Penn State coach James Franklin talks powering through opt-outs, burning redshirts, and more

Tampa, Fla. — Penn State coach James Franklin never dealt with a player opting out of a bowl game during his first 11 seasons as a head coach.

Now, he’s navigating through five of them prior to the Outback Bowl.

The Nittany Lions will be without five starters on defense. Linebackers Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks, defensive linemen Arnold Ebiketie and Derrick Tangelo, and safety Jaquan Brisker have all decided to prepare for the 2022 NFL Draft instead of facing the Razorbacks. Star receiver Jahan Dotson has, as well.

It makes for a tricky situation for the Big Ten side of this New Year’s Day matchup. It’s not one unique to Penn State, however. Arkansas will be without two stars in receiver Treylon Burks and end Tre Williams, as well, and college football teams all over the country are seeing players sit out if they aren’t playing in a College Football Playoff semifinal.

It’s by no means ideal but is certainly the new norm across the sport. And, it won’t be changing anytime soon.

“It’s challenging,” Franklin said during an Outback Bowl news conference here on Wednesday. “What I would say is, I’m focused on the guys that are in our locker room. That doesn’t mean that I’m not happy and excited and supportive of the guys that are not. But, I’m excited about the guys that are in our locker room and I’m excited about the guys that are going to have bigger roles.

“At the end of the day, the reality is you’ve got to find a way to get it done. When one door closes, another door opens, and it’s an opportunity for another player. And, I think it’s also going to give us a really good picture of what our future is going to be.”

Burning redshirts will help solve some of the Penn State problems

Franklin was not willing to outright say that true freshman linebackers Jamari Buddin and Kobe King will have to burn their redshirts on Saturday. But, it’s all but a guarantee that at least one of them will.

Both first-year linebackers have already played in four games. One snap in a fifth erases the opportunity to preserve a year of eligibility. It’s likely that both will be forced into action. But, at least one is destined to see action with Brooks and Smith out.

“We’re going to have to burn some redshirts,” Franklin said. “We’ve been very strategic about playing guys in four games, and playing some guys in three games and saving [for] a bowl.

“But as the season went on, and we had the flu spike and other things, it was hard to do that. We have some guys that we’re going to have to burn their redshirts for this game.”

King played against Ball State, Auburn, Villanova and Indiana earlier this year but hasn’t seen the field since. Buddin, on the other hand, played against Ball State, Villanova and Indiana. He was then forced into action against the Scarlet Knights as Penn State dealt with a flu bug that heavily impacted the lineup.

While it might not be ideal to play either or both, each has the skillset that says he might only be a four-year player at Penn State anyway. And, there is plenty to gain for the 2022 season and beyond.

Roster management has become more of a moving target in college football than ever before. That will continue to be the case, as this year’s opt-outs show.

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Other roster notes

With Walker out, Olu Fashanu will start for the Lions on Saturday. Expect to see Landon Tengwall earn some time, too. He’s only played in two games and thus can play without losing his redshirt.

At linebacker, Penn State will play plenty of Jesse Luketa and Jonathan Sutherland, which could help keep either King or Buddin off the field. The defensive line will be full of fresh faces. Then, at safety, Jaylen Reed should get lots of work, as well.

The Outback Bowl starts at Noon ET on New Year’s Day. Kickoff is set for 12:05 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium. ESPN2 will televise the contest.