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How Penn State's Big Ten champion was built

How Penn State's Big 10 Champion Was Built Three head coaches recruited and signed players who played key roles in Penn State's Big 10 championship. Here is the Nittany Lions' two-deep (and sometimes three-deep) roster and the head coaches to whom they committed.

How Penn State's Big 10 Champion Was Built

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Three head coaches recruited and signed players who played key roles in Penn State's Big 10 championship. Here is the Nittany Lions' two-deep (and sometimes three-deep) roster and the head coaches to whom they committed.

JAMES FRANKLIN

Class of 2014 (Redshirt sophomores/juniors)

Flipped their commitments from Vanderbilt after Franklin took the Penn State job)

QB   Trace McSorley

CB   Grant Haley

CB   Amani Oruwariye

Others

WR   Saeed Blacknall

DE   Torrence Brown

CB   Christian Campbell

LB   Koa Farmer

Class of 2015 (Redshirt freshmen/sophomores)

RB   Saquon Barkley

OT   Ryan Bates

LB   Manny Bowen

DE   Ryan Buchholz

WR   Irvin Charles

DT   Kevin Givens

G   Stephen Gonzalez

OT   Sterling Jenkins

WR   Juwan Johnson

DE   Shareef Miller

CB   Ayron Monroe

CB   John Reid

RB   Andre Robinson

QB   Tommy Stevens

DT   Robert Windsor

*LB Jake Cooper, TE Nick Bowers, WR Brandon Polk were injured for part or all of the season. Junior college transfer OT Paris Palmer missed part of the season with an injury

Class of 2016 (True freshmen)

LB   Cameron Brown

P   Blake Gillikin

G   Connor McGovern

RB   Miles Sanders

Class also included junior college transfer DT Tyrell Chavis

Class of 2016 (Walk-ons)

OL   Zach Simpson

TE   Tom Pancoast

LB   Brandon Smith

LS   Tyler Yazujian

K   Tyler Davis

H   Chris Gulla

LB Von Walker

BILL O'BRIEN

Class of 2012 (Fifth-Year Seniors)

OL   Wendy Laurent

DL   Evan Schwan

LB Nyeem Wartman-White

Class of 2013 (Redshirt juniors/seniors)

LB   Brandon Bell

DE   Curtis Cothran

DT   Parker Cothren

WR DaeSean Hamilton

OL   Brendan Mahon

OL   Andrew Nelson

DE   Garrett Sickels

DB   Jordan Smith

Class of 2014 (Redshirt sophomores/juniors)

S   Troy Apke

S   Marcus Allen

RB   Mark Allen

LB   Jason Cabinda

TE   Mike Gesicki

WR   Chris Godwin

S   Nick Scott

WR   DeAndre Thompkins

DT   Antoine White

OT   Chasz Wright.*

*O'Brien announced his resignation on Jan. 2, 2014 to take job with NFL Houston Texans.

JOE PATERNO

Class of 2012 (Fifth-Year Seniors)

C   Brian Gaia

G   Derek Dowrey

S   Malik Golden


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LB Von Walker