Penn State depth chart shifts ahead of Kent State game
Penn State head coach James Franklin was ready by Monday to get things going again. Meeting with reporters for his weekly press conference, the Nittany Lions’ head coach detailed the program’s productivity through a bye week while turning its eyes toward its resumption of play this weekend.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in Beaver Stadium after a week off,” said Franklin. “This time of year it’s kind of unusual for this early in the season to not be playing. We’re able to get out and get a ton of recruiting done. We’re able to take care of our guys from a rest and recovery standpoint. And we we’re able to get some depth guys some work, some guys that are a little bit further down the depth chart, which was good.”
Welcoming Kent State to Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m., BTN), the shape those Nittany Lions take will be different in key areas from the one that suited up against Bowling Green two weeks ago.
We’re digging into those changes, with a one-stop printable depth chart, as gameday arrives.
Printable Penn State football depth chart: Kent State
Changes of note
The most obvious change for Penn State comes on the defensive side of the ball. Announcing an injury to safety K.J. Winston as “long term” this week, Franklin set the stage for a future without the preseason All-Big Ten performer.
How that looks, however, could take on a few different forms. Discussing the possibilities with reporters on Wednesday, Franklin alluded to the reality that Tom Allen is likely to use more 4-3, with Jaylen Reed moving out of the Lion to the high safety spot.
“With Jay Reed’s size, we felt like he could play on third down versus 11 personnel and also play base. So you could almost treat him like base,” said Franklin. “Where, I think, if he’s not down there, then we may have to truly be in a three linebacker base set against 12 personnel and other things. And then be able to go Lion, nickel, however you want to describe it, versus 11 personnel and those types of sets.”
Along with the likely shift for Reed, Penn State could also turn to Dejuan Lane. The program hopes to accelerate his development in the wake of Winston’s injury. The true freshman has come on strong since his June arrival into the program, but now will be called upon to potentially serve a more significant role than anticipated.
We’ve made only one change on the offensive side of the ball. Julian Fleming was projected as the starter for the Bowling Green game but has been swapped out for Omari Evans.
