FC: How did the roster get this bad? Mind boggling LB snap counts…

hapval8286

Junior
Jan 4, 2013
134
210
43
Had things worked out perfectly with the LB room this year Kobe King would have retuned, Tamere Robinson would not have transferred, and Tony Rojas wouldn't have gotten hurt. If Amare Campbell still comes here then it makes for a pretty seasoned LB room with enough talent and depth to not be playing this poorly.
 

barry j fenchak

Sophomore
May 11, 2016
217
139
43
That is the result of CJF's fantastic recruiting. I've read here that he is a stellar recruiter.

He was the originator of the "we are better" bat signal. Always posing with recruits for pics with that one finger raised. WE ARE BETTER!!!!!!

How could that go wrong?
 
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berklion

Sophomore
Jan 3, 2005
94
170
33
This is football and it's O$U. Adam Taliaferro accident comes to mind. Put people out there who belong out there, even if they are a step or 2 slow. Not a game to throw an unprepared kid into.
 

WaffleShopper

Senior
Sep 20, 2023
274
476
63
That is the result of CJF's fantastic recruiting. I've read here that he is a stellar recruiter.
He WAS a great recruiter. However, since he is no longer the coach, any issues with the team are not his fault. Or at least that’s what we’re told here. The sorry state of the LB depth is all on Terry Smith.
 

barry j fenchak

Sophomore
May 11, 2016
217
139
43
He WAS a great recruiter. However, since he is no longer the coach, any issues with the team are not his fault. Or at least that’s what we’re told here. The sorry state of the LB depth is all on Terry Smith.
Did not realize CJF had no knowledge of who was being recruited. Yes, that makes perfect sense, he didn't question a thing, just passed the blank checks.

So unfair that Franklin has to take the blame for something football related. So sad.
 
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ZouaveLion

Freshman
Oct 12, 2021
57
98
18
Did not realize CJF had no knowledge of who was being recruited. Yes, that makes perfect sense, he didn't question a thing, just passed the blank checks.

So unfair that Franklin has to take the blame for something football related. So sad.
What Cignetti has done in less than 2 years at a basketball like Indiana shows just how overrated JF is and was. Cignetti pulls a QB from Cal Berkeley and turns him into a Heisman frontrunner. Franklin gets a 5 star QB 4 years ago and basically ruins him.
 

barry j fenchak

Sophomore
May 11, 2016
217
139
43
What Cignetti has done in less than 2 years at a basketball like Indiana shows just how overrated JF is and was. Cignetti pulls a QB from Cal Berkeley and turns him into a Heisman frontrunner. Franklin gets a 5 star QB 4 years ago and basically ruins him.
But but but he is such a great ambassador for PS... and a real family man.
What Cignetti has done in less than 2 years at a basketball like Indiana shows just how overrated JF is and was. Cignetti pulls a QB from Cal Berkeley and turns him into a Heisman frontrunner. Franklin gets a 5 star QB 4 years ago and basically ruins him.
Yeah, forgot about him being a "great developer of talent"
 

Arivacalion

Junior
Aug 25, 2025
286
351
63
The roster was mismanaged horribly. This fall hasn't happened because of an injury or by accident. He totally blew the room at multiple positions with poor development and poor player recognition. Defensive tackle, linebackers, offensive tackles, wide receivers, even the damn punter sucks
 
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barry j fenchak

Sophomore
May 11, 2016
217
139
43
The roster was mismanaged horribly. This fall hasn't happened because of an injury or by accident. He totally blew the room at multiple positions with poor development and poor player recognition. Defensive tackle, linebackers, offensive tackles, wide receivers, even the damn punter sucks
Wait a minute, this cannot be the same Franklin that was HC for PS. We are told time and again what a GREAT RECRUITER and developer of talent he is.

Amazing how much this has been parroted by the Franklin Faithful...When push comes to shove, where are these stellar recruits? Oh, I'm forgetting about our high draft pick QB allar, that PS guy is worth any 15 BIG players, right?
 

LMTLION

All-Conference
Mar 20, 2008
607
1,022
92
What Cignetti has done in less than 2 years at a basketball like Indiana shows just how overrated JF is and was. Cignetti pulls a QB from Cal Berkeley and turns him into a Heisman frontrunner. Franklin gets a 5 star QB 4 years ago and basically ruins him.
Harsh but absolutely true. And then Allar is hurt because an idiot OC cannot develop plays beyond playground football and gets him hurt. Then AK gets the backup hurt as well forcing him to run when he is not a running qb. He is now indicating he will still use a 2 qb system going forward. He will end up getting all our qbs hurt and get his wish to reincorporate the wildcat back onto the offense. Worst OC ever hired by a mentally broken HC.
 

ZouaveLion

Freshman
Oct 12, 2021
57
98
18
Harsh but absolutely true. And then Allar is hurt because an idiot OC cannot develop plays beyond playground football and gets him hurt. Then AK gets the backup hurt as well forcing him to run when he is not a running qb. He is now indicating he will still use a 2 qb system going forward. He will end up getting all our qbs hurt and get his wish to reincorporate the wildcat back onto the offense. Worst OC ever hired by a mentally broken HC.
AK s press conference yesterday was as ridiculous as his play calling. And you are so correct about his usage of the quarterbacks. I legitimately fear they will be out of healthy bodies at that position after these next 2 games.
 

Blair10

All-Conference
Dec 30, 2002
1,506
3,010
113


The LB situation is worse than it appears. The current roster has very few athletic LBs who can cover in passing situations and stuff the run. The Knowles defensive philosophy depends on fast and athletic linebackers. T.Frank’s recent podcast touched on this topic.
 
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Nittering Nabob

All-Conference
Sep 17, 2024
1,967
1,697
113
Don't even get me started on Coach Fraudklin's recruiting at defensive positions of importance. In the end, it was his undoing.

Better questions

1) Why did Coach Fraudklin insist on filling his 105 player roster with so many skinny defensive backs?

2) As a skinny guy himself, did Franklin have "weight issues" such that it detracted/affected his ability to recruit and develop heftier people of importance?

The Sigmund Freud in me says there is some substance to this working hypothesis.
 
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BCS PSU

Senior
Jun 2, 2001
245
440
63
Don't even get me started on Coach Fraudklin's recruiting at defensive positions of importance. In the end, it was his undoing.

Better questions

1) Why did Coach Fraudklin insist on filling his 105 player roster with so many skinny defensive backs?

2) As a skinny guy himself, did Franklin have "weight issues" such that it detracted/affected his ability to recruit and develop heftier people of importance? The Sigmeud Freud in me says there is some substance to this working hypothesis.
The new coach needs to be able to recruit both lines and QBs and most of the rest will take care of itself. However, he definitely needs to start recruiting linebackers in the mode of Brandon Short, Paul P. and Dan Connor; kids who can play at 250 lbs. but also run and be able to defend the pass. The size of most of the current linebackers is unacceptable.
 
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Corner Room Breakfast

All-Conference
Oct 27, 2021
1,390
1,836
113
I don't like the Deluca bashing, he trying his best. Put it this way it's like having a closing
pitcher or short reliever, and putting him in the starting rotation.

On the OP, NIL, the portal, and recruiting is a bad combo. Some players are getting big
bucks and sucking at it, while the ones not getting the big bucks, are feeling left out.
I've always felt Penn State had a grip on recruiting and have been following recruiting since
the Paterno era, but this is a complete failure, the likes of which I've never seen at Penn State.
 

ZouaveLion

Freshman
Oct 12, 2021
57
98
18
Don't even get me started on Coach Fraudklin's recruiting at defensive positions of importance. In the end, it was his undoing.

Better questions

1) Why did Coach Fraudklin insist on filling his 105 player roster with so many skinny defensive backs?

2) As a skinny guy himself, did Franklin have "weight issues" such that it detracted/affected his ability to recruit and develop heftier people of importance? The Sigmeud Freud in me says there is some substance to this working hypothesis.
Spot in regarding the defensive back recruiting....we also seem to have about 15 wide receivers, none of whom can create separation or can make a contested catch even against weak non conference opponents.
 

BCS PSU

Senior
Jun 2, 2001
245
440
63
I don't like the Deluca bashing, he trying his best. Put it this way it's like having a closing
pitcher or short reliever, and putting him in the starting rotation.

On the OP, NIL, the portal, and recruiting is a bad combo. Some players are getting big
bucks and sucking at it, while the ones not getting the big bucks, are feeling left out.
I've always felt Penn State had a grip on recruiting and have been following recruiting since
the Paterno era, but this is a complete failure, the likes of which I've never seen at Penn State.
He played pretty well last season and probably was one of the better defensive players late in the season and in the playoffs. He’s obviously being asked to do things this season in which he’s simply not capable of doing, and it doesn’t help that this stupid two linebacker system just exposes his weaknesses even more.
 

donaldfair71

Senior
Jul 4, 2005
594
657
93
How did JF forget to recruit LBs?
It’s not just linebackers.

He recruited two 4/5 star OL that are seemingly lost somewhere in J’Ven Williams and Alex Birchmeier. Both are presently on the 3rd team.

I don’t think they are going to fix anything right now. I think their development over the past 2 years could have fixed a lot of things now. How both are unplayable (and I know Williams has had some nagging injuries) speaks for either poor scouting or poor development. Or both.
 

PSUcup

Sophomore
Nov 6, 2012
135
180
43
The LB situation is worse than it appears. The current roster has very few athletic LBs who can cover in passing situations and stuff the run. The Knowles defensive philosophy depends on fast and athletic linebackers. T.Frank’s recent podcast touched on this topic.
This is the prime example of Franklin hiring his coordinators based on name rather than fit. Just an awful decision
 

NoBareFeet

Sophomore
Oct 25, 2021
112
145
43
Deluca is a good football player. Nothing Internet posters love more than bashing white players.