James Franklin outlines four questions Penn State football must answer post-spring practice

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin left his program’s 15th spring practice feeling positive.

His veteran quarterback, Sean Clifford, had experienced his best spring as a Penn State player. His freshman class might contain more quick contributors than any he’s ever signed.

Like any program, though, the Nittany Lions have uncertainties. These are the questions that Franklin said were on his mind at spring ball’s conclusion.

1. Who is going to be Penn State’s punter?

The replacement for Big Ten punter of the season Jordan Stout hasn’t made himself apparent yet, in Franklin’s mind.

Stout was one of the nation’s most effective field-flippers a season ago. Without him, it seems unlikely the Nittany Lions would have posted a top-10 scoring defense in the country.

“After losing maybe the best specialist in the country, that’s a big question,” Franklin said Saturday afternoon.

We saw Barney Amor and Gabriel Nwosu in action during special teams periods on Saturday. Franklin said Mitchell Groh is also a factor.

The head coach praised Amor’s efforts throughout the spring, and noted that he thought Nwosu punted well on Saturday despite a relatively inconsistent spring.

It’s also possible that Penn State’s 2022 punter isn’t even on campus yet — with top-ranked Kohl’s Kicking punter Alex Bacchetta yet to arrive.

“Blake [Gillikin] says he’s the best freshman he’s ever seen,” Franklin said.

2. Can the offensive line take a step forward?

This is the eternal question. And though it has been asked over and over and over again, the pertinence is never diluted.

Franklin seemed pleased with the progress his offensive line has made this spring — highlighting the development of tackle Olu Fashanu and touting the return of the previously injured Sal Wormley as big factors.

Penn State’s offensive line is one of the pressure points that could determine whether the Nittany Lions have a positive season come the fall.

A failure to address last season’s shortcomings could keep Penn State’s offensive potential firmly capped.

“Offensive line, you know, who’s going to replace the guys that left?” Franklin said. “And can we take a step where you guys ask about the offensive line, I say something, and then we back it up?”

3. Who is the Nittany Lions’ starter at middle linebacker?

Consider Penn State’s deck at linebacker shuffled.

This offseason, Ellis Brooks and Brandon Smith went out the door. Jonathan Sutherland moved from safety to Sam linebacker. Curtis Jacobs moved from Sam linebacker to Will linebacker. And we still don’t know who the Mike linebacker is.

Got all that? Good. It’s about as many moving parts as you could ask for within a three-position circuit.

The competition at Mike was always presented as one that would go into the summer, with third-year Tyler Elsdon and second-year Kobe King going head to head.

Elsdon didn’t partake in Saturday’s action, with King claiming three tackles and making a handful of impressive plays.

“I think we got a pretty good idea who the two outside linebackers are, and we had great competition at Mike linebacker between Elsdon and Kobe,” Franklin said. “And I would say — and the staff and managers will probably tell you this — they probably did better than we anticipated. So, we’re a little bit further ahead there than we thought.”

4. How will new Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz adjust?

After years and years of stability under Brent Pry, the Nittany Lions have a new face in charge of their defense.

Manny Diaz — fresh off three seasons as Miami’s head coach — comes with a high pedigree.

And his unit certainly looked the part during the spring game. The Nittany Lions generated two interceptions and three sacks, holding the offense to just one touchdown and making a goal-line stand to secure a 17-13 win.

But, any time continuity is interrupted, there’s bound to be uncertainty. And that uncertainty will persist until the Nittany Lions take the field in September.

“How is he going to fit and match after we have had so much stability at that position for a long time?” Franklin said. “But that’s been good so far.”