Penn State football stock report: Young ‘uns, defensive studs, more

Penn State football is nearing the completion of its second full week of preseason camp. Tuesday evening, that will be marked by a post-practice media availability. It will feature head coach James Franklin, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, and a selection of players.

Blue White Illustrated has been keeping tabs on the Nittany Lions as they continue to progress toward an August 31 season opener at West Virginia. Here, we’re taking a big-picture look at the players and themes that have been trending up and down behind the scenes to this point in camp.

Penn State football stock up

Young ‘uns

Penn State finished its Class of 2024 recruiting cycle with the No. 15-ranked group in the country. Filtering in 26 players in the offseason, the opportunity for an instant impact among its members isn’t necessarily plentiful.

But, that hasn’t prevented a handful of those performers from quickly standing out, anyway.

The easiest place to start is Cooper Cousins on the offensive line. The former On3 Industry Ranking four-star, ranked No. 50 nationally, immediately captured everyone’s attention for his performance and work ethic and hasn’t relented in the time since. Does that mean he can jump the line into a starting position on the interior of Phil Trautwein‘s group? That remains to be seen. But, he’s done enough to cement that he’ll play early and often this season.

The buzz doesn’t end with Cousins, though. Luke Reynolds has impressed at tight end and is vying for a place in the rotation. Quinton Martin impressed this weekend in the scrimmage as the third running back in Cam Wallace‘s absence. Ethan Grunkemeyer‘s buzz has been consistent as third-team quarterback. Dejuan Lane could end up asserting himself into that fourth safety role vacated by King Mack. Tyseer Denmark has plenty of room for growth. But, was described by Franklin as having buzz and being closest to helping among the freshman receivers. And, Max Granville has natural twitch at a position suddenly needing down the depth chart contributions.

Trey Wallace

The narrative arc for Trey Wallace hasn’t deviated this offseason. Penn State needs a true No. 1 receiver, it intends for Wallace to be that receiver, it believes he can be that receiver, and, thus far through camp, that’s who he has been. A difference-maker at the position changes things for Drew Allar, the tight ends, and especially the running backs that figure to be featured heavily this season. With Andy Kotelnicki clearly working through camp to get Wallace the football, and Wallace rewarding those efforts with improving consistency and playmaking, it’s a first, critically important step toward the offensive transformation the Nittany Lions hope to see this season.

Defensive dudes

Assertive depth and early opportunities to make an impression on both sides of the ball are always an important part of the preseason camp narrative. What generally gets less attention is the performance of the reliable pieces that will be expected to take the bulk of the reps at the top of the lineup.

For defensive coordinator Tom Allen this preseason, that shouldn’t be the case. The conversation surrounding Abdul Carter has only been emboldened by his performance this preseason. Any trepidation over his switch from linebacker to defensive end has been outweighed by the tenacity he’s shown as a pass rusher. Granted, run-stopping and the intricacies of the position will be a work in progress. But, Penn State has an undeniable asset with Carter that it intends to maximize.

Similarly, the Nittany Lions’ situation at Will linebacker might appear periolous. And, from a depth perspective, it is given the absences of Keon Wylie and now Kaveion Keys. But, Tony Rojas looks the part in every sense this preseason, creating a scenario in which Penn State’s top-line talent at the position is solid, reliable, and expected to be very, very good this year.

Penn State football stock down

Bumps and bruises

This shouldn’t necessarily be panic-inducing, as season-ending injuries to the top of the lineup have yet to surface this preseason. (Knowing Penn State’s secrecy regarding injuries, this is the Penn State football fan’s cue to furiously begin knocking on wood.) But, there have been enough absences from bumps and bruises to raise at least partial concerns. Any time missed in the preseason can be important to building continuity. That is particularly true at receiver (Kaden Saunders) and on the offensive line (Anthony Donkoh). For the Nittany Lions to be their best selves this season, their contributors can’t be on the shelf.

Receiver depth

To anyone paying attention to Penn State’s offseason storylines, this one has been front and center throughout. But, to say that the Nittany Lions are thin on reliable receiving options right now is likely an understatement. As outlined by Sean Fitz on Monday, Wallace and Liam Clifford have played well this preseason. After them, Omari Evans and Julian Fleming have had moments worthy of optimism for their potential production this season. Denmark has turned some heads, granted, but with Saunders at least temporarily sidelined, Penn State would love to see more consistency and continued development out of its depth pieces at the position.

Pressure packed

This is where things get interesting. Friday, Beau Pribula was said to be under constant pressure. Saturday, it was Drew Allar who got a turn in the pressure-packed seat. For an offensive line that is retooling this season, and quarterbacks who are attuned to run or abort the play, the sentiment emanating from the program over the weekend was generally one of concern. That was over 1) how that pressure came to be and 2) how it was handled.

Last season, Allar might not have been sacked relentlessly, but his numbers under pressure were troubling for the Nittany Lions, and defenses played to those vulnerabilities consistently. Should Allar find himself in the same or similar circumstances this year, with the equation unchanged at receiver, will the results be different? Penn State is counting on Kotelnicki to strategically alleviate some of those weaknesses, but the performances in question will remain so until proven otherwise.

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