James Franklin lays out Penn State football's roster needs moving forward
Penn State football signed 23 prospects to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday morning.
It’s the No. 7 ranked class in the nation as of Wednesday afternoon according to the On3 Consensus ratings, with two five-star prospects on the way in quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nick Singleton.
The Nittany Lions still have additional opportunities to address the needs on their roster, though. A second signing period for this cycle begins on February 2, and Penn State intends to be active in the transfer portal once again.
Penn State coach James Franklin was asked Wednesday about what he needs to accomplish from a roster construction perspective before next fall.
“I think we have a need on the offensive line,” Franklin said. “I think we would be interested in a wide receiver.”
Penn State’s offensive line struggled all season long in 2021, especially in the run game, where the Nittany Lions had one of the nation’s worst rushing attacks.
At wideout, Penn State is set to lose star man Jahan Dotson to the NFL.
Franklin listed some areas of interest on the defensive side of the ball as well.
“A defensive end, possibly a defensive tackle based on some things that could happen on our roster, and then obviously, we’re losing some big-time linebackers,” he said.
That could hint at a possible early departure for Brandon Smith, who has been touted as a day one NFL draft pick by some analysts should he choose to go pro following his junior season.
“Whether it’s the second signing day or whether it’s the transfer portal, I think we have some interest depending on how things play out,” Franklin said.
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Penn State transfer portal outlook
The transfer portal proved a useful tool for the Nittany Lions last offseason.
Franklin and his staff used it to add Arnold Ebiketie, an All-Big Ten first-team selection. At defensive tackle, Derrick Tangelo also made a major difference.
Starting offensive lineman Eric Wilson came via the portal, as did reserve cornerback Johnny Dixon, running back John Lovett, and key special teams contributor AJ Lytton.
“There’s a lot of moving parts right now,” Franklin said. “One of the things we want to make sure we’re doing a good job specific to the transfer portal is that we do our homework, that we talk to the previous school, that we talk to the high school coaches — all the same process that we would do with recruiting guys out of high school.
“The challenge right now a little bit is a lot of these guys who are entering the portal, they already know where they’re going before they enter the portal, and that makes it challenging.
“A lot of times, the guys that we want, it’s over before it starts, which is a whole other conversation.”
