Everything Penn State coach James Franklin said at his final news conference before SMU

Penn State head coach James Franklin held his final news conference of SMU week on Wednesday night. The 11th-year leader of the Nittany Lions, who are the six seed, face the No. 11 Mustangs at Noon ET Saturday in a College Football Playoff first round matchup on TNT. The first couple of questions focused on the team’s backup quarterback situation after Beau Pribula hit the transfer portal back on Sunday.

“Ethan [Grunkemeyer] will be the backup quarterback in the game,” Franklin said. “[Jaxon] Smolik still isn’t cleared medically. Grunk’s done a really good job, and put himself in a position that we have a lot of confidence, and he was getting ton of reps this week.”

Grunkemeyer is a freshman who has yet to play in a game. Smolik is a redshirt freshman who suffered a long-term injury earlier this year. He has been cleared for practice and some pregame warmup work but not game action yet. Has Grunkemeyer’s elevated role impacted the scout team offense in preparing the first-team defense this week?

“We’ve been rotating him up all year long anyway,” Franklin said. “So, not a big deal. [Redshirt freshman Jack Lambert] has done a really good job all year long doing that. And Smolik, that’s part of his obviously working back into [game] reps.”

Read everything else Franklin said and watch video of his comments below. Can’t see the embedded video player? Click here to see it.

On the challenge of facing a running back who used to be a receiver and is used out of the backfield like SMU’s Brashard Smith

“Obviously, they’re pretty purposeful in terms of their plan to try to get him involved as much as they possibly can in the pass game,” Franklin said. “But there’s other running backs, obviously that we have faced, that have also done that. But he’s very comfortable doing it. Has been very effective.”

On the impact Penn State’s offseason transfer portal additions have had on the team in 2024

“Those guys have been great,” Franklin said. “I think that’s the thing for us. We want to be very selective and strategic about who we bring in and what their role is going to be, and why. And to me, we look at it from a lot of different levels. Is this a good opportunity for them? And does it also make sense for us and our roster? So trying to take all those things into account.

“Obviously, the success that we’ve had makes us attractive to a lot of young men out there that want to play at this level and want to play in these types of games. And then obviously, being able to have guys like Tyler Warren and Abdul Carter and so on and so forth, that are up for awards and All-Americans, and things like that, those things help too. So it’s an attractive option, but we’re very strategic about who we who we get involved with, and who we bring in.”

Who would the third-string quarterback be on Saturday if needed?

“We don’t option have a third option right now,” Franklin said.

Could it be Penn State star tight end Tyler Warren, who has had a Wildcat role this season?

“I get the questions,” Franklin said. “I understand you guys got to ask the questions, but like our strategy and what we would do in this game, saying it now, so they can start preparing for it during the week, I don’t think makes a whole lot of sense. I’d be happy to talk about those things in the off-season in detail with you guys.”

On receiver Omari Evans’ up-and-down production this season

“It’s the same answer I give you guys all the time,” Franklin said. “We want to get all these guys involved in the offense. And, based on the coverage and what the defense gives us, that’s going to determine guys one week having a big game, and other weeks maybe not as big of an impact. You can’t get everybody the ball as much as we would like to. We expect him to have a big week this week. And we’ll see how it plays out. But obviously, we’d love for all those guys to be able to have an impact on the game. But planning is one thing. What actually happens in the game is another.”

Who does SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings remind him of?

“Lamar,” Franklin said. “We haven’t played the Baltimore Ravens. But that’s who he reminds me of. Athletic, can extend plays, can make big plays, does a really good job of keeping his eyes down the field. I think that’s his style of play. I don’t know if we have anybody else that we have played this year that’s similar to him. But his game really reminds me a lot of Lamar Jackson.”

On the recent play of the Penn State offensive line and the task it faces on Saturday

“It’ll be a challenge,” Franklin said. “I thought we had a challenge [against Oregon], and the guys did a great job stepping up to that. And we’re going to need to do that again on Saturday. Obviously us being able to go and get a guy like Rucci back, who we’ve known for a very long time, and to be able to get him part of the program, that was big. Really big for us right now. And he’s doing a tremendous job. And he just continues to seem to get more and more confident, more and more comfortable each week. So that’s going to be an important matchup in this game.”

On the impact the expanded CFP has on coaches and families

“It’s just different, right? In other years, you’d be out on the road recruiting,” Franklin said. “That’s challenging. But, I think for most of us, the families, it is challenging. There’s a major sacrifice made by the families and the kids. That’s why we work really hard to create an environment where the significant others and children, come to the office, come to practice, as much as possible. I just took up-to-date pictures with [Penn State director of football administration] Kevin Threlkel’s two daughters.

“We try to make that as much a part of what we do and and how we operate as possible. Because it’s a grind on everybody. The only thing I’ll say on the other end of this is most of our families don’t know any different, right? We think this is normal. So I think that helps, to a degree.”

Could injured Penn State linebacker Keon Wylie contribute down the stretch?

“Yeah, that is kind of the same circumstance [as Smolik],” Franklin said. “Yes, he could, but at this stage, not fully cleared for game reps.”

On going to the proverbial play call well one too many times

“I’m like you guys: When we go to it and it works, it’s awesome,” Franklin said. “And when it doesn’t, it sucks, right? I think that’s the fine line with all this stuff. How much you do on offense, how much you do on defense that you do well. How many times you call something to make sure that they can defend it, but then when do you stop? You call it one too many times, and now it’s not as effective. So that’s the fine line. It’s not a science. It’s also an art to it. You’re trying to predict things that aren’t always predictable, and then, not only that, you may call it at the right time, and their three technique just beats our guard, and now it’s not effective.

“So there’s a lot of reasons for plays and things to be successful. I think what Andy [Kotlenicki] does a really nice job of, and I’ve said this to you guys before in my 11 years, is, I think as a play caller, where you really make your money, there’s four to six calls a game that are critical. The rest of them for the most part, as much time as we spend game planning on what you’re going to do and opening drives, or your first third or short, your first third medium, those things are pretty much staff discussions that are planned out. But there’s that feel of when to make a specific call that your gut and all your film study tells you you’re going to get what you want right here.

“It helps in today’s college football that we do so much check with me, either at the line of scrimmage with the quarterback or to the sideline. That helps. But still, I think there’s four to six plays a game that really define a very successful major college coordinator.”

On potential ‘depth’ additions from the portal ascending into starting roles as AJ Harris, Jalen Kimber, and Nolan Rucci have

“I don’t think I’ve ever described those guys as depth guys,” Franklin said. “We don’t go to the portal and you know, tell guys we’re bringing them in to be depth guys. Now, obviously, we also don’t promise any starting jobs. They got to earn it. But, those guys obviously are big contributors for us right now. We’re going to need them to play well on Saturday. But I never viewed either one of those guys as depth guys for us.”

On preparing for SMU’s tempo

“We’ve been doing tempo periods the last couple days, good on good,” Franklin said. “Because as much as we do it with the scout teams and those things are fine, it’s not the same as going good on good. So we’ve done that full speed every day against our offense and against our defense. Tempo period with the plays that we run, but similar concepts that they run, that serve the purpose and allow our defense to get what they need.”

On the status of star safety Jaylen Reed after he shared photos from a car accident last weekend

“Well, what I would first like is for us not to share all of our business on social media, so that this is even a discussion,” Franklin said. “But at the end of the day, I’m glad Jay Reedis safe and healthy. In some ways, I look at all these guys like like my sons. I got a very close relationship with J-Reed and his mom. So most important thing is he’s healthy. And I don’t mean just for football. He’s healthy and good. That’s the most important thing. And then obviously, we sure are glad that he’s full go and no issues.”

On if there is any special prep for preparing for a team like SMU, which commits among the most penalties per game nationally

“Not anything more than what you do any other time,” Franklin said. “We’re not spending time on that. We’re spending time on executing our game plan, on offense, defense and special teams. And those other things, we’re not going into this game doing anything more than what we normally do in terms of cadences and things like that.”

On the differences related to having a Penn State home game run by the College Football Playoff

“Obviously it’s in Beaver Stadium,” Franklin said. “One of the things I think is really important is the students. Our students make a huge difference for us, and obviously being after finals and things like that makes it a little bit challenging. So that’s a little bit of a concern. And then obviously it’s a home game for us, but to your point, the College Football Playoff pretty much runs everything else. So it will not feel like it normally feels to us playing a home game in Beaver Stadium.

“But overall, in general, obviously, we’re glad and fortunate to be home. So we’ll take it. This is the structure that exists and we’re going to embrace it and move forward.”