Penn State football using patience with Adisa Isaac and Sal Wormley as they complete injury recoveries
This time of year, Penn State head coach James Franklin said Wednesday, the Nittany Lions can afford to exercise patience.
That’s exactly what they’re doing when it comes to offensive lineman Sal Wormley and defensive end Adisa Isaac. Both players missed the entirety of the 2021 season due to injury.
“What’s nice is they were able to come out here the first couple of days, do some individual [work], do some control work line one on ones, then be able to work into team [work],” Frankin said. “They’re still not like full-go. They’re going all the drills, they’re doing every aspect, but we’re still limiting the reps.”
Both players could wind up in key roles for the Nittany Lions this fall.
Franklin identified Isaac as the player flashing the most as a pass rusher so far this spring. Within a Manny Diaz defense that values getting to the quarterback and creating backfield chaos, Isaac’s contributions could go a long way toward deciding the fate of the Penn State defense this fall.
“Adisa two years ago played at a really high level, so losing him last year was a significant loss for us,” Franklin said. “Having him back is exciting.”
Wormley could be a similarly important figure on the offensive line — a position group where the Nittany Lions are desperate for some improvement.
The 6 foot-3, 209-pound redshirt junior’s impact could be significant.
“Saleem was really slotted to be a starter for us when he got the injury,” Franklin said. “He was playing at a really high level. He was practicing well and doing some really good things. So that was a significant loss for us as well.”
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This spring, the walkthrough reps for both players have been positive, Franklin said.
For now, though, there’s no reason to push either player too hard physically. The focus is on building slowly.
“Obviously, this time of year, we can be a little bit patient,” Franklin said. “We’re not a team or a program that, from a medical perspective, our trainers and doctors this time of year are going to be pretty conservative and not rush those guys back.”
Update on Penn State DT PJ Mustipher
Another key name to monitor as it relates to injury recovery is defensive tackle PJ Mustipher.
Mustipher suffered a season-ending injury on the road against Iowa midway through the season. He elected to come back for a sixth season on Penn State’s campus rather than moving on to the professional ranks.
Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz clarified that Mustipher is still not practicing.
Still, Diaz says, Mustipher’s presence is more than evident.
“He makes sure of that,” Diaz said. “He’s on the defensive linemen. He’s on the defense in general.”
