Penn State coach James Franklin: Nittany Lions improving at wide receiver, safety, defensive tackle
With just over two weeks remaining until the Nittany Lions’ Blue-White Game, Franklin has seen progress at all three spots.
Penn State coach James Franklin entered spring practice earlier this month hoping to shore up some positions of concern, such as wide receiver, safety, and defensive tackle.
With just over two weeks remaining until the Nittany Lions’ Blue-White game, Franklin has seen progress at all three spots.
The Lions lost three veteran wide receivers after last season with the transfers of Juwan Johnson and Brandon Polk and the graduation of DeAndre Thompkins. They have plenty of young talent there, led by redshirt sophomore K.J. Hamler, who paced all receivers last year with 42 catches for 754 yards and five touchdowns.
Franklin, who likes Hamler’s “outgoing personality” and confidence, would like to see young receivers such as sophomore Jahan Dotson and redshirt freshmen Daniel George and Justin Shorter step up before the start of preseason camp.
“I think Jahan Dotson, obviously he’s played a lot of football and there’s a lot of confidence that’s come from that, but we need him to take another step,” Franklin said Wednesday at his weekly availability.
"I think that the Daniel Georges and Justin Shorters of the world, again, they got to play a little bit last year but not enough, so really, their maturity from now until camp is going to be really important – with the quarterbacks, with film, with one-on-ones, with footwork, with strength, with all of it, it’s going to be important.”
Franklin left the door open on adding a transfer or two before the start of camp, saying he was “looking around for a wide receiver” and possibly an offensive lineman as well.
Another inexperienced but older candidate at wide receiver is fifth-year senior Dan Chisena, a Downingtown East High graduate. Chisena, a former PIAA sprint champion, ran track the last two years and played mostly on the scout football team last year.
“He’s had a nice spring so far,” Franklin said. “He can really run, as we know. We recruited him. He won the 100 meters in the state of Pennsylvania. The track team ended up recruiting him away from us. We lost him for a year or two and then we were able to get him back. He’s had a really nice spring. He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s fast, and we’re going to need that.”
Franklin said holdover starter Garrett Taylor, a fifth-year senior, leads the safety group.
“At safety, Garrett Taylor looks like a vet right now,” he said. “We talk about Garrett Taylor and [linebacker] Cam Brown, you see their maturity. You see them understanding how to practice with championship habits, which we talk about all the time. Lamont Wade’s had a really nice camp so far, he really has. So I think that’s helped.”
Penn State returns one starter at defensive tackle in redshirt senior Robert Windsor, and there is plenty of competition among the younger players. Franklin referred to redshirt junior Antonio Shelton and redshirt freshman Judge Culpepper.
“Shelton’s really grown. You see him taking a lot of the stuff he’s done in the weight room and really starting to transfer it to the field. Then I think the other guy is Culpepper. Culpepper’s starting to show some flashes. It looks like he may be able to factor in.”