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Penn State quarterback is one of the surprises of Nittany Lions camp so far

Fitz headshot croppedby:Sean Fitz•08/06/23•

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Quarterback Jaxon Smolik (Credit: Steve Manuel | Blue White Illustrated)

All eyes in Penn State’s preseason camp are on the quarterback position. The battle between sophomore Drew Allar and redshirt freshman Beau Pribula will grab the headlines, but James Franklin said that another signal-caller has gotten the attention of the coaching staff through the first week of camp. 

True freshman Jaxon Smolik enrolled at Penn State in January and went through the spring as the third-string quarterback. While he doesn’t figure to factor in the race for the starting job, the Iowa native has done some nice things so far in August. On Saturday, BWI’s Nate Bauer singled out Smolik as a Nittany Lion currently picking up buzz in camp. Franklin echoed those sentiments at his press conference on Sunday afternoon. 

“I’d say Smolik has been kind of the surprise of camp so far, specifically in the quarterback room,” Franklin said at Penn State Media Day. “He’s one of those guys that although he is still learning the nuances of the position and the nuances of the offense, in terms of in the meeting room when asked questions. He’s not where Drew and Beau are in terms of being able to answer questions in a meeting, but he’s just got a natural feel for the position on the field. Some guys it’s almost like a point guard. You’ve just got a feel for depth and spacing on the field and how to find open receivers. He throws a really nice ball. So he’s doing well. If we continue to build on this, we’ll feel good about where he’s at.”

Trimmings: Projecting roles for Smolik and Penn State’s other true freshmen

Smolik finished his senior season at West Des Moines (Iowa) Dowling Catholic completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,967 yards. He threw for 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions, while also rushing for 136 yards and three scores. 

He earned an offer from the Nittany Lions at camp last June after quarterback Marcus Stokes flipped to Florida. Smolik himself was previously committed to Tulane. 

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