Penn State coach James Franklin updates freshmen redshirt plans ahead of game five
Penn State could burn four freshmen’s redshirts on Saturday at Northwestern. The plan all along was to use a year of eligibility for linebacker Tony Rojas, cornerbacks Elliot Washington II and Zion Tracy, and safety King Mack. Each has played in all four games this season. By playing against the Wildcats, they will be over the threshold to preserve a year of eligibility. And, all are expected to travel to Evanston, Ill., for a Noon ET kick at Ryan Field and do exactly that.
“We have the guys that we had as green that we’re going to play,” Franklin said Wednesday night. “[For] those guys, the model hasn’t changed. We’re going to continue to play those guys.”
Rojas and Tracy lead that quartet with 49 defensive snaps a piece. Mack has 37. And, Washington II has 24. All are being routinely used on various Penn State special teams units, too. However, those snaps are not tracked by Pro Football Focus. But, each player being able to double dip on special teams and defense is why their respective redshirts will be burned, barring a sudden change, before October arrives.
More: Wednesday practice notes: Offense | Defense
“These guys have shown that they’re the closest, not just to play on defense, but also have significant roles on special teams,” Franklin said earlier this year. “There’s so much value in that in terms of ‘Ok, here’s a guy that’s in the two deep on special teams, and here’s a guy that’s in the three deep on offense or defense, who’s going to play enough that it makes sense to green light them and go from game one, [because] he’s going to get enough reps between the combination of his offensive responsibility, and special teams responsibility, or his defensive responsibility and his special teams responsibility, that everybody’s comfortable with it.
“The coaches are comfortable with it. The players are comfortable with it, and it makes sense. So, that’s where those guys have been able to get the green light, is being in what I would consider the three deep on defense, and being within the two deep on enough special teams units that it makes sense.”
As for the rest of the freshmen, those in the ‘yellow’ category continue to be. A new NCAA rule allows players to see the field in four regular season games and then an unlimited number of postseason games while still keeping a year of eligibility. Any other first-year players beside those four are tracking to do that in 2023.
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“The guys that we would characterize as yellows, as of right now, those guys are staying yellow unless we get some bumps and bruises that we have to kind of change their status,” Franklin said. “I think it’s also, we’re trying to be as strategic as we can. The play early and then maybe hold and save some games for late in the season.”
Penn State 2023 freshmen redshirt tracker
Here’s where the Penn State tracker stands after Week 4:
Four games
LB Tony Rojas
CB Elliot Washington II
CB Zion Tracy
S King Mack
Two games
DE Jameial Lyons
OT J’ven Williams
OT Anthony Donkoh
One game
QB Jaxon Smolik
TE Andrew Rappleyea
OL Chimdy Onoh
DT Tyriq Blanding
LB Ta’Mere Robinson
LB Kaveion Keys
CB Lamont Payne
S DaKaari Nelson
Zero games
RB London Montgomery
RB Cam Wallace
WR Carmelo Taylor
TE Joey Schlaffer
OL Alex Birchmeier
DE Joseph Mupoyi
DE Mason Robinson
