James Franklin shares growth he seen in Chop Robinson over last year

Chop Robinson made a great mark on Penn State’s Top-10 defense a season ago after he transferred in from Maryland. In James Franklin’s opinion, though, that might just be the start for one of the game’s better players coming into this year.

Franklin was complimentary of Robinson’s development over his time with the Nittany Lions, specifically this offseason, during a press conference on Thursday. He said that he is expecting a breakout from the junior defensive end considering how his body has changed and how well he is currently doing as a member of their program.

“He’s just so much bigger, stronger, and more explosive, both in the run game and the pass game,” Franklin said. “He’s playing really well, he’s confident.”

“How we used him last year was different than how he’d been used before. He’s doing really well academically,” continued Franklin. “He’s really thriving right now and I’m really proud of him. I think he’s going to have a huge year.”

Robinson finished with 26 tackles, two pass deflections, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery last fall. He also posted 5.5 sacks, good for second most on the defense, and 10 tackles for loss, third most on the team, over his dozen games.

With him seeming to take the next step, Franklin feels that much more confident about where that group of his defense is and where they’re headed.

“You talk about that defensive end room? I think our defensive end room is really good,” said Franklin. “It’s in that argument for one of the better groups in the conference and maybe the country.”

Robinson has made Franklin proud, especially with his clear gains in the weight room. He now just has to get it to translate into a big year when he takes the field this fall.

“He’s just bigger and stronger,” said Franklin. “He’s anywhere between 255-257 pounds. So maybe eight pounds more than he was last year and it’s really good weight. It’s explosive, lean mass.”

“I’m really proud of how really well-rounded he is. He’s killing it right now,” Franklin said.

Franklin calls on KeAndre Lambert to maximize opportunity

A new offensive era at Penn State is blossoming in front of them. Drew Allar is expected to take over the starting quarterback role under head coach James Franklin. Allar is going to need a ton of support with that, especially from his receivers.

One of those guys to help out could be KeAndre Lambert. There have been a few opportunities in the past, especially toward the end of the year. Where Franklin is looking for improvement is with the wide receiver’s consistency. If Lambert is going to make an impact entering his fourth season with the program, he must be ready to make the most of every opportunity thrown his way.

“I think he’s another guy that’s flashed brilliance at times,” Franklin said. “Again, consistency. I also think it’s opportunity. The last two games, he got some more opportunities. But the targets that you do get, you got to maximize them. There’s going to be some games you get six targets, there’s going to be some games you get 12 targets.

“You got to maximize those targets. There’s going to be some you catch in open space, there’s going to be some that are contested catches and you got to come down with them.”

Franklin is looking for Lambert to make a significant contribution throughout the entire 2023 season. He could wind up being one of Penn State’s most important offensive players.

“He is progressing well,” Franklin said. “I think there’s a really strong relationship being built between him and Coach Haggins. I think he will and we need him to have a big year for us this year.”