Blue White Illustrated

FORWARD THINKERS With their 2020 season barely over, the Lions are already eyeing the next campaign oments after Penn State had capped its 2020 season with a 56- 21 rout of Illinois, coach James Franklin was already fixating on the future. With the Nittany Lions' captains and seniors about to decide against playing in a bowl, the moment was a rare oppor- tunity for Franklin to express some sat- isfaction during a season that had been devoid of fun. But even in what seemed like a time for reflection, he couldn't help but look ahead. "You work hard at having success, so right after a win, you do feel a sense of joy. You do get that sense of satisfaction for the players, that satisfaction for the team," Franklin said. "I am very proud of everybody for battling through. It's hard to do this under normal circumstances, and even more now. "But the way my mind works, I'm al- ready on to the next task." For the entire program, top to bottom, that next task is purely personal. Franklin had been separated for months from his wife, Fumi, and daughters, Addy and Shola, and the season's end repre- sented an opportunity for an overdue re- union. Because Addy has been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia, the Franklin fam- ily has had to be especially vigilant in its handling of all COVID-19 protocols. But the season took a toll on everyone in the program, not just Franklin. Penn State had enacted serious and far- reaching policies that effectively bub- bled its players from their friends and families, not only through the season it- self but also through the summer months upon their initial return to cam- pus. The Nittany Lions successfully navigated the pandemic, but their suc- cesses came at a cost. One of those costs was the team's final record: 4-5. Penn State finished below .500 for the first time since going 4-7 in 2004 and for only the 18th time in the program's 134-year history. With no nonconference games or any- thing approximating a normal presea- son, and with a rash of injuries and absences that would have upended any group, it was a season unlike any other in the program's modern history. Yet the Nittany Lions still managed to finish on a high note, reversing many of the mis- takes that marred their five losses. From the emergence of true freshmen such as Keyvone Lee, Caziah Holmes, Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson, to the steady progress that Brandon Smith, Joey Porter Jr., Daequan Hardy, Marquis Wil- son and others on the defensive side of the ball displayed, the Lions laid the groundwork for future success. "A lot of people have stepped into big roles this year that they weren't expected to [fill], and they fully capitalized on every opportunity they've been given," receiver Jahan Dotson said. "I think a lot of people have progressed over the sea- son. [Starting] 0-5 taught us a lot. We're not used to losing. It taught us a lot, and we were able to capitalize on it." Quarterback Sean Clifford was among the beneficiaries of that experience. He had endured the roughest stretch of his career in lackluster games against Ohio State, Maryland and Nebraska, eventually getting benched for Will Levis against the Cornhuskers. But like the players around him, the redshirt junior rebounded. He improved his completion percentage from 48.0 to 65.6 in the final four games while drastically reducing the turnovers that plagued his first five games. Those signs of progress had Clifford feeling encour- aged as the season ended. "I go and look at the preseason and think about what we thought the year would look like, and what it looks like now, and I'm thankful for it all," Clifford said. "This year has been extremely dif- ficult for many reasons. That's life and that's adversity and that's why you go through it. Obviously, I'd love to see cer- tain things change, but at the same time, I'm thankful for the life I'm living and just excited to keep on coming to work and doing what I do." The team's finish has created some in- trigue heading into the new year. While the Lions' record was a disappointment given the high expectations, their late- season surge has propelled them into the off-season with some momentum, and they intend to capitalize. "I'm proud of how we handled it, the whole big picture and keeping these guys safe and healthy, and then finding a way to battle back as the season went on," Franklin said. "[But] we've got a lot of work to do." ■ JUDGMENT CALL M Junior tight end Pat Freiermuth announced Dec. 20 that he will forgo his :nal season of college eli- gibility to enter the NFL Dra;. Freiermuth missed Penn State's last :ve games a;er undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, but he still won the Big Ten's Kwal- ick-Clark Tight End of the Year award a;er amassing 310 receiving yards in four games. Through the :rst month of the Big Ten season, he was averaging 5.8 catches per game to lead all FBS tight ends and was :;h in receiving yards per game at 77.5. ■ Freiermuth to skip final season, enter draft

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