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Penn State 2019 Season articles

RS Frosh WR Shorter and RS Frosh DE Oweh could have HUGE seasons.


https://247sports.com/college/penn-...d-Walker-Journey-Brown-130040673/#130040673_1

DE JAYON OWEH (28, RS-FR)
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(Photo: Mark Brennan-FOS/247)
Oweh only played in four games last season, so he was able to maintain his redshirt. He's drawn serious praise for his off-season work in the weight room.


VISITOR THEO JOHNSON
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(Photo: Mark Brennan-FOS/247, 247Sports)
13COMMENTS
Johnson is a four-star tight end from Holy Names High in Windsor, Ont.
 
RS Frosh WR Shorter and RS Frosh DE Oweh could have HUGE seasons.


https://247sports.com/college/penn-...d-Walker-Journey-Brown-130040673/#130040673_1

DE JAYON OWEH (28, RS-FR)
9110794.jpg

(Photo: Mark Brennan-FOS/247)
Oweh only played in four games last season, so he was able to maintain his redshirt. He's drawn serious praise for his off-season work in the weight room.


VISITOR THEO JOHNSON
9110813.jpg

(Photo: Mark Brennan-FOS/247, 247Sports)
13COMMENTS
Johnson is a four-star tight end from Holy Names High in Windsor, Ont.


Oweh has some serious guns on him already and physically looks ready to go...
 
From Franklin's comments, the safety depth chart is

Boundary Safety: Taylor then Sutherland
Field Safety: Wade then Petrishen.

Funny that Wade was in the transfer portal but comes into spring camp as the starter.

 
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From Franklin's comments, the safety depth chart is

Boundary Safety: Taylor then Sutherland
Field Safety: Wade then Petrishen.

Funny that Wade was in the transfer portal but comes into spring camp as the starter.



Also funny that many "fans" considered Petrishen a lost recruit, but he continued his work in the program, seems to have overcome the injuries he has had, and is now competing for playing time in his 5th year at PSU.

CJF: “Really excited about what Petrishen has done. He’s healthy, probably for the first time in his career over a length of time, and Sutherland just continues to show up and make plays in a lot of different areas on defense, especially.”
 
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Significant leadership lost from 2018, but a good many candidates to fill that role for 2019....

https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatef...-some-early-candidates-who-could-step-up.html

Who will Penn State football’s leaders be in 2019? James Franklin offers some early candidates who could step up
Today 11:15 AM

By Greg Pickel | gpickel@pennlive.com

James Franklin’s Penn State football team is replacing two of its three 2018 captains and starters at quarterback, running back, receiver, offensive guard and tackle, defensive end, defensive tackle, linebacker, corner, and safety.

Plenty of young faces will contribute to the on-field production this coming fall when the season opens against Idaho on Aug. 31, but how well young and old mix to form a team leadership council might be of more importance with so much change taking place.

Franklin, entering his sixth season with the Lions, is no stranger to turnover, but there is no debating that this offseason has featured more than most, what with a small but impactful senior class moving on along with five early NFL Draft entrants and 11 transfers. Not all of that 24 or so member group were at the top of the team’s leadership food chain, but safety Nick Scott and quarterback Trace McSorley surely were, while receiver Juwan Johnson, corner Amani Oruwariye, and end Shareef Miller, among others, were key figures in their respective position rooms.

Now, the program must replace not only their statistical impact but also their on- and off-field guidance, which can be easier said than done.

How will Franklin help his team navigate it? One way might be to return to having more than the traditional three captains this coming season, but first, enough players would have to step up and earn that right in the locker room.

“Talking to the team in our off-season studies and conversations, we only had the three captains last year, and I know that’s a model that a lot of people use, but I feel like we need more,” Franklin said Wednesday at the start of spring practice.

“We need more of that strong leadership, more captains, more players that can relate to more captains. You’re going to have some guys that relate to some groups. We’ve got a diverse team, so I think that’s going to be important if we have the ability to go back to two captains on offense, defense, and special teams, I think there’s a lot of value there.”

Possible candidates include offensive linemen Will Fries, Steven Gonzalez, and Michal Menet, three veterans who have played plenty of football in blue and white.

“Those guys are going to have to bring a lot of leadership value to our team,” Franklin said.

Tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Nick Bowers could also play a role, as will the winner of the quarterback battle and perhaps some others.

"Having obviously guys like [Tommy] Stevens, it always is going to start with your quarterback position and [Sean] Clifford, two guys that have played a lot of football, been around a lot of football, been a part of the program, understand the expectations and the standards," Franklin said.

“And then I think the guy who probably has as much energy and can affect people in such a positive way is K.J. Hamler. I think we all know, you spend five minutes with K.J. or his mom; they affect the room in a positive way. They walk in a room, they brighten up the room with their energy and their charisma and the substance behind it, as well.”

Blake Gillikin and Jake Pinegar should have the special teams units taken care of under first-year coordinator Joe Lorig, while Brent Pry’s defense will undoubtedly need a mix of older guys, such as John Reid, Robert Windsor, Jan Johnson, and Garrett Taylor to step up along with younger voices like Micah Parsons, P.J. Mustipher, and others.

Not all will lead vocally, as some will merely show through examples how to act, prepare, and perform on game day, in the classroom, and off the field. One thing is a guarantee, however: The Lions have few clear-cut 2019 captain choices at this point, which makes spring practice a vital opportunity to begin finding them.

“We’re going to have to develop it because we are going to be young, but we’re going to be talented,” Franklin said
 
Some interesting tidbits here. Oweh looking big. Smith looking big.....

https://www.roarlionsroar.com/penn-...lin-ricky-slade-blue-white-game-brandon-smith

THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS FROM PENN STATE'S FIRST SPRING PRACTICE
Matthew Filipovits on March 13, 2019 at 6:13 pm @mattflip42
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After months of waiting, Penn State was finally back on the practice field to open up spring camp. Lucky for you, we were there to get our first look at the 2019 edition of the Nittany Lion football team.

OBSERVATIONS
  • Jayson Oweh looks much bigger than he did just a few months ago. We didn't get all that many opportunities to see him in game action, but he certainly looks the part of an elite pass rusher as he heads into his redshirt freshman season.
  • Speaking of the defensive line, Sean Spencer looks jacked. I need to know his workout routine because it is working wonders.
  • The team mostly worked on special teams drills, which is common for the first day of spring ball. New special teams coach Joe Lorig, with Brent Pry assisting, did a lot of work on punt coverage.
  • Journey Brown, KJ Hamler, CJ Holmes, and Noah Cain, and even Micah Parsons for some fun, all worked on returning kickoffs. Ricky Slade, John Reid, Jahan Dotson, and Keaton Ellis were shagging punts. Hamler is expected to handle both of these duties next season, but it's great to see they have options if they want to keep Hamler out of harm's way on special teams.
  • Brandon Smith looks way bigger than I expected. The true freshman is listed at 6'3 on the roster but I would say he looked at least an inch taller than that in person.
  • Ja'Juan Seider is really fun to watch coach. He brings some great energy and you can tell his guys love playing for him just by the way they interact with each other.
 
May as well get to know the numbers now....

https://www.roarlionsroar.com/penn-...pring-football-freshmen-numbers-nittany-lions


PENN STATE ANNOUNCES SPRING ROSTER UPDATE
Matthew Filipovits on March 12, 2019 at 4:37 pm @mattflip42

NUMBER CHANGES

  • QB Will Levis - No. 7
  • RB Journey Brown - No. 4
  • RB Ricky Slade - No. 3
  • WR Daniel George - No. 11
  • CB Donovan Johnson - No. 3
Will Levis takes over Jake Zembiec's old number after the latter retired from football due to medical reasons. With DeAndre Thompkins' departure, Ricky Slade was able to go back to his old high school No. 3. Journey Brown will now rock the No. 4 Slade wore last year. Daniel George will be the first wide receiver to don the sticks since Irvin Charles.

EARLY ENROLLEE NUMBERS
  • QB Michael Johnson Jr. - No. 13
  • QB Taquon Roberson - No. 9
  • RB Noah Cain - No. 21
  • TE Brenton Strange - No. 86
  • OT Anthony Whigan - No. 55
  • DE Adisa Isaac - No. 20
  • LB Brandon Smith - No. 12
  • LB Lance Dixon - No. 10
  • CB Keaton Ellis - No. 2
  • CB Marquis Wilson - No. 8
  • S Tyler Rudolph - No. 21
In my opinion, No. 13 is a very underrated quarterback number. I'm very excited to see MJJ give it the attention it deserves. It will feel very weird seeing a Penn State quarterback not named Trace McSorley rock the No. 9, but Roberson seems like a good heir. Noah Cain wearing No. 21 and Brenton Strange as No. 86 are good options for their respective positions.

Brandon Smith picking No. 12 and Lance Dixon as No. 10 is awesome, mostly because we could realistically see Penn State's starting linebacking corps wearing Nos. 10, 11, and 12 in the near future. Like No. 13 with quarterbacks, I think No. 8 is a great defensive back number. It feels like it's been a while since we've seen it there. Tyler Rudolph taking Amani Oruwariye's No. 21 will hopefully lead to many interceptions like the man who wore it before him.
 
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Click on the link for all 20 pictures....



LB JESSE LUKETA
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Heading into his sophomore year, the 6-3, 241-pound Luketa is physically impressive. Can he push veteran Jan Johnson for the starting middle linebacker job?



DT ROBERT WINDSOR
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Windsor was list at 295 late last season but looked even heavier than that. He is now listed at 289. He has definitely trimmed down.


DE SHAKA TONEY
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Once very skinny, Toney is now listed at 6-3, 236. No wonder he is smiling. Expect him to be a starter this year.
 
Click on the link for all 20 pictures....



LB JESSE LUKETA
9119420.jpg

Heading into his sophomore year, the 6-3, 241-pound Luketa is physically impressive. Can he push veteran Jan Johnson for the starting middle linebacker job?



DT ROBERT WINDSOR
9119387.jpg


Windsor was list at 295 late last season but looked even heavier than that. He is now listed at 289. He has definitely trimmed down.


DE SHAKA TONEY
9119394.jpg

Once very skinny, Toney is now listed at 6-3, 236. No wonder he is smiling. Expect him to be a starter this year.

Agree with some of the comments on the pics on the players... Hawkins obviously has been spending time in the weight room. He is really starting to look put together. Cain looks ready to start now at RB. Cain is solid and fit. Ellis already put together as well.
 
Agree with some of the comments on the pics on the players... Hawkins obviously has been spending time in the weight room. He is really starting to look put together. Cain looks ready to start now at RB. Cain is solid and fit. Ellis already put together as well.

It seems like JF might be letting the linebackers play with some more weight. They got Cabinda down to about 233 his last year here, and my assumption is that is where they wanted the box linebackers to be. They show Luketa at 241 and Parsons at 243 iirc. Interesting. They may run well enough to carry that weight.
 
It seems like JF might be letting the linebackers play with some more weight. They got Cabinda down to about 233 his last year here, and my assumption is that is where they wanted the box linebackers to be. They show Luketa at 241 and Parsons at 243 iirc. Interesting. They may run well enough to carry that weight.

Good point... We are entering a phase where PSU has highly recruited and athletic LB's. With that athleticism they may be able to carry the weight and not affect their quickness/speed. Between Luketa and Parsons and now mix in Dixon and Smith you have LB's with outstanding athleticism. We are entering a place PSU has not been with LB's in a good amount of time.
 
Home dog to Michigan?

With the season 6 months away, Penn State is an underdog against both Michigan and Ohio State, per http://BetOnline.Ag

Oct. 19: Wolverines -6.5 at PSU
Nov. 23: Buckeyes -10.5 vs. PSU
 
https://247sports.com/college/penn-...aton-Ellis-Lamont-Wade-130324076/#130324076_3

QB SEAN CLIFFORD & RB JOURNEY BROWN
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Sean Clifford is getting extra reps in the spring as Tommy Stevens is limited. Journey Brownreceived first-team reps at running back while we were on hand


PASS RUSH BATTLE
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Redshirt freshmen Rasheed Walker (left) and Jayson Oweh got after it on this rep. Walker got the … uh … upper hand, literally and figuratively.

S LAMONT WADE
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After returning from the NCAA Transfer Portal, Lamont Wade is now running with Penn State's first-team defense. At least he was when we were on hand Wednesday.
 
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It seems like JF might be letting the linebackers play with some more weight. They got Cabinda down to about 233 his last year here, and my assumption is that is where they wanted the box linebackers to be. They show Luketa at 241 and Parsons at 243 iirc. Interesting. They may run well enough to carry that weight.

There was a pic floating around on twitter of Brandon Smith and Lance Dixon at practice - was surprised at how much bigger Dixon looked since his HS All Star game appearance. Do you have that? Really excited for the talent we have at LB.
 
There was a pic floating around on twitter of Brandon Smith and Lance Dixon at practice - was surprised at how much bigger Dixon looked since his HS All Star game appearance. Do you have that? Really excited for the talent we have at LB.

No, I didn't see that. JF indicated those true frosh have a ways to go, but good to get them in early.
 
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Does Ham live in Pittsburgh? Guess he has a place in State College as well.

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Penn State football practice, March 20, 2019
Penn State radio announcers Steve Jones and Jack Ham look on during practice

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Penn State football practice, March 20, 2019
Penn State offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne, right, talks with quarterbacks Will Levis and Ta'Quan Roberson during practice on March 20, 2019.
 
Interesting that Tommy isn’t even practicing. Thought he just wasn’t scrimmaging.


This is really hard to believe. I rewatched the Iowa game from 2018 when TS filled in for Trace. He plays such a physical, punishing game, bull rushed through some arm tackles to get a 1st down. I can't think of a putative QB starter with less experience than Stevens. Every missed rep, every missed practice makes it more difficult for him.
 
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This is really hard to believe. I rewatched the Iowa game from 2018 when TS filled in for Trace. He plays such a physical, punishing game, bull rushed through some arm tackles to get a 1st down. I can't think of a putative QB starter with less experience than Stevens. Every missed rep, every missed practice makes it more difficult for him.

Trace came into 2016 as the starter with 40 career passing attempts. Tommy has 76 attempts thus far.

Missing this time certainly isn't ideal, but he's a 5th year senior. He's gotten a ton of practice reps over his PSU career.
 
Shows Walker stoning YGM for the Team Panic folks. Always make sweeping judgments on one play, that’s smart.

 
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Journey showing that 10.43 100m speed.

Brown is “looking faster than ever” with “ridiculous” speed.

 
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