Penn State coach Stacy Collins talks special teams improvement, Daequan Hardy, more

The play of the Penn State special teams has been one of the bigger positives of the 2023 season. Back in August, question marks plagued the group. There were newcomers at kicker, snapper, punter, and punt returner. Early signs in September were not promising. But, coordinator Stacy Collins, the specialists, and the coverage teams engineered an in-season turnaround that has impressed onlookers for the balance of the season. That includes head coach James Franklin, who commended the group on Wednesday night.

“Stacy, I’ve been very impressed and pleased with our improvement from the beginning of the season to now,” Franklin said. “We’ve improved dramatically on special teams. Our specialists have been more consistent.”

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Collins described how the unit grew in a way that allowed it to play at a high level on a consistent basis.

“I think it’s like anything in football. You sort spring ball and camp, and you got new faces, and there is a process to that,” Collins said. “I give those guys credit for improving every week, and getting better every week, and being able to do that on game days.”

Here is more of what Collins said on Thursday.

On the emergence of punt returner Daequan Hardy

“Dae-Dae, when he got his opportunity, he did an unbelievable job of showing what he can do with the ball in space and making explosive play. To be able to have the skill to be explosive in the return game is always going to be a positive.”

Collins added that Kaden Saunders, who Hardy replaced, still has a “bright future” as a returner at Penn State.

On kicker Alex Felkins, who is 14 of 17 this season with two misses from 50+ yards

“He goes through the routine,” Collins said. “Not just from a physical standpoint but a mental standpoint, you see it in Sunday practice; his maturity and ability to bounce back after not winning the job, those type of mental challenges, he’s attacked head-on. He’s been able to get better and better, and when you do that, it brings confidence.”

On Penn State punter Riley Thompson and if he has more eligibility remaining

“We’re working through that,” Collins said. “We’ll sit down at the end. There’s some things we have to sort through. He’s done a great job. I can’t say enough about Riley. Similar to Dae-Dae and Alex Felkins, they’ve gotten better every week. He’s able to flip the field. Excited with where he’s at and looking forward to finishing the season strong.”

On a freshman kicker who has impressed: Walk-on Ryan Barker

“Walks out, handles his business, competes every day, only says about three words, but he does it on the field,” Collins said. “That’s what makes these competitions fun. The margins are close. And, that’s what makes your room better.

On the Penn State freshmen linebackers

“The great thing for Tony [Rojas] is, he’s been able to get a lot of game reps,” Collins said. “He continues to get better, and better, and better. With Ta’Mere [Robinson] and Kaveion [Keys], you watch these guys in practice, they’ve gotten better. I’m excited with where that young linebacker group is. Their growth and development has been great.

Read a full transcript of Penn State coach Stacy Collins’ comments inside The Lions Den forum by clicking here. Not a member? Sign-up for Blue-White Illustrated today to get one month free for $1 dollar HERE! Doing so will give you access to offensive coordinator updates, the latest recruiting intel, and more! And, download the On3 app here. Doing so will give you access to breaking news alerts, the Lions Den message board, and more.

Penn State returns to the field Saturday. Kickoff is at Noon ET. Rutgers comes to Beaver Stadium for Senior Day. Fox Sports One is televising the game. It will air on the Penn State Sports Network, as well. And, live updates will be in the Lions Den forum. Recruiting visitor updates will be there, too.