Penn State April checklist: March to Blue-White weekend, recruiting, the portal, and more

Penn State football has made it to April.

The Nittany Lions have entered another month of spring practice. The first five were held in March. The remaining 10 will take place over the next 23 days.

Like every month, Blue-White Illustrated is running down the Penn State checklist for the next four weeks. Here’s what is on the April docket.

Spring practice continues at Penn State

Penn State is back on the practice field Saturday.

The Nittany Lions will then drill three times a week over the next three as they aim to make the most of their 15 opportunities stretched over two months.

So far, the program has had a handful of opportunities to take the field. Fundamentals are always a big focus this time of year. However, Penn State also has the added component of installing new systems for the second straight season. Last year, it was Mike Yurcich putting in a new offense. This time around, Manny Diaz is putting his defense in place while Stacy Collins is teaching the way he wants special teams to be played.

On Diaz’s job so far specifically, head coach James Franklin had this to say on Wednesday:

“Overall, good. Obviously, he’s got tremendous experience, both as a head coach and as a defensive coordinator. But I’ve been really impressed with him and I think he’s been really good with the staff and with the guys as well.”

What will the Blue-White game look like?

Penn State will host its first Blue-White game since 2019 on April 23.

Beaver Stadium will again welcome fans for the almost annual end to spring practice. But, what will the game look like?

Based on Franklin’s history, the scrimmage, which will be televised by Big Ten Network at 2 p.m., should look as it always has. However, adjustments have been made in the past due to numbers issues. Some players have suited up for both teams. That might be the case this year with the offensive line, in particular, which could force some alterations. The Lions only have 11 on their roster right now plus converted defensive tackle Alex Furmanek. It goes without saying that, even if all 12 are healthy, playing almost every snap of a scrimmage would be a tall task.

“Our numbers are real low,” Franklin said when asked about the offensive line.

“This happens from time to time. We have a bunch of guys that have kind of moved on. So our numbers are low. We have answers for training camp, but right now there’s not a whole lot of answers.”

We’ll see how it might change things. But, there’s a good chance that the situation will cause some adjustments to be made.

Penn State and the portal

Many schools will hold their spring game before Penn State does. That means the transfer portal is about to get busy.

Players who don’t like where they stand coming out of each school’s 15 allotted practices will soon start looking for a new home. Similarly, those who want to move on for any number of reasons will do the same. Per FBS Schedules, more than 40 programs will play their spring game on April 9. April 16 is a loaded date, as well. A few programs will play earlier in April, of course. And, others are in line to finish with the Lions, while some will actually finish slightly later than Penn State.

Regardless, it’s the time of year when depth charts coming out of the first drills of the year will tell some players it’s time to move on. Penn State has needs at numerous spots, chief among them the defensive line, linebacker, offensive line, and perhaps elsewhere. So, expect to hear plenty of potential developments there over the days ahead. And, players could leave the Lions too, of course.

Recruiting ramps up, as well

Penn State has already hosted numerous prospects this spring. But, the days ahead will be just as busy, capped off by a large expected crowd for the Blue-White game.

The Lions will be competing with a few schools when it comes to hosting recruits on April 23. Notre Dame, Oklahoma, LSU, and Texas are just a few of the schools also in action that Saturday. But, PSU will get a strong turnout, as it always does.

Then, once the spring wraps up, the coaching staff will quickly hit the road to recruit as the spring evaluation period runs from April 15 through May 31.