind of learn from his experiences, (have) great dialogue on the sideline. 

“He’s been fantastic that way. And, he’s really going to set Penn State up for success in our future, in him using his life experiences, his Penn State experiences, and his specific football skills that he’s learned to help our younger players really advance. And I think you’re seeing that from Drew right now. Drew, the reps that he’s been able to get, he doesn’t look like a true freshman in there.”

James Franklin Translation

The plan for bringing back Sean Clifford for a sixth season is playing out exactly as Franklin had intended. And that is working on a couple of different, important levels.

Yes, Clifford’s in-game performance is critical to the success of Penn State football this season. There has never been any denying of that notion. The offseason storyline of grasping Mike Yurcich’s offense better, and parlaying that into demonstrable success has always been important.

But look at what Franklin is saying here. The reality for Penn State’s quarterbacks’ room this season looks markedly different without Clifford in it. Franklin is saying so. 

Who was going to set the example for the three first- and second-year players in Christian Veilleux, Drew Allar, and Beau Pribula if Clifford wasn’t around? Mike Yurcich? Franklin himself? 

It had to be Clifford. The others don’t yet know all of the intricacies it takes to have success at this level. His contributions to the room, in that manner, cannot be overstated. 

There’s a second level to understand here, though. Franklin is also beginning the process of anointing Drew Allar as Penn State’s future at the position without setting a timetable on it.

If Clifford is setting the table for what’s next, and Allar’s performances over the past two weeks are an indication of that plan working, the rest of this season becomes a fascinating case study of to-be-written trajectories. Will Clifford’s efforts speed up Allar’s acclimation to the point that the student eventually becomes the teacher?

Penn State has 10 more regular season games to find out.

Message received

James Franklin: “I think (receiver depth is) expanding. Getting Jaden Dottin back has expanded that. Omari [Evans] is a guy that’s really starting to come on and gain some confidence as well. Kaden Saunders has been able to get in and play a little bit. The list is expanding. But, I would say from a rotation and a tap standpoint, (the situation at receiver is) probably still the same.”

James Franklin Translation

Penn State has a talented group of younger receivers vying to make a mark this season. But, don’t get carried away when setting expectations beyond Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington. Or, at least, pump the breaks a little bit.

Later talking about Evans specifically, Franklin touched on the reality that exists throughout the position. Understanding sheer athleticism to be an abundant asset in the room, Franklin noted that strength, fundamentals, techniques, understanding defenses, and how to attack those defenses were all major areas that would need to be developed. 

The concept applies to the entire lot. Franklin isn’t shooting down dreams or anything here. But, setting the right expectations for tiers in the room is probably necessary.