Penn State practice report: Notes, observations on the offense before West Virginia
Penn State football once again welcomed the media to its practice on Wednesday afternoon. Ahead of a season-opening matchup with West Virginia on Saturday (7:30 p.m., NBC), the Nittany Lions worked outside at the Lasch Football Complex on a beautiful day on the University Park campus.
And Blue White Illustrated’s team was out to glean insights out of the brief window.
Here, with Penn State gearing up for a national audience and a packed house at Beaver Stadium, we’ll focus on the news, notes, and observations to emerge from the offensive side of the ball:
An unbroken chain?
The first look at the receiver position was an interesting one on Wednesday evening. But also, would align with the buzz working through the back half of camp at the position.
That being, Liam Clifford appeared at the front of the line for Penn State’s slot receivers.
Paired with the redshirt freshman on the outside, which is also relevant, was KeAndre Lambert-Smith. While Lambert-Smith also appeared in line with the slot receivers, the situation would align with Penn State’s primary goal this preseason.
Wanting to put its three top receivers on the field, Lambert-Smith’s position flexibility allowed for the possibility that Clifford could emerge as that third option behind KLS and Harrison Wallace.
Will it hold on Saturday night?
We’ll see. But, given the circumstances and the trajectory the position appeared to be on coming down camp’s home stretch, that Clifford could beat out Evans and leave Penn State in a situation it’s still comfortable in is eminently possible here.
Choosing a third running back
The choice from the get-go in preseason practice at running back centered on the veteran transfer you know against the tantalizing true freshman you don’t.
At practice on Wednesday, that decision appeared to be formalized in Trey Potts’ favor.
Running behind Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the veteran transfer from Minnesota was third in line. He was followed by walk-on Tank Smith, then Tyler Holzworth, with the two true freshmen, Cam Wallace and London Montgomery, in scout numbers bringing up the rear.
While this is a good indicator that Potts will be the third, the question of Penn State needing to go to a fourth on the depth chart shouldn’t be taken as gospel. Both Wallace and Montgomery impressed this preseason and are likely in line to use their four games while preserving their redshirts, if possible, this year.
Some tough news for Tengwall, Penn State
Again unable to participate in practice on Wednesday afternoon, the fate of third-year offensive lineman Landon Tengwall crystallized shortly thereafter.
Announcing his medical retirement from football via Twitter, Tengwall will no longer compete with the Nittany Lions moving forward.
Tengwall’s announcement, in full:
“It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my retirement from football. Unfortunately, I have sustained an injury that will not allow me to safely continue to play the game I love and that has given me so much.
“I want to thank my family, my friends, Coach Franklin, Coach Trautwein, my teammates, and all the Penn State coaches and staff. They have all provided invaluable support through this difficult time.
“Penn State will always be my home. I will always be a proud Penn State football player. Penn State has the greatest fans in the world and I want to thank all of you for supporting me during my time on the field and now in my next chapter.”
The announcement delivers a tough setback both for Tengwall, a frequent contributor and starter until his injury in the middle of the 2022 season, as well as the Nittany Lions. Poised to battle with JB Nelson to retain the starting left guard job, ultimately, Tengwall missed the majority of the preseason.
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