Losey: Penn State summer leadership crucial; LB stands out
Penn State strength coach Chuck Losey set the tenor from the jump. Surrounded by reporters on Thursday afternoon ahead of the Nittany Lions’ Lift for Life event at Holuba Hall, the grizzled assistant set the table.
“I don’t have a ton to update you guys on. We’re only in week two of the summer,” Losey said. “It’s been a really good cycle so far. I’m proud of the way the guys have started. But, I’m probably more excited about the next six weeks. Summer is a crucial time for us. So, I’m excited to be in the thick of it right now.”
In an ensuing 15 minutes with the media, Losey betrayed those intentions.
Offering insights into the progress taking place in the Penn State football program this offseason, Losey provided a window into some of the most important elements shaping up to dictate future results for the Nittany Lions during the 2024 campaign. Here, we dive into some of the news, notes, and observations that stand out most:
Penn State football strength coach Chuck Losey notebook
Eye on Abdul Carter
The interest in junior defender Abdul Carter hasn’t abated this offseason. Already capturing a load of attention with his position switch from linebacker to end ahead of the program’s spring practices, Carter’s acclimation continues to provide an intriguing storyline to follow on the defensive side of the ball.
Losey added to that interest with his revealing comments on Carter on Thursday.
Acknowledging that Carter is “exactly where he should be” after adding size to his frame this offseason, while declining to get specific about those weight changes, Losey added context to the conversation. Pointing out that Carter’s acclimation has been pushed along by competition in the rest of the room, Losey revealed its influence on the linebacker-turned-end.
“That room is crammed full of guys, young and old. They compete, they work, and there’s a lot of big bodies in there for that position,” said Losey. “You think about Dani, Amin, you got some big-body defensive ends in there compared to the ones we’ve had. It wasn’t hard for Abdul to get up to speed.”
Under-the-radar development
Asked by BWI’s Greg Pickel about an under-the-radar gain Losey is seeking out of the coming six weeks of summer training, Losey lent more credence to an important story this offseason. First discussed at length by head coach James Franklin in an interview with BWI last week, and again in his session with reporters Thursday afternoon, Losey built the case that player leadership isn’t dissipating as a focal point.
“Number one is always our leadership. Developing leadership at this time of the year, because we’re coming down to the end of it before the fall camp starts,” said Losey. “Our leadership has to be dialed in at the end of these six weeks, because what you’ve got at the end of these six weeks, going into the fall camp, is pretty much what you’ve got up until mid-January, early-February. So, that’s probably the biggest thing we got to get dialed in outside of physical things.”
A darkhorse leader?
While Franklin pointed to Nick Dawkins and Dvon Ellies as possible leaders in that BWI interview, and followed with an acknowledgment that a team-wide vote yielded no consensus picks for captains, Losey’s response to a question about Tony Rojas is one to file away.
Talking about the role that the Penn State sophomore has taken following a debut season in which his performances improved and gradually expanded, Losey said that Rojas is “ahead of the curve” for his weight room development.
“His biggest thing is, like any of these guys, as they get older in the program, taking that leadership role. I see him as a big-time leader for us,” said Losey. “Usually, I kind of categorize guys when I talk to you in the winter as far as guys who are being unbelievably consistent. Leadership guys. Tony is a guy right now who has positioned himself, not just amongst the position group, but also on the defense, as a voice of reason. An authoritative voice of the defense and I love that.
“When you come out and watch our training sessions, you hear Tony, you feel Tony. So I think just the impact that he has, mentally and emotionally as a catalyst to the other guys around him, that’s starting to match his trend physically.”
Freshman running back ‘trending’
Franklin made no secret of his desire to have seen early enrollee running back Quinton Martin get more reps during spring practice. Following the Blue-White Game, he acknowledged the time missed and its impact on Martin’s development.
Given the opportunity on Thursday, Losey steered that conversation back toward Martin’s progress made since in his time at Penn State.
Demanding Martin to make progress after coming in undersized, needing to match the durability of other Big Ten running backs, Losey said strides have taken place.
“He probably came in a few pounds short of what he should have been to play a significant amount of downs for us on Saturdays. So our concentration has been putting lean mass on him,” said Losey. “But obviously with any type of skill position like that, with the amount of movement he does, and the agility that’s required at that position, you got to make sure he maintains his fluidity.
“He’s like any other young guy. His progress has been great. I’m really happy with where he is. His weight is in the low 200s now compared to the low 190s, high 180s when he first got here. So he’s progressing. He’s trending. He’s exactly where he should be. He’s on schedule. I’m excited about him.”
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