Penn State head coach James Franklin weekly press conference
Penn State head coach James Franklin discussed his team’s performance against Purdue for most of his Tuesday press conference but did hint at plans for this weekend. Check out the video to see how he plans to play as many players as possible to create depth on the team for the coming season. Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube so you don’t miss Franklin’s weekly press conference or any of our other content.
James Franklin Press Conference
He also discusses the play of Joey Porter Jr., PJ Mustipher, Chop Robinson, Zane Durant, Adisa Isaac and others. He was specifically asked about how much he plans on using his freshman class and how backup quarterback Drew Allar factors into that discussion.
Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. gets national recognition
When asked about Joey Porter Jr.’s performance, the Penn State head coach explained how one of the better cornerbacks in the country ended up with 14 targets in a game.
“I don’t know that they necessarily targeted him, but they didn’t avoid him, and a lot of times people will just go in a different direction. But I just think that they were going to run their offense and do what they do. And where the defense or the quarterback’s progression took them, they were going to go.”
Porter performed when tested, and Franklin’s admiration stemmed from how good the opponent was as well.
“I think this guy [Aidan O’Connell] does as good a job as anybody in terms of throwing the ball. Both the head coach as the coordinator [Jeff Brohm] and the quarterback, they do a really good job at it. Joey kept getting tested and as the game went on, really played well. I think his confidence continues to grow. It’s a great way for him to start the season.”
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The front seven gets valuable experience in a win
On the opposite side of the ball, it was a good learning experience for the Penn State defense under new coordinator Manny Diaz.
“I think what we all hope for is that from game one to game two, you make the biggest jump and specifically on the defensive side of the ball where we have some new wrinkles and some subtle tweaks to the scheme. I think that’s where we can take the next step. We did have some missed assignments in critical times in the game that we’ve got to get cleaned up. That’s what Friday was for and what Sunday was for, but I think you’ll see those guys continuing to progress. I was pleased with those guys.”
Penn State’s home opener for the 2022 season is Saturday, Sept. 10, against Ohio. The Nittany Lions will then hit the road to take on SEC foe Auburn in a rematch of last season’s 28-20 win against the Tigers at Beaver Stadium.
Press conference rundown
00:00 Press conference introduction
00:20 Pen State vs. Purdue review
03:17 Ohio preview
06:19 Offensive line review
07:12 Joey Porter Jr.
09:26 College football playoff expansion
11:39 Theo Johnson injury update
13:00 Dan Rocco connection to Penn State
15:48 New Penn State football NIL Collective
17:56 Player depth and Drew Allar/backup QB usage plan
19:35 Defensive end evaluation from Purdue, Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac
21:08 Secondary performance review
22:44 Middle linebacker and safety competition and rotation
26:06 Pat Kraft
26:59 impressions of Omari Evans
28:18 Defensive front seven performance in new scheme
30:47 Drew Allar backup competition status, PJ Mustipher review
32:33 Tight end performance and improvement
34:25 Freshman class expectations for season
