{"id":88722,"date":"2025-04-24T09:30:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T14:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/penn-state-coach-james-franklin-talks-nolan-rucci-attending-the-nfl-draft-and-more-everything-he-said\/"},"modified":"2025-04-24T09:30:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T14:30:16","slug":"penn-state-coach-james-franklin-talks-nolan-rucci-attending-the-nfl-draft-and-more-everything-he-said","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/penn-state-coach-james-franklin-talks-nolan-rucci-attending-the-nfl-draft-and-more-everything-he-said\/","title":{"rendered":"Penn State coach James Franklin talks Nolan Rucci, attending the NFL Draft, and more: Everything he said"},"content":{"rendered":"

Penn State coach James Franklin<\/a><\/strong> held his penultimate news conference of spring ball on Wednesday night. The 12th-year leader of the Nittany Lions was speaking after practice No. 13. It was the first one reporters saw right tackle Nolan Rucci<\/a><\/strong> at. He was the first player asked about afterward. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t really have anything significant [injury wise],\u201d Franklin said. \u201cHe\u2019s just had something that\u2019s been nagging for a while. Obviously, we would have loved to have him for spring ball. But that hasn\u2019t happened. It\u2019s going to be really important that he has a real strong summer. But he was able to get some individual work today. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou hate to see those guys miss the reps, but it is a blessing in disguise for the other guys that got a ton of reps in practice, J\u2019ven [Wiliams]<\/a><\/strong> and [Owen] Aliciene<\/a><\/strong> and those types of guys. But we would love to have him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next question also focused on an injured Lion who is somewhat back to action: Running back Cam Wallace.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIn a good position now,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cHe was able to do some individual today, and the last practice, as well. With a significant injury like he had, there\u2019s a physical component to it, there\u2019s a mental component to it, and there\u2019s an emotional component to it. So I think he\u2019s in a good place. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some types of injuries that the doctors are going to push you, because you got to work through it. And there\u2019s others that you can\u2019t. That was one of those. So I think he\u2019s going to be in really good position for summer camp. And he\u2019s right about where he should be at this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch the video of<\/a> and read everything else Franklin had to say below.<\/p>\n\n

\n<\/span>\n<\/div>\n

On how Penn State decides when it wants to bring two quarterbacks in one recruiting clas <\/h2>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve done it multiple times here,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cI think number one, you\u2019d like those guys to have different skill sets. That plays a factor into it. At the end of the day, we want to make sure that we have as much competition at every position as we possibly can. And I think we\u2019ve all seen kind of what\u2019s going on in college football with the transfer portal, that we want to be aggressive at that position. But I will also say this, that we don\u2019t do anything without communicating ahead of time, because we got a ton of respect, not only for our program and how we have to run it, but also the decisions people have and the decisions they\u2019ve made. So we\u2019re just very up front and honest and transparent, and wouldn\u2019t make any of those decisions unless people are comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

On attending the 2025 NFL Draft<\/h2>\n

\u201cI think we had two guys drafted in the first round [last year],\u201d Franklin said. \u201cI think [we were] only six programs in the country that two guys draft in the first round. We\u2019ll have two guys drafted, most likely again in the first round. So that list will shrink. Myself, Deion [Barnes], Ty Howle, Ty\u2019s wife, a few of the minternal media, we\u2019re going to fly down and have lunch with Tyler [Warren] and his grandparents and his parents and his entire family during the day. Because, there\u2019s no way to be with both of them at the same time. And then Ty will stay there, and Karen will stay there, and celebrate with Tyler Warren. And then they\u2019ll rent a car and drive back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll fly out to Green Bay and celebrate with Abdul [Carter] and then, soon as that happens, jump on the plane and fly back. Because we got things we got to get done. And then obviously, I also want to make sure that I\u2019m calling and I\u2019m in touch with all the other guys, because I\u2019d love to be at all of theirs, right? All of them are having draft parties, and just can\u2019t make it to all of them. So we\u2019ll be in touch with all those guys as well, make sure we\u2019re communicating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which young Penn State players have stepped up on defense with extra reps?<\/h2>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s similar to what we talked about with Rucci and other guys getting reps,\u201d Franklin sid. \u201cIt\u2019s the same thing on the defensive side of the ball with Dani [Dennis-Sutton] missing time this spring. It\u2019s allowed a bunch of defensive ends to get a ton of reps. You could say that at a number of positions. For us, the way we practice, the way we install, we do two groups on defense. We do three groups at times on offense. So everybody\u2019s getting reps. Same thing like today, we\u2019re doing the ones, we\u2019re doing the twos, and we\u2019re also doing the threes and fours, which not a lot of people do that. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe do the same thing during training camp. So those reps are valuable for us to evaluate, for the players to have an opportunity to grow and get better, for all of it. A lot of decisions are going to have to be made here in the future, so those reps are critical.\u201d<\/p>\n

What will the Blue-White game format be?<\/h2>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be very similar to what it\u2019s been in the past,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cWe do an autograph session this year. We will start with two skellies, then the first quarter we\u2019ll go thud so everybody can get reps. Then we\u2019ll transition second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter will be live, so we can evaluate those guys in the stadium. Kicking will be on air like it\u2019s been in the past. I think each quarter is maybe a minute shorter than it\u2019s been that you guys are used to. And then it won\u2019t be on TV. That was one of the things I was adamant about with the changes that we\u2019re making. But it\u2019ll be very similar to what we\u2019ve done in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have any of the Penn State January enrollees impressed so far?<\/h2>\n

\u201cEspecially the guys that were here during the playoffs and things like that,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cI hate doing this, because if I say somebody, and then I know I\u2019ll walk up in my office and I wish I had talked about this guy. <\/p>\n

\u201cOwen Aliciene<\/a><\/strong> and Michael Troutman<\/a><\/strong>, the two linemen, have been really impressive. I think Daryus Dixson<\/a><\/strong> has been very impressive. I think Tikey [Hayes]<\/a><\/strong> has flashed and been impressive. Right now, he doesn\u2019t look like it, but he\u2019s gained a few pounds. He still looks like he\u2019s about 137 pounds. But Lyrick [Samuel]<\/a><\/strong> is starting to flash right now. You wouldn\u2019t think he\u2019s 185 pounds. Again, he does not look like it. Randy Adirika<\/a><\/strong>, he\u2019s been a real pleasant surprise. So there\u2019s really a bunch of them that I could say. Koby Howard<\/a><\/strong>. A lot of guys are talking about Kobe Howard, he\u2019s flashing. Really, a bunch of them. <\/p>\n

\u201cI kind of had a meeting with those guys today about special teams, playing on special teams as true freshmen, if that\u2019s their primary role, things like that. Who would be interested in doing it? So you got time to figure it out, but it\u2019s worthwhile. We don\u2019t push anybody to graduate early and come in here early, but the guys that want to do it, it\u2019s valuable. Academically, it\u2019s valuable, football-wise, it\u2019s valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n

On freshman running back Tikey Hayes<\/h2>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just very driven,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cHe\u2019s very motivated. Aliquippa is a hell of a program. And what we have found is, when you can get good players from really good programs, they\u2019re just much further ahead. Super competitive. He\u2019s tough. This isn\u2019t too big for him. So just a lot of things to like about him. A lot of things to like about him that has showed up already.\u201d<\/p>\n

How creative can Andy Kotelnicki be with the depth Penn State has at running back?<\/h2>\n

\u201cVery,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cWe want to be able to use multiple backs on the field. That\u2019ll be part of the conversation. The wide receivers aren\u2019t just competing with the wide receivers. The tight ends aren\u2019t just competing with the tight ends. The wide receivers are competing with the tight ends. So the third wide receiver is competing with the second tight end. The third wide receiver is competing with the second running back. The second tight end is competing with the second running back in terms of who\u2019s going to be on the field. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd obviously we\u2019ll do a little bit of all those things. But at the end of the day, we got to get our best players on the field. So the more that we can use our running backs in different ways, like receivers, helps with that. It\u2019s been a big part of what we\u2019ve done this spring. It\u2019ll need to be a big part of what we do during training camp as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

On redshirt freshman receiver Peter Gonzalez<\/h2>\n

\u201cAll he\u2019s done is individual,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cIt\u2019s great. It\u2019s just, it\u2019s hard for me to say a whole lot about a guy who\u2019s just done individual. He hasn\u2019t been able to be cleared for anything else. I haven\u2019t seen him in a one-on-one. I haven\u2019t seen him in a seven-on-seven. So it\u2019s hard to say. He\u2019s a beautiful kid. He\u2019s big and strong. <\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, ran really well before the injury. He\u2019s a very mature kid. He\u2019s a very intelligent kid. But we just haven\u2019t had a chance to see him. He got hurt pretty early on during the season last year, and then hasn\u2019t been cleared yet this spring. So it\u2019s just hard for me to speak on a whole lot of that stuff, rather than kind of the intangible traits that he has.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post Penn State coach James Franklin talks Nolan Rucci, attending the NFL Draft, and more: Everything he said<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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