Penn State football spring practice is over; what do coaches, players do now?

Penn State football won’t put pads back on until summer camp arrives. However, there is plenty for the program’s players and coaches to do between now and then.

The Nittany Lions wrapped up spring practice on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. More than 60,000 fans were in State College to see the team work through its final day of on-field drills until August. The defense topped the offense, 17-13, and fans were able to see newcomers and veterans alike in action.

“For the most part, we stayed healthy, got a ton of reps, managed a challenging situation with our offensive line based on numbers,” head coach James Franklin said. “I know today wasn’t exactly what the fans or the media wanted, but it was the best thing to do for our program and then still maximize the opportunity that we had.

“We answered some questions this spring, but we still have some questions going into fall camp. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done between now and fall camp and then before you know it, I’ll be talking to you guys on a Wednesday, and we’ll be going to Purdue.”

The question at the end of every spring is a simple one: What do the Penn State coaches and players do now? Read on to learn more.

Coaches prepare to hit the road

Penn State is playing a bit of a catch-up game on the recruiting trail. But, it’ll be caught up in no time.

An NCAA recruiting evaluation period began back on April 15. Coaches can go to a recruit’s school twice. One trip must be to learn about his academic situation. The other is to assess his athletic abilities.

In other words, every member of the staff who is allowed to travel will hit the road for much of April and May to check in on Class of 2023 recruits and underclassmen throughout the country. Penn State’s travel was delayed due to its late spring game. But, that won’t stop it from hitting as many stops as possible.

At the same time, head coach James Franklin and his position coaches will meet with every Penn State player to share feedback about where they stand on the depth chart. It’s a time-consuming process but a necessary one as the lure of the transfer portal will grow for some.

“We’re actually currently scheduling all of our end-of-the-year meetings,” Franklin said. “All of our players will meet with their position coaches before they go on the road recruiting, which is something they’ve had not had to deal with for the last couple of years [because of recruiting restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic].

“And then I do something, which I love and hate, is meet with every single player on the team. I love it because it allows me to get great perspective on our team and listen to them and get one-on-one time with each player. Which, they don’t always get from me. But it’s also a grind.”

It’s a worthwhile one for Franklin. But, between recruiting travel and those meetings, plus other day-to-day tasks, it’s easy to see that there is no rest for the weary.

What will the Penn State players do?

Two Penn State players shared feedback on what comes next for them after Penn State finished spring practice.

“These next four days looking like some rest for me,” linebacker Curtis Jacobs said. “But I think we have a couple of workouts and then they give us a little time to decompress.

“I’ll probably take a couple of days and then get some workouts at home you know, so I can stay in shape and be ready to hit the summer running.”

Defensive end Adisa Isaac is looking forward to the chance to continue improving while also enjoying a breather, as well.

“I’m not really sure when summer workouts start but I know next week is more like just lifts during the week,” Isaac said.

“And then finishing out school and all that so then I guess we have a break and then we come back for summer. So right now we’re just going back finishing these lifts and then I guess we get to get a little break.”

For both the players and coaches, the end of April and start of May do not offer much of a break. But, the time is essential for the future of the program and the current state of it as it relates to academic and weight room goals.

And, as Franklin said in the quote above, before we know it, Penn State-Purdue will be here.