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P E N N S TAT E F O O T B A L L >> 2 0 1 8 S E A S O N P R E V I E W limited depth at [tight end] let us ex- plore some other options like going two backs and three receivers, which was good for us. So I think we've always got to look at these things as positives – the reps that Danny Dalton was able to get, the reps that Zack Kuntz was able to get – and say to ourselves that those guys got better and those were valuable reps for those guys. BWI Did you see anything from the running backs that you hadn't antici- pated given some of the additional opportunities they had in the spring? RAHNE I've had a lot of confidence in those guys. I think they know the play- book very well. Obviously, Coach [Ja'Juan] Seider is a very good football coach. So I was pleased with what they did, but I wouldn't say that it was unexpected. I know the type of player that Miles can be. I know the type of player that Johnathan Thomas and Mark Allen can be, and Journey [Brown]. So I was excited about what those guys did, but it wasn't unexpected. BWI With all of Barkley's success, Penn State fans haven't seen a lot of Miles Sanders in action. What do you see that people haven't yet been exposed to? RAHNE Miles is a big guy with great speed. He's got almost the same size that Saquon has. He's gotten a lot bigger, a lot more physical. He has very, very good vision, especially in between the tackles. But he has the speed to play on the perimeter and make plays out there. His ability to break tackles and have great balance on contact and things like that is going to be a huge asset, not to mention the fact that I think he's made a major improvement in his ability to run routes and catch the ball. Then he also has really worked on and has done a great job this spring of pass protecting. So I think those are the lit- tle things that go missed by running backs that 26 was great at. But I feel confident in all of our running backs that they are very good at those aspects too, which is critical because it opens up and allows us to use all 53 1 ⁄3 of the football field. BWI Do the other guys give you some variety in the running backs room? RAHNE Yeah, I think they all have their own personality, their own body type, but it's not going to determine how I call the plays. They all have the basic skill set that our offense requires, and so whoever is in there, next man up, call the plays and go. I think that's what makes my job a little bit easier. I won't say, Oh, he's in there, that means I can't run this. That's hard, espe- cially if you want to play with any sort of tempo and rhythm. So those guys being able to do the entire skill set of the offense is critical. BWI Switching over to the receivers, how has Juwan Johnson evolved, and what type of a player is he now? RAHNE He's a great player. I think he's a guy who wants the ball in critical situations, as you could see in the bowl game with all the third-down conversions that he was able to have. I have a lot of belief in him and his ability to make plays for us in tight spots, con- tested catches, and things like that. But I think the thing he's done a really good job of is that he understands who he is. He's a big, physical guy who is going to be able to use those attributes to the best of his ability. He's got great feet and those sorts of things, too. But if he gets the ball, he's looking to get north and south and get vertical, break an arm tackle and go. This year, I think we're going to see more of that, and where his increase is probably going to happen is more touchdowns. I think that's going to be a critical piece for him to become a red zone weapon for us. BWI What dividends do you expect from an improved offensive line? RAHNE I think it helps you across the board. An improved offensive line is going to help the quarterback be more accurate. It's going to allow the receivers more time to get open. It's going to allow us to run the ball vertically, inside, which is going to open up the play-ac- tion pass. There are a ton of different areas where an improved offensive line helps you. One of them is the mentality of the entire offense. We're going to be more physical than these guys, we're going to blow these guys off the ball, not only the five offensive linemen saying that and believing it, but the wideouts believing it. "Hey, I'm not going to be the guy who's not physical. If these guys are blowing guys up, I've got to beat my guy, too." So I think just that mentality those guys have right now and the confidence they have kind of seeps over to the whole team. BWI Who is the backup Lion? RAHNE I think that depends. It's some- thing that we've got to find. We've got to determine who that guy is going to be. It can be a variety of people, and so I've got some thoughts in my head that, quite frankly, I'd rather not say. BWI Point being, it's not necessarily unique to Tommy Stevens? RAHNE It's not necessarily unique to Tommy, but Tommy has a unique skill set, which allows us to do some things. So it's not necessarily unique to him, but he is a unique player, and so his abilities give you a chance to put the defense in a bind. He's physical enough to block, he's big enough and fast enough to run the ball inside, he's fast enough to run the ball outside, he has hands and quickness to be able to run routes, and then obvi- ously he can throw the ball accurately both short and medium but also deep. His skill set allows you to put the de- fense in some compromising situations. He wants to play. Tommy is a competi- tive person and he wants to get on the field as much as humanly possible, again, because he thinks he can help us win. The fact that he and Trace work so well together I think helps a lot, too. The position isn't necessarily unique to him, but his skill set is unique. ■ I think the beauty of this o&ense is, the ball goes where it's supposed to go, especially with a quarter- back like Trace. ... You're not trying to force it to people. " "

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