Center Position
- Thread starter JoeParulz
- Start date
Seems wide open to me. Dawkins has been the backup but Franklin has also said that they have practiced other olinemen at Center as well. Loane for example.
It seems like a wide open competition for that spot this Spring, with Cousins also in the competition. If Dawkins is one of the 5 best olinemen on the team he'll get the nod likely at Center, but just because he was the backup last year doesn't get him the starting spot next year......
No word publicly. Could be behind paywall, but they aren't doing anything "officially" beyond S&C right now.
Definitely say Dawkins is the favorite. I don't even know who is the current depth guys there as I don't remember anyone else getting snaps. It is believed Cousins will be in the mix. I've seen Vega and Birch mentioned as well.
There were reports throughout last season that Vega was taking practice snaps at Center.
G Nelson
C Vega
G Wormley
^Would be very strong on paper.
Cousins is getting a ton of buzz since enrolling + attending all-star games. Even some mentions of him being one of the more advanced freshman OL of the Franklin era. He's been said to be center all the way, with secondary option of tackle if needed.
G Nelson
C Vega
G Wormley
^Would be very strong on paper.
Cousins is getting a ton of buzz since enrolling + attending all-star games. Even some mentions of him being one of the more advanced freshman OL of the Franklin era. He's been said to be center all the way, with secondary option of tackle if needed.
I believe Cousins said that he played Center for 2 years of high school, more than he played any other OL positions. And it would be great to have a 3 or 4 year starter as the general of the OL. But as you said there were other players practicing at Center last season and Trautwein and Franklin will put the best 5 olinemen on the field as starters.
Dawkins has been around for a while and the fact that PSU moved Nourzad over from Guard to Center last off season, seems to tell me that Dawkins was not exactly tearing it up at Center last off season, and he obviously wasn't among the 3 best interior olinemen. They moved Nourzad to get who they believed were the best 5 olinemen starting.
It seems that from the comments Franklin has made together with the snaps particular backups got last season that Nelson (co-starter last season), Wormley (returning starter), and Vega (first interior OL off the bench) would be the 3 top interior olinemen going into the off season. For Dawkins to earn the starting Center position he would need to pass up one of those 3, or just be a better put "hiker" than any of those 3. Same goes for Cousins, Achumba and Birchmeier.
The possible wild card would be if in the course of Spring, Summer and Fall practices that the Trautwein and Franklin are so unsure of the OT's competing to start at RT and LT (Shelton, Rucci, Washington Donkoh and Onoh) that they believe Nelson, who has played some OT at PSU, is needed at one of those OT positions to get the best 5 starting olinemen on the field. I'm betting against that scenerio......
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