Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472993
5 2 A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M was going to play, he needed to take care of himself. Scruggs ended up seeing action in seven games as a redshirt sophomore in 2020, emerging late in the season as a key contributor on the offensive line. Last year, he was a Day 1 starter at guard and went on to win honorable mention All-Big Ten notice from the coaches and media. Scruggs said he never worried about how he was going to hold up physically over the course of a grueling season in the Big Ten trenches, even though he knew going into the 2021 campaign that his snap count was certain to increase dramatically from the year before. "If you're thinking about that, you're probably going to get hurt," he said. "When you go out there, you can't think about getting hurt. You've got to focus on your assignments." With his senior season approaching, Scruggs is looking to continue his steady improvement. Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein predicted that Scruggs' versa- tility will serve him well this fall. "Moving Juice to center I think will help him," Trautwein said. "Now he can play anywhere we want, guard or center." Because he was already well ac- quainted with the center position, Scruggs was able to make a smooth transition in spring drills. He's perfectly comfortable at any of the interior posi- tions, he said, but center fits his skill set and personality best. "I don't know how to explain it, but it's just a better feeling at center," he said. "I like being in control, telling my O- linemen what to do. I feel like I can play both positions, but center is more natu- ral for me." While the move to a new position — or at least a new-ish position — isn't likely to require much of an adjustment, there is one big change that Scruggs and his teammates are looking to make. They are looking to change the minds of all those Penn State football observers who've been wondering, loudly and frequently, whether the offensive line is up to the challenge of performing at a Big Ten championship level. The unit has been hailed as a potential team strength by coach James Frank- lin the past two years, but the improve- ments that the coaching staff hoped to see in 2020 and '21 didn't materialize. A year ago, Penn State finished 118th in the FBS in rushing offense with an average of 107.8 yards per game. Scruggs said last year's difficulties have lent a sense of urgency to his off- season preparations and instilled in him a desire to show what he and his team- mates can do. "My mindset is a little bit different," he said. "I wouldn't say that last year I wasn't motivated, but this year I'm su- per motivated just to prove everybody wrong. I feel like we've got a lot of doubt- ers. We've had a couple of mediocre sea- sons back-to-back, and I feel like we have a lot of doubters who don't believe in us. "We all know in the building what we're capable of," he added. "We just have to show everyone else we can do it." By helping Penn State, Scruggs figures to help himself. A strong senior season could put him in position to be drafted next spring. It would be a tremen- dous accomplishment given how much he's had to overcome in his career, but Scruggs said he's not thinking that far into the future. "The only thing I'm worried about is the upcoming season, getting my guys ready to go and going out there and hav- ing the best season in Penn State history," he said. "That's my main concern right now." ■ After a 2019 car accident in which he suffered a fractured vertebra, Scruggs worked his way back to good health and earned a spot in the Nittany Lions' starting lineup last season along with honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL OFFENSIVE LINEMEN