Including two very highly recruited linebackers, Jennings and Lewis.
Penn State is paper thin on the depth chart at linebacker.
Penn State is paper thin on the depth chart at linebacker.
Floodgates to the portal opening at Maryland
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Sounds like a plan. They ought to be all over anyone who can help there.Including two very highly recruited linebackers, Jennings and Lewis.
Penn State is paper thin on the depth chart at linebacker.
Including two very highly recruited linebackers, Jennings and Lewis.
Penn State is paper thin on the depth chart at linebacker.
Let's say Smith leaves early. We lose Brooks either way. What is our LB two deep next year? Outside of Jacobs, very scary (and thin).
Are they adept at hitting people with their shoulders and not wrapping up or will they need time to develop that?Including two very highly recruited linebackers, Jennings and Lewis.
Penn State is paper thin on the depth chart at linebacker.
Heck, I'd take the blue haired lady in the Cracker Barrel parking lot if she could tackle better than what we have now.
Any ideas why they are bailing?Including two very highly recruited linebackers, Jennings and Lewis.
Penn State is paper thin on the depth chart at linebacker.
Kobe King was a true F this season.
Jamari Buddin was a true F this season
Tyler Elsdon was a RS-F this season
Charlie Katshir was a RS-J this season
Beyond that (and Smith, Brooks, and Jacobs), I believe the rest of the LBers are walk-ons (Dominic DeLuca, Robbie Dwyer, Cody Romano, Ben Chizmar, Max Chizmar).
I believe Branden Jennings was a starter, as a freshman, for Maryland, and Penn State recruited him to some degree out of high school in Florida.
Athletically, he is similar to Brandon Smith. Whether or not he is willing to tackle, I don't know.
Athletically, he is similar to Brandon Smith. Whether or not he is willing to tackle, I don't know.
Locksley is an idiot? As good a guess as any.
Including two very highly recruited linebackers, Jennings and Lewis.
Penn State is paper thin on the depth chart at linebacker.
numbers, numbers, numbers. PSU has a really large incoming recruiting class (assuming they all sign). Unless there are a large number of PSU players that hit the portal, it's going to be very tough to add other portal players.
I think we see as many as 6-8 of ours hitting the portal but thats just a WAG.
If you put enough Cracker Barrel meatloaf into one of those blue hairs, they'll transform into Dick Butkus.
Just to show how crazy roster management has become - and partially due to the COVID adjustments - if every current scholarship player who is eligible to play in 2022 came back, Penn State could only add, if I recall correctly, 6 new recruits/transfers this coming year. That number is close, anyway.
Now that would involve all seven or so of the guys with the option of taking a super-senior COVID year (like Clifford), along with all the players eligible for a regular 5th year, and everyone else, of course.
When it is all said and done though, I will be surprised if Penn State doesn't have room for a total of 30, give or take, between new high school recruits and transfers in. It is so crazy, and even the coaching staffs, I am sure, wouldn't be able to peg down an exact number.
The days when people got shocked about SEC schools processing out a half dozen players each spring, to make room for over-signing, would now look serene in comparison.
So, here is my WAG as to who does not come back (not including those who are NFL ready/exhaust eligibility). I have no insider information, just based solely on playing time/lack there of, and my anticipated thoughts on where they might be on the depth chart. This is based on my review of the positional scholarship chart from TOB.
Roberson
Ford
Cain
George
Hawkins
Darkwa
Rudolph is already gone
Its only seven and it's only kids on scholarship.
PSU is at 83/85 schollies for this year (including Rudolph), so this reduces it a bit.
Of course, this is simply speculation and not set in stone. I am sure there are plenty of others who will have to make decisions as well.
Yup.
I made this point in another thread, if you lose your average of, say, 6 a year, you have to almost replace it with 6 portal players unless you either A. want to get REALLY young really quick (cause you lose but are replacing those with incoming freshmen) or B. Want to have very small recruiting classes because you bring in more than the 6 you are replacing. You can probably make it work one year, but I don't think you want to for more than 1 because you will eventually just have to implode into a humungous glut of young at some point, or just keep cycling in what amounts to almost entire recruiting classes of ex-portals to keep the wheels turning.
That some coaches (I understand JF is one of them previously, maybe not now) "didn't believe in the portal" just means that they were going to consistently skew younger than competitors year in and out. The ones who do too much would skew older, and that probably brings its own baggage.
Its probably time to turn over much of the roster and push guys out the door that are not contributing meaningfully. Next year is a rebuild, Franklin was just recodified with a 10 year extension. Next year is certain to be a rebuild. If guys aren't performing, especially upperclassmen, its time for young players/recruits/transfers to take those positions. I'm sorry, this isn't how college athletics were supposed to be, but I don't make the rules.
I have no idea how the staff can keep all of it straight. They must have one guy dedicated to it like cap space in the NFL. But you are correct its CRAZY.
And I would not want to be "that guy".
With the portal and NIL fully implemented, I think with the exception of a few programs, every year is going to be a rebuilding year for most teams if rules don't change.
I think thats a good guess and pretty much dovetails with mine except I didn't have Darkwa and I think Cain stays as well.
When I was WAGG'n the other day I had 3-4 WR's, Like you I had George plus Cam Brown, Fessler, Weller, Norval Black, Winston Eubanks.
Hakeem Beamon maybe another that portals out.
Some of those guys might just choose to move on and not necessarily Portal.
Yeah, I can see those guys, but I was focusing on scholarship athletes as that is the critical number. A couple of the guys mentioned are not on scholarship.
+1. How can you tell if they schollies or not?
I was just going by the old boards roster.
It seemed to me that Reed was filling the role Sutherland played at times. S/LB hybrid who hovered near the line vs 15 yards off the ball. I remember him replacing Jacobs rather than Brisker or Brown, but I've not double checked the film.
Scholarship Chart: Penn State's 2021 Roster
Penn State picked up the final piece of its 2021 scholarship roster in a former four-star transfer cornerback.
Just a general comment to some of the replies I've seen to my post. It's not as though every time a current PSU player enters the portal that there is an opening. PSU's current recruiting class is based in part on the staff's expectations on X number of seniors that had an added year of eligibility departing, and Y number of underclassmen leaving the program. That's part of how PSU was able to accept so many verbals, and is still recruiting a player or two, and is maintaining communications with a few more players. The staff does a lot to try to anticipate these situations, though it's not an exact science.
The staff is well aware of shortcomings they have on the roster, and will certainly see if they can add certain players at some positions. However, the numbers are really tight, so unless more players on the current roster opt to portal out, or some of the current verbals opt to go elsewhere, I wouldn't get too excited about any player from other schools that enters the portal.
The staff is well aware of shortcomings they have on the roster, and will certainly see if they can add certain players at some positions. However, the numbers are really tight, so unless more players on the current roster opt to portal out, or some of the current verbals opt to go elsewhere, I wouldn't get too excited about any player from other schools that enters the portal.
And I would not want to be "that guy".
I thought Donald, from "That Girl," was "that guy."
Word on the street is the players saw Locks in a Speedo by the whirlpool.
HA!I have no idea how the staff can keep all of it straight. They must have one guy dedicated to it like cap space in the NFL. But you are correct its CRAZY.
And I would not want to be "that guy".
I would imagine that once a guy enters the portal, unless he is a really, really good player, his name moves away from the "On Scholarship" side of the ledger.
Tom:
Am I wrong. I thought teams only had to be down to the 85 limit by the beginning of the season. If I am right, then there ought to be some opportunities to bring in some players via the portal given the kids that are graduating, those who may leave early and the fact that some will most likely leave via the portal after spring practice.
as as general rule any player who did not see the field at all during the season and was not injured would be candidate to go to the portal. If Beamon was not injured he would be a logical candidate. Cole Brevard also a good candidate. At least a couple of the RBs go - I dont think Lovitt has an option to return, and Ford likely goes. Coziah Holmes played sparingly, so a candidate for transfer..
This is a double edged sword. If you boot players because they aren't performing, you run the risk of missing out on the Mike Gesicki's of the world breaking out. Sure doesn't happen MUCH, but it does happen. Now i'll agree that upperclassmen, Jr's and Sr's specifically, need to go. For example, I'd have suggested the Sutherlands/Norval Black's/CSBs of the team find somewhere else to play 2 years ago.
Wasn't Holmes a freshman? In a RB room with several upper classmen, even though they underformed, I would think he sticks it out another year. Especially if some of the older backs leave. Or does he see the struggles and poor OL and dart for somewhere with a solid OL to run behind.