Penn State Phryday

Yinzers,

Camp JoePa 2010 has come to a close and we are now into the first week of practice in the 2010 academic semester. Since Joe has been at the helm, every Penn State football player has graduated from undergrad and plenty with honors. So, here is an overview of the situations on this year's squad.

Quarterback
With the departure of offensive captain Daryll Clark after last year's campaign, there is still no clear cut front-runner for the starting job with week one just eight days away. This year's QB corps is very young with sophomore (RS) Kevin Newsome having the most playing time at the NCAA Division-IA level...and it's only a few snaps. Also in the race are sophomores Matthew McGloin and Shane McGregor and freshmen Paul Jones and Robert Bolden. The experience choice favors Newsome, a double threat to run and pass but has had only above average accuracy. My personal choice, looking at the films on the dreadful Big Ten Network, is Robert Bolden. The 6'4" 208 lbs. freshman runs very well and is extremely accurate with his passing. The only problem is that he is a true freshman and has not seen a Big Ten rush before. It will be interesting to watch who all gets snaps against YSU.

Running Back
What is there to talk about? This year is the year of the running back for the Nittany Lions. Both Evan Royster and Stephfon Green are returning for their senior and junior years, respectively. Royster only needs 481 yards to become Penn State's all-time career leading rusher. He will need every bit of if Penn State wants to contend for a Big Ten title. Penn State is undefeated when Royster rushes for 100+ yards. He will have to be the backbone of the offense no matter which young quarterback is under center.

Wide Receiver/Tight End
All of the Nittany Lion receiving corps is coming back for the 2010 season. Led by Graham Zug and Derek "Even Catches Hot" Moye, the wideouts bring plenty of big targets for the slinger to fire at. If you didn't get the joke, everybody can catch cold but Derek Moye can catch hot because his hands are so good. Brent Brackett is 6'6", D-Moye is 6'5", Graham Zug is 6'2" and Justin Brown is 6'3". There are two exceptions to that trend: Curtis Drake is 5'11" and Devon Smith is 5'7". These two have freak-like speed in their pocket, however. Look for them to rotate into the slot for quick slants and screen passes often. They both may end up taking some punts to help with the field position game. At tight end, we have some young guys looking to break through in the wake of Mickey Shuler and Andrew Quarless. They'll be tough shues to fill (pun intended), but these guys are big, can block, and look like they can catch passes.

Offensive Line
This is going to be the teller of the season. The offensive line is also relatively young, but showed some chemistry in preseason practices. Sometimes that counts more than skill. We'll see how they match up when they square off against the big hogs from Alabama, Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State.

Defensive Line
The Big Ten's best running defense will be back in action this year with Jack "The Ripper" Crawford leading the way. Crawford is returning for his junior season and will be wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks as usual. I'm not sure who will be flanking the other side of the defensive line. In the middle, it will be tough to replace Jarrod Odrick. Senior Ollie Ogbu is back this season and is a force to behold. Next to him in the 4-3 will most likely be Devon Still who will be coming of a great junior season in 2009.

Linebacker U
Well, no Sean Lee, no Navarro "Bone Crusher" Bowman, no Josh "Mustache" Hull. Don't let that get you down. One of the reasons that Penn State was voted to have the best recruiting class in 2010 was their work at getting some of the best linebackers in the nation to come to Linebacker U. What this year's corps lacks in experience, they make up for in flat out athleticism. Bani Gbadyu will most be the prime candidate to lead the corps, coming into his senior season learning from the likes of Paul Posluzny, Dan Connor and Sean Lee. Look for Michael Mauti, coming off of a season ending ACL tear last year, to make a case for why he was so heavily recruited coming out of high school. Also in the mix should be sophomore Gerald Hodges, who runs like a deer. It will be a fun year in the middle of that 4-3.

Defensive Secondary
There has been an addition to the secondary this year. Chaz Powell will now be playing on the defensive side of the ball. After being the 4th leading receiver last year, Powell is playing cornerback this year for the Nittany Lions. I think this may pay off since Powell was such a crisp route-runner. He should be able to keep up with the rest of the Big Ten's receivers. The biggest question I have on defense is "Did anybody teach the safety's to tackle yet?" Drew Astorino will most likely be starting at free safety and like his predecessor, Anthony Scorotto, only dives at feet. Depending on the defensive package, Nick Sukay will most likely be the strong safety. SuKay hits hard in the running defense, but like all other Penn State safeties, sometimes has a habit of getting burned by deep threats. If the secondary can force runs, it's gonna be a good year.

Next week is the first Penn State Preview of the season. Youngstown State, Saturday September 4 at 12:00 noon. Be there.

For the Glory,
B Brog