Penn State picks its backup quarterback for SMU; is Jaylen Reed good to go for the CFP?
Penn State football lost its backup quarterback, Beau Pribula, to the NCAA transfer portal on Sunday. That means the No. 6 Nittany Lions had just days to find a new No. 2 option behind starter Drew Allar for their College Football Playoff Round 1 matchup with No. 11 SMU. Who would come in behind the junior if he must come off the field against the Mustangs?
The answer is freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer, as redshirt freshman Jaxon Smolik is still back at practice but not yet medically cleared for game day after suffering a long-term injury earlier this year. He has not yet taken a snap in a game this season but has taken over 300 in practice, head coach James Franklin said back on Monday. The number is surely now closer to, if not over, 400. But, nothing replaces game day work, especially not on this stage.
“Ethan will be the backup quarterback in the game,” Franklin said. “Smolik still isn’t cleared medically. So, Grunk’s done a really good job and put himself in a position that we have a lot of confidence, and he was getting a ton of reps this week.”
Franklin went on to say that the team does not have a “third option” right now. Allar and Grunkemeyer are the only scholarship quarterbacks who will be available for Saturday. He would not disclose what course of action Penn State would take if a third option ended up being necessary for strategic purposes. But, he credited redshirt freshman Jack Lambert with running the scout team and noted that Smolik has had some work in that regard.
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Penn State safety Jaylen Reed is ‘good to go’ for Saturday
Penn State senior safety Jaylen Reed shared a since-deleted social media post over the weekend following a car crash. On Saturday night, a Penn State spokesperson said in a statement to BWI that “Jaylen Reed was involved in a car accident. We are happy he’s okay and there were no serious injuries. He will continue to prepare for this weekend.”
On Wednesday, Franklin both addressed it and Reed’s status for the matchup with the Mustangs.
“Well, what I would first like is for us not to share all of our business on social media, so that this is even a discussion,” Franklin said. “But at the end of the day, I’m glad J-Reed is safe and healthy. In some ways, I look at all these guys like my sons. I got a very close relationship with J-Reed and his mom.
“So most important thing is he’s healthy. And I don’t mean just for football. He’s healthy and good. That’s the most important thing. And then obviously, we sure are glad that he’s full go and no issues.”
