Beh didn't look very good on that last clip. Dropped his head, stopped moving his feet and got in a really bad position.
2016 Pre Season Camp Reports
- Thread starter Judge Smails
- Start date
Sickles looks thicker than he has in the past, which is good. I've always thought he was a little on the thin side.
There was also another video from the same practice where Sickels completely smoked Beh for the sack. Mahon is very much in this thing for the LT position I'm guessing.
There must be something to Mahon moving to tackle. Different sets of eyes made this assessment. It also may mean that our interior OL is in better shape now.
I think Givens is going to start at that 3 technique spot on DL
Mahon may not be the sexy pick, but he's played a lot of football. With the tough early season matchups, we need somebody who can hold their own and not risk getting the QB blown up. The DE from Pitt is a 6'0 ball of muscle and I could see Mahon being the better matchup. With his stouter frame, Mahon won't get overpowered easily in pass blocking.
And in the video if our OL pancaked the DL then everybody would be say our DL is bad. Just a no win situation for the men in blue and white here in the Forum!
I normally leave these things alone but I agree that some of us seem to be coming up with a lot of conclusions based on a couple of isolated videos from the first week of camp.
Isn't Givens the strongest guy on the team ? JF also said a lot of good things recently about White, another 3 technique DT. I think it's ideal to be building depth like this.
I also recall at least one player saying Givens " could not be moved ". Maybe his technique is a bit raw, but you can't teach strength.
He could turn out to be a heck of a player. I just think it's going to take some time.
Yeah, and I think it can happen. We have options at DT in the 3 spot, which means Givens doesn't have to get thrown into the deep end right away.
Ideally, we'd like to see a good rotation on the DL, esp. DT. It's maybe the most important position on the field to have depth and keep the legs fresh.
Oh, I remember a couple of 2nd year DT's that played way back in 1977 that were a pretty good sign.....
Bruce Clark
Matt Millen
The problem I have with this is we need a fast start to have a good year. I hope any competition is settled by Friday.
5 backs (Barkley, Sanders, Thomas, Allen, Andre) unless they've moved Thomas to LB. Which I would do.
If any of our second year guys turn out to have the talent of those guys, no problem. The point is, they don't seem to be that level of talent, at least at this time.
Another Psychic?? How do you know "they don't seem" as good as those guys. They have not played in a game yet. The coaches do know, as they have seen and analyzed every practice rep. We should know by mid season. But we don't know anything yet.
The fact that CJF is not out offering every potential DT in sight for addition to the 2017 class is an indicator (at least to me) that he is pretty satisfied with the 9 DT's that are now practicing for the 2016 season, none of whom graduate after the 2016 season.
Does McGovern at LG mean Bates is second team now ? Or has he moved to C / RG ?
"Don't seem" doesn't sound terribly definitive to me, although it must to you. Clark and Millen were much lauded high school players, certainly compared to our current crop. It's no disrespect to our current guys to suggest that maybe, just maybe, there might be a difference between Clark and Millen, and them, at least at the beginning of their careers.
Your skin is way too thin. But if it insults you somehow for me to suggest that our current young DT's have had a lower profile to this point than some other previous players, well, so be it.
Its fluid. Last I saw detailed it was Bates RG, McGovern LG. I think Bates and Nelson are locks to start. Think Mahon beats out Beh at LT. What is up in the air are the vets Dowery and Gaia vs McGovern and Menet for the other two spots. Can one or both of the rookies break through? Good news is they are making a serious push. Wonderful sign of their eventual ceilings.
My skin is fine. Why would you believe that your judgments on players you haven't seen would insult me? If it insulted anyone it would be the players that CJF is training and that from the few reports we have gotten seem to be making progress...... the same way the 3 recently departed NFL prospects did when they were getting going in the program.
The point was that "doesn't seem", when there is no information either way, is a judgement that is baseless.
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I know JF mentioned in his recent PC that some starters could become backup's. After two rough OL years, we've got to put some better athletes on the field or at least raise the level of the previous starters. I just hope we can minimize the musical chairs that has gone on when a guy gets dinged and has to sit.
Also promising that Limegrover said this class of offensive linemen just might be the best in America.
Clark and Millen where All Americans in college, All Pro in the NFL, and Penn State all time greats, your point is taken with me...
Here ya go, @TJ.
“I’ve got to give the staff credit, because it’s as good of a freshman recruiting class on the offensive line that you’ll see anywhere,” Limegrover said. “Anybody touting their 2016 offensive linemen, I’ll put that group of four up against any of them. Connor, Will Fries, obviously Michal Menet and Alex Gellerstsedt."
https://bwi.rivals.com/news/limegrover-talks-development-of-psu-s-freshman-ol
Thanks ChiTownLion - Pretty good Rivals rankings in the list below.
Plus, 6'7 Gellerstedt may have been under the radar, but a smart kid, getting regional football offers, Wisc, IL and smart guy school offers from PSU, NW, NC, Duke, Wake and Vandy. The staff likely knew about him and his abilities from their time at Vandy. We can use a hard working, very tall, smart OT. (You can't teach 6'-7" into a player if it's not there.)
Bonus: TE Danny Dalton was ranked #6 TE (247), with offers ranging from Bama and Neb to his offers from smart guy schools PSU, BC, VA, NC, Wake, Vandy.
"Dalton has offered all the clues to believe he can be an impact blocker at the next level. He also makes the grade as a receiver, particularly in the short and intermediate passing game.
He is used in the Marshfield offense as an inline blocker, slot receiver and H-back. His blocking ability, though not yet a polished skill, is promising and surely a big part of his appeal to Franklin. Dalton has blocked in more traditional roles and has been put into motion to block on the perimeter and down the field. Dalton is a big-bodied, willing blocker who competes hard, and often wins, balls in high-traffic areas."
He is used in the Marshfield offense as an inline blocker, slot receiver and H-back. His blocking ability, though not yet a polished skill, is promising and surely a big part of his appeal to Franklin. Dalton has blocked in more traditional roles and has been put into motion to block on the perimeter and down the field. Dalton is a big-bodied, willing blocker who competes hard, and often wins, balls in high-traffic areas."
#2 OC 4* Connor McGovern OL Lehman, PA 6'5" 308
#5 OG 4* Michal Menet OL Reading, PA 6'5" 273
#14 OG 4* Will Fries OL Cranford, NJ 6'6" 280
3* Alex Gellerstedt OL Dublin, OH 6'7" 275
#6 TE 4* (247) Danny Dalton TE Marshfield, MA 6'5" 235
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Contrarily I hope they continue to push each other to improve and be better all year long.
Football tour notebook: Fun takes from Penn State football practice
By Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer - 1 min ago
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The fifth stop on the annual BTN summer football tour had us in State College, Pennsylvania, to check out James Franklin’s third Penn State team.
Always one of the most accommodating stops on the tour, the Nittany Lions never fail to impress.
On this day, the team practiced at beautiful Beaver Stadium, and, as detailed below, Franklin was on his game.
Check out some of my fun takes from Saturday’s practice:
Most impressive player: LB Nyeem Wartman-White is 6-1, 248 pounds of athletic fury who looks primed for a big senior season send-off.
Top specimen: RB Saquon Barkley has legs that look like tree trunks and an overall physique that is NFL-ready.
Loudest coach: It can’t be anyone but James Franklin, a walking, talking dervish of energy who knows just one speed: fast. Gotta love his excitement and energy.
Impressive newcomer: Connor McGovern. The true freshman is 6-5, 310 pounds and could push to start at a guard spot.
On the rise: QB Tommy Stevens is making a push for the starting job. He’s 6-4, 215 pounds with a strong arm and nice feet. He is perfect for this offense.
Best drill: Always love to watch pass-rush/pass-blocking matchups between the defensive and offensive lines. Great energy. And good hitting.
Nagging question: Is the offensive line better?
Under the radar: The “Twin Towers” at wide receiver, in Irvin Charles and Juwan Johnson. Each is 6-4 and showed nice ball skills today. The redshirt freshmen could be formidable.
Number: 82, times Christian Hackenberg was sacked the last two years. That was 12 more times than any other player in the last two seasons.
***
NOTES
The QB race is interesting. Most felt the job was Trace McSorley’s to lose. Well, Tommy Stevens is closing the gap. James Franklin has said he’s in no rush to name a starter. This is going to be interesting. Each signal-caller is a nice fit for what the Nittany Lions want to do as a runner and a passer. I have a feeling Stevens may be the guy when it’s all said and done.
Penn State has two former Big Ten assistants. Ex-Minnesota offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Matt Limegrover is the Nittany Lions’ o-line coach. Former Illinois defensive coordinator Tim Banks is Penn State’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
**Bolded section is a mess. Nelson is at RT, Mahon is at LT - J.S.**
The offensive line needs to make strides after being a weakness in recent years. Former Minnesota offensive coordinator/o line coach Matt Limegrover is now in State College. One revelation this August: Andrew Nelson has been moved from left to right tackle. He had just moved to the left in the spring. Nelson looks solid at left tackle—but could move again. And Brendan Mahon was the right tackle when I watched practice. Derek Dowrey and Ryan Bates were the No. 1 guards, while Brian Gaia was the center. Keep an eye on true freshmen Connor McGovern and Michal Menet. Each is advanced for their age and could be factors at guard. They ran with the second team today. Still, this unit is a work in progress.
When James Franklin arrived in 2014, there was only one scholarship offensive tackle amongst the sophomore, junior, and senior classes. There were only nine scholarship offensive linemen that year. But depth is improving. Still, this is just the second season that Penn State will have 85 scholarship players since the sanctions came down in 2012.
Penn State has a nice collection of running backs. Heck, it may be the best in the Big Ten. Saquon Barkley is a stud, while Mark Allen and Andre Robinson are small, tough runners. And true freshman Miles Sanders is drawing plenty of praise. These guys will be fun to watch in the Nittany Lions’ new up-tempo spread attack.
John Reid and Grant Haley are slated to start at corner slots. Keep an eye on Zech McPhearson, a true frosh. Penn State has focused on recruiting a mixture of tall corners who can hit and shorter ones who can matchup with opponent’s speedy receivers. This could be a nice secondary. I love safety Marcus Allen. Position coach Tim Banks says they have worked on improving his coverage skills.
This receiving corps is as good as advertised with the likes of DaeSean Hamilton, Gregg Garrity, Saeed Blacknall and Chris Godwin, who is the headliner. Brandon Polk and DeAndre Thompkins could make moves. Redshirt freshmen Juwan Johnson and Irvin Charles are called the “twin towers,” as each are 6-4. Each made some nice catches the day we watched practice.
The defensive line has potential. And it has something to prove with Carl Nassib, Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel gone. Tackle Parker Cothren is looking good and needs to lead. Garrett Sickels could be a bellwether off the edge. Evan Schwan was limited on this day, but he must play a big role at end. The tackles lack experience but Kevin Givens could be a good one. The guy is an active force on the interior.
The linebackers are good—one of the best sets in the Big Ten, perhaps. Nyeem Wartman-White, Brandon Bell and Jason Cabinda for a nice triumvirate. The return of Wartman-White is huge. He was injured in the first game in 2015 against Temple and missed the rest of the season. He had 75 tackles in 2014 and has 21 career starts. This unit should help improve a run defense that ranked just eighth in the conference a year ago after allowing 151 yards per game. 5 of the team’s top 6 tackles at that position return, led by Jason Cabinda and his 7.7 tackles per game.
By Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer - 1 min ago
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The fifth stop on the annual BTN summer football tour had us in State College, Pennsylvania, to check out James Franklin’s third Penn State team.
Always one of the most accommodating stops on the tour, the Nittany Lions never fail to impress.
On this day, the team practiced at beautiful Beaver Stadium, and, as detailed below, Franklin was on his game.
Check out some of my fun takes from Saturday’s practice:
Most impressive player: LB Nyeem Wartman-White is 6-1, 248 pounds of athletic fury who looks primed for a big senior season send-off.
Top specimen: RB Saquon Barkley has legs that look like tree trunks and an overall physique that is NFL-ready.
Loudest coach: It can’t be anyone but James Franklin, a walking, talking dervish of energy who knows just one speed: fast. Gotta love his excitement and energy.
Impressive newcomer: Connor McGovern. The true freshman is 6-5, 310 pounds and could push to start at a guard spot.
On the rise: QB Tommy Stevens is making a push for the starting job. He’s 6-4, 215 pounds with a strong arm and nice feet. He is perfect for this offense.
Best drill: Always love to watch pass-rush/pass-blocking matchups between the defensive and offensive lines. Great energy. And good hitting.
Nagging question: Is the offensive line better?
Under the radar: The “Twin Towers” at wide receiver, in Irvin Charles and Juwan Johnson. Each is 6-4 and showed nice ball skills today. The redshirt freshmen could be formidable.
Number: 82, times Christian Hackenberg was sacked the last two years. That was 12 more times than any other player in the last two seasons.
***
NOTES
The QB race is interesting. Most felt the job was Trace McSorley’s to lose. Well, Tommy Stevens is closing the gap. James Franklin has said he’s in no rush to name a starter. This is going to be interesting. Each signal-caller is a nice fit for what the Nittany Lions want to do as a runner and a passer. I have a feeling Stevens may be the guy when it’s all said and done.
Penn State has two former Big Ten assistants. Ex-Minnesota offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Matt Limegrover is the Nittany Lions’ o-line coach. Former Illinois defensive coordinator Tim Banks is Penn State’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
**Bolded section is a mess. Nelson is at RT, Mahon is at LT - J.S.**
The offensive line needs to make strides after being a weakness in recent years. Former Minnesota offensive coordinator/o line coach Matt Limegrover is now in State College. One revelation this August: Andrew Nelson has been moved from left to right tackle. He had just moved to the left in the spring. Nelson looks solid at left tackle—but could move again. And Brendan Mahon was the right tackle when I watched practice. Derek Dowrey and Ryan Bates were the No. 1 guards, while Brian Gaia was the center. Keep an eye on true freshmen Connor McGovern and Michal Menet. Each is advanced for their age and could be factors at guard. They ran with the second team today. Still, this unit is a work in progress.
When James Franklin arrived in 2014, there was only one scholarship offensive tackle amongst the sophomore, junior, and senior classes. There were only nine scholarship offensive linemen that year. But depth is improving. Still, this is just the second season that Penn State will have 85 scholarship players since the sanctions came down in 2012.
Penn State has a nice collection of running backs. Heck, it may be the best in the Big Ten. Saquon Barkley is a stud, while Mark Allen and Andre Robinson are small, tough runners. And true freshman Miles Sanders is drawing plenty of praise. These guys will be fun to watch in the Nittany Lions’ new up-tempo spread attack.
John Reid and Grant Haley are slated to start at corner slots. Keep an eye on Zech McPhearson, a true frosh. Penn State has focused on recruiting a mixture of tall corners who can hit and shorter ones who can matchup with opponent’s speedy receivers. This could be a nice secondary. I love safety Marcus Allen. Position coach Tim Banks says they have worked on improving his coverage skills.
This receiving corps is as good as advertised with the likes of DaeSean Hamilton, Gregg Garrity, Saeed Blacknall and Chris Godwin, who is the headliner. Brandon Polk and DeAndre Thompkins could make moves. Redshirt freshmen Juwan Johnson and Irvin Charles are called the “twin towers,” as each are 6-4. Each made some nice catches the day we watched practice.
The defensive line has potential. And it has something to prove with Carl Nassib, Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel gone. Tackle Parker Cothren is looking good and needs to lead. Garrett Sickels could be a bellwether off the edge. Evan Schwan was limited on this day, but he must play a big role at end. The tackles lack experience but Kevin Givens could be a good one. The guy is an active force on the interior.
The linebackers are good—one of the best sets in the Big Ten, perhaps. Nyeem Wartman-White, Brandon Bell and Jason Cabinda for a nice triumvirate. The return of Wartman-White is huge. He was injured in the first game in 2015 against Temple and missed the rest of the season. He had 75 tackles in 2014 and has 21 career starts. This unit should help improve a run defense that ranked just eighth in the conference a year ago after allowing 151 yards per game. 5 of the team’s top 6 tackles at that position return, led by Jason Cabinda and his 7.7 tackles per game.
Check out some of incoming 4* Frosh #6 TE (247) Danny Dalton's circus catches in his highlight video.
He may have been seriously under the radar for other guru services who had him as a 3*. Those services may not have seen this New England sleeper. Besides the #6 TE, Dalton was also ranked #1 in MA by 247, who apparently did catch on, after he got offers from Bama and Neb. The fact that Franklin may have also been attracted by his inline and pulling blocks make him a guy fans may want to follow more closely, as he develops.
Interesting that PSU may be known for it's gang of tall receivers including Jessy James and now Dalton as part of it's gang.
He may have been seriously under the radar for other guru services who had him as a 3*. Those services may not have seen this New England sleeper. Besides the #6 TE, Dalton was also ranked #1 in MA by 247, who apparently did catch on, after he got offers from Bama and Neb. The fact that Franklin may have also been attracted by his inline and pulling blocks make him a guy fans may want to follow more closely, as he develops.
Interesting that PSU may be known for it's gang of tall receivers including Jessy James and now Dalton as part of it's gang.
Maybe it's not just coach speak when CJF is saying Steven's is making ground and still doesn't know who the starter is. According to Dienhart he believes Tommy is going to win the job. After Trace's almost perfect performance in the Spring Game, who really saw this coming? As a lot of us agree on, they will both see a lot of snaps during the season.
Nyeem seems to be coming along more than fine after season ending knee surgery.
McGovern enrolling early in the winter has helped him a lot and is now challenging to win one of the OG spots. Still wasn't happy to hear this line is still a work in progress but with our new spread out fast paced offense, and our mobile QB's, they shouldn't be as much of a liability as the previous 2 years. At least in the passing game.
