Blue White Illustrated

a chance to evaluate its younger defensive backs, a list that includes Lucas, converted receiver Malik Golden, and true freshmen Jordan Smith and Anthony Smith. ���They���ve been practicing really well,��� Willis said. ���They���ve been catching up to the playbook and really starting to play fast. They���re getting out of the high school mode and are starting to play like college football players.��� 4 The Blue-White Game always showcases walk-ons (or run-ons, to use the current term). Who���s going to step into the spotlight this year? Run-on quarterbacks D.J. Crook and Austin Whipple figure to get some playing time on Saturday, unless the coaching staff feels it needs an extended look at Bench and Ferguson. Whipple did more throwing than Crook during the portion of Penn State���s March 27 practice that was open to the media. His passes didn���t have the same zip as those thrown by Bench and Ferguson, and this does not appear to be a three- or four-man race. But the chance to play in Beaver Stadium in front of a sizable crowd after a month of behind-the-scenes work is a nice reward. With any luck, they will get a chance to show what they can do. 5 Everybody���s been talking about the weight program. Will we notice a difference in the Blue-White Game? Hard to say. In most cases, the weights listed on Penn State���s spring roster aren���t all that different from those last fall. But rosters are notoriously imprecise, and players say they���re feeling substantially better than they did a year ago. They���ve been participating in Craig Fitzgerald���s weight program for a year now, and there���s a nutritionist in the Lasch Building, so dietary help is always available. ���Last year I remember Fitz saying he was ���slow cooking��� us,��� senior offensive tackle Adam Gress said. ���He was gradually bringing us into the new system, and it was a completely different thing for us. It was all new. We had to start slow, but by the end we were full-go. Now, the day we came back [for winter workouts], we were hitting it, we were ready to go.��� Hull agreed, saying the emphasis on free weights has helped players develop footballspecific strength. ���After this winter cycle, people who were squatting 350 last year were squatting 500,��� he said. ���You can definitely see the body types changing, especially on the offensive and defensive lines. It���s really looking like it���s working, and we can see it whenever we���re on the field.��� SACK MAN Barnes led the Nittany Lions with six sacks last season, but he felt he could have had at least 10.

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