Experienced Penn State cornerback John Reid mentoring the next freshman likely to see the field early

John Reid knows what it’s like to play as a true freshman.

The St. Joe’s Prep product started his first collegiate game back in 2015 in a setting and a stadium that was familiar to him — against Temple at Lincoln Financial Field.

“My first game was like another high school game,” Reid said Tuesday. “I think my first game was a little bit more unique just because it was in an environment I was used to, so I kind of -- I was just ready to compete.”

Reid is just one of a handful of freshmen Penn State cornerbacks to see the field early on in recent years. Current starter Tariq Castro-Fields and former players Grant Haley and Christian Campbell all played significant snaps as freshmen.

With the first depth chart of the season coming out Tuesday, State College native Keaton Ellis appears to be the next freshman in line to see the field right away. He was listed by James Franklin as one of the newcomers that has the “green light” to play this weekend, and he finds himself right behind Reid at one of the two cornerback spots on this week’s depth chart. That spot behind Reid is an important one as well, as Reid slides inside to play the “star” role in the team’s nickel package.

“We’ve definitely always played a young corner, I would say, every year even from my freshman year," Reid said. “Keaton has done a really good job stepping in. He’s made a lot of plays throughout camp. I think we’ll see him a lot early.”

Ellis benefited as an early enrollee in the spring and was able to play in the Blue-White game in April. But Franklin credited Ellis’ ability to get himself into a physical shape that allows him to play in the Big Ten right away.

“He’s just got a combination of traits. He’s long, he’s fast, he’s quick, he’s athletic, he’s put on some good size,” Franklin said. “You look at him physically, he looks strong enough. He looks like he’s got a Big Ten body now. And then I think you take all those things and you put him in a situation where he’s been able to get a bunch of reps through spring ball, through summer camp. I just think he’s going to have a really good year for us and going to have a great career because he’s just got so many characteristics that you’re looking for.”

Even removing his spring experience and the few practices in Beaver Stadium during training camp, he’s still no stranger to what it’s like in Happy Valley on game days.

How Reid felt playing against Temple four years ago is probably comparable to how Ellis will feel when he runs out of the tunnel for his first official game in a Penn State uniform, something he’s dreamed of since he was a kid.

Reid knows it can be overwhelming for first-year players — he lived it himself. But now it’s on him and Castro-Fields to help Ellis get all of those first game jitters out of the way by the time he plays his first snap.

“We’ve said just like don’t let the lights get to you at all your first game,” Reid said. “Just making sure that if he has any butterflies, he tried to get them out of the way early, but I think he’s pretty confident. He came in here competing really early, so I think he’s going to do really well.”