Blue White Illustrated

who had led the team to the Virginia state playoffs the year before. The rest is history. But enough hypotheticals. For now, it���s all about Ferguson and Bench. The Blue-White Game will give us our first extended look at both of them, and that���s reason enough to pay close attention. 2 Any other noteworthy newcomers on offense? The Blue-White Game will mark the collegiate debut of two key members of last year���s recruiting class: tailback Akeel Lynch and wide receiver Eugene Lewis. Even on a team that looks to have its fair share of skill-position talent, these two redshirt freshmen figure to make an impact. At 6-foot-0, 214 pounds, Lynch could give the Nittany Lions a dimension they lacked last fall when power runners Zach Zwinak and Michael Zordich accounted for 283 of the team���s 475 carries. The Canadian-born running back ���had a tremendous off season in the weight room, improved his speed and improved his conditioning level,��� O���Brien said. Lynch will be fighting for carries in a crowded backfield. Not only does Zwinak return after leading the team with 1,000 yards a year ago, so does junior Bill Belton, the team���s starter heading into the 2012 season. And the Lions brought in another potential running back in their Class of 2013 in Richy Anderson (who enrolled in January and could play in the Blue-White Game). Zwinak remained atop the depth chart this spring, but O���Brien has been looking to establish a competitive tone in practice, and nowhere is that more evident than at tailback. ���As long as I���m the head coach football here, that running back position will always be a competitive position,��� O���Brien said. ���That���s a day-to-day [situation]. Who practices the best is the starter the next day, really. That���s how it evolves, because that���s a tough position; that���s a competitive deal. There are a lot of good players there.��� Lewis is in much the same situation as Lynch. Listed at 6-1, 198 pounds, he���s a gifted newcomer who will be vying with a handful of more-experienced teammates for a chance to make an impact. Although he didn���t play last year, he reportedly made a good first impression. Said Willis, ���He was on the scout team last year, and he was scorching the starting defense. As long as he keeps it up and keeps working at it, he���ll be fine.��� In addition, true freshman tight end Adam Breneman was ���full go��� this spring as he comes off of knee surgery that cost him his senior season at Cedar Cliff High in Harrisburg. Breneman was wearing both a red jersey and a brace at practice on March 27. At Penn State, players who have suffered a serious knee injury are required CHRISTIAN HACKENBERG | 6-3, 215, FR. WHAT HE DID In three seasons at Fork Union Military Academy, Hackenberg threw for 5,509 yards and 56 touchdowns. QUOTABLE Micky Sullivan, Fork Union head coach: ���Physically, he looks like Tom Brady. And that���s who everyone compares him to. Coach O���Brien���s claim to fame is the Tom Brady stuff, and he has brought that offense with him [to Penn State]. And that was one of the reasons Christian is excited about going there.��� THE SKINNY Hackenberg will have to play catch-up when he arrives on campus in June, but there���s ample reason to believe he is capable of vying for the starting position as a true freshman. For one thing, Bill O���Brien doesn���t have any experienced quarterbacks on his roster and appears determined to give Hackenberg a shot in preseason practice. For another thing, Hackenberg has done this before. When he was at Fork Union, he played his way into the starting position in his first season on the team, gradually expanding his role from hurry-up-offense specialist to starter. If neither Steven Bench nor Tyler Ferguson seizes the starting spot in August, Hackenberg may be poised to take advantage of the opportunity. All indications are that he wants to get on the field as quickly as possible. PHIL���S TAKE Hackenberg already has the playbook. After he graduates from Fork Union Military Academy later this spring, he will need to do some serious cramming and maybe put in some eight-hour days learning the Nittany Lions��� offense. He also needs to find some people with whom he can work out on a daily basis in order to maintain his throwing rhythm and timing. Once he arrives on campus, he will need to do exactly what Bench and Ferguson are doing on a daily basis. Michael Gennaria

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