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Which Penn State football players stood out as leaders during winter workouts?

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•03/07/23•

GregPickel

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Penn State has a leadership void entering the 2023 season. The Nittany Lions do not have a returning team captain. But, they do have veteran players who they hope can step up and take on an on- and off-field leadership role for both their position groups and the team at large.

“I like where we’re at,” Penn State coach James Fraklin said in February. “I thought our leadership last year was as good as we’ve had in my 12 years as a head coach, I thought those guys just did a phenomenal job and I think for most everybody in this room — you probably could have went into the season and you guys probably could have picked out, you know, who the leaders were going to be. It was pretty obvious.

We had really established guys not only from a make perspective but also from a leadership perspective in our program, and I wouldn’t say that we have that right now from a leadership standpoint. We have to identify who those guys are. They need to have strong voices. We need to be aligned with the players and the players aligned from a leadership standpoint with the coaching staff. I thought last year that was as good as it’s been. So that needs to be a major emphasis on offense, defense and special teams because we’re not going to be one of these teams and one of these programs that you hear early in the season that the coaches is saying, well, we need to develop leadership, it’s too late to do it at that point. We have to start working on it and identifying it right away.”

Who were the leaders for Penn State football during winter workouts?

Leaders are often developed on the field. But, they have to start somewhere. And, for a college football program, that’s usually in the weight room. It’s why head strength coach Chuck Losey is the perfect person to divulge who stepped into those roles during seven grueling weeks of winter workouts.

“Keaton Ellis, he’s done a nice job kind of taking the reins,” Loseys aid. “You know, it’s nice when you have somebody at your position that’s as strong with leadership qualities as Tig [Brown] was last year. But Keaton has done a nice job.

“I think Olu Fashanu is another guy that comes to mind. He’s done an excellent job, and then just we’ve got older guys on the offensive line. So I think the offensive line as a unit has also brought a lot of value in the leadership area.”

Penn State will also get leadership out of its quarterback position, as well. That’s true regardless of whether Drew Allar wins the job as expected or if Beau Pribula leapfrogs him. On defense, veteran defensive ends Adisa Isaac and Chop Robinson will be expected to step up in addition to linebacker Curtis Jacobs and cornerback Kalen King. If all of them do, Franklin and co., will feel quite fine about the team’s leadership entering the 2023 season.

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