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2 0 1 8 S E A S O N P R E V I E W KEY PERSONNEL C: Connor McGov- ern*, Mike Miranda; G: Steven Gonza- lez*, Michal Menet, Charlie Shuman, Zach Simpson, C.J. Thorpe; T: Ryan Bates*, Will Fries*, Alex Gellerstedt, Des Holmes, Sterling Jenkins, Rasheed Walker, Chasz Wright*; OL (positions to be determined): Bryce E;ner, Juice Scruggs LOSSES G: Brendan Mahon*; T: An- drew Nelson; OL: Nana Asiedu, Rob- bie Martin RISING STAR The Nittany Lions have an abundance of talented young line- men in the pipeline, but only one – Menet – appears poised to join the starting lineup this fall. The 6-foot-4, 306-pound redshirt sophomore is ex- pected to replace Mahon at right guard following an excellent winter and spring. James Franklin called him "probably one of the more improved players in our program from the end of the season until now." Menet had a high ceiling when he came to Penn State as a four-star prospect out of Exeter Township (Pa.) High in 2016, and his emergence as a :rst-teamer is yet another positive sign for an o;en- sive line that is looking like one of Penn State's biggest assets. BIGGEST LOSS Mahon made his :rst career start in James Franklin's :rst game at Penn State, helping the Nit- tany Lions pile up 511 yards of total of- fense in the Croke Park Classic against UCF. The versatile lineman ended up starting 40 more games over the next four seasons, both at guard and tackle. The Lions also lost Nelson to gradua- tion, but due to a series of knee in- juries, he never was able to stay in the lineup long enough to fully tap into the potential he showed in winning Big Ten All-Freshman honors in 2014. NUMBERS GAME The Lions were OFFENSIVE LINEMEN S P O T L I G H T B Y M A T T H E R B * Starting experience in 2017 first Rivals100 offensive lineman to com- mit to Penn State during Franklin's coaching tenure. However, Fries and Mc- Govern have been on the field more often. One factor that prevented him from making a bigger impact earlier in his ca- reer was a series of nagging health issues, including a right knee injury. But the coaches say he's proven himself to be much more durable lately. "When he first got here he had little nicks and things like that, which was af- fecting his development," Franklin said. "But he has been durable. He's been really coachable and has made tremendous strides in a short period of time, so he's going to have to continue in that path be- tween now and camp." While the setbacks hindered him, Menet still managed to play in 12 of the team's 13 games, seeing action mostly on special teams in 2017. He would have rather been in the regular rotation, but he used the opportunities to prepare for his upcoming shot. "There were minor frustrations [during the last two seasons] but I think it kind of just motivated me to get to where I am now," he said, "because I knew that through better techniques and funda- mentals, that's how I would get on the field." Grateful to have been injury-free throughout the spring, Menet has a de- veloping skill set that might eventually call for All-Big Ten recognition. But Franklin wants even more. Menet doesn't want to dwell on his in- juries, or what could have been, even after having watched a couple of his former re- cruiting classmates see the field more than him. But his coaches wouldn't mind if he channeled some of that frustration toward Penn State's opponents. While fundamentals and techniques will help him reach his goals, what the coaches really want to see is for Menet to rediscover the mauler mentality with which he dominated in high school. "They've been telling me for the past few years now that my athleticism is ob- vious and all that kind of stuff. I just need to put it all together and develop more of a nasty demeanor," Menet said. "I think that's done by great technique, so I've re- ally tried to focus on my technique. So I think everything is kind of coming to- gether. I've been healthy the whole spring and all winter, so it's been easier for me to put things together and keep building every day." ■ Heart condition forces Asiedu to give up football Nana Asiedu, a standout offensive line prospect in Penn State's Class of 2018, has been forced to give up foot- ball due to a genetic heart condition. Asiedu tweeted on June 27 that he had been diagnosed with hyper- trophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle grows ab- normally thick, affecting its ability to pump blood. It can lead to chest pain and shortness of breath and can in- terfere with the heart's electrical sys- tem, causing it to beat erratically. A four-star prospect from Stafford, Va., Asiedu called the weeks leading up to his announcement "the tough- est time in my life." Asiedu said he plans to remain at Penn State, where he will be on a full football scholarship. "This is one rea- son I chose Penn State: because of the security and they'll never go back on their word," he said. "This is truly a curse and a blessing and I just thank God for giving me this opportunity that I will never take for granted." The Lions lost another lineman in May when redshirt freshman Robbie Martin announced he was giving up football. "My love for playing has just decreased for a while," he tweeted. Martin had been a three-star prospect coming out of Saint Joseph Regional High School in Sparta, N.J. ■

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