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Penn State practice highlights: Homecoming

Headshot 5x7 reduced qualityby:Thomas Frank Carr•10/11/23•

ThomasFrankCarr

Kaytron Allen Penn State Football On3
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen disappeared in the second half of the game against Northwestern, but has been at practice the last two weeks. Will he play this weekend? (Photo: Thomas Frank Carr)

Penn State football gives us a glimpse into practice each week, and we bring that to you through practice highlights. Join us each week as we preview the upcoming game and give you a look inside practice. Check out this week’s highlights here or on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel.

Penn State practice highlights

It’s homecoming week for Penn State Football, and while UMass isn’t the most inspiring opponent, there are important things to learn this weekend. The first thing is the health of critical offensive contributors heading into the second half of the 2023 season. Trey Wallace has been at practice for weeks now but hasn’t been a factor in the last several games. Last week, head coach James Franklin said he tweaked his original injury before Northwestern, or else he would have been in that game.

Wallace’s presence in the passing game isn’t critical this weekend, but shaking off the rust from a long absence on Saturdays would be helpful before the team takes on Ohio State next week.

Similarly, but less noticeable is the presence of Kaytron Allen. Like Wallace, Allen went through practice last week after leaving the game against Northwestern in the first half and not returning. Allen’s presence was felt in the second half as Nick Singleton slogged through a frustrating day that netted him less than four yards per carry. Allen is a central piece of the puzzle and a great compliment to Singleton, who is essential to the team’s success down the stretch.

While we won’t know what happened, it seems like he’s on pace to play this upcoming weekend.

Offensive line depth tested

Lastly, and most importantly, Penn State guard JB Nelson. Franklin was tight-lipped about his status for the past two weeks, so his availability and health going forward are very unclear. While Nelson is one player, the left guard has been hit hard by injuries once again. Former starter Landon Tengwall is already lost for the year and his career with an injury. If Nelson is unavailable for an extended period of time, it’ll be down to redshirt freshman Vega Ioane. While Ioane is a very talented player, the team wasn’t expecting to rely on him as a full-time starter this year. Both his talent and inexperience were on display against Northwestern last weekend.

From a team standpoint, the offensive passing game has relied on a steady diet of good situations to throw from. If the team’s ability to run the ball is hampered with the loss of Nelson, more falls on the shoulders of quarterback Drew Allar. That means Wallace’s presence is that much more important.

That’s it for today’s Penn State practice highlights, I’m Thomas Frank Carr.

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