Penn State Sports Magazine
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A P R I L 2 0 2 3 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M O P I N I O N THOMAS FRANK CARR TFRANK.CARR@ON3.COM I f there's been a recurring source of frustration for Penn State fans during the James Franklin era, it's involved the size of certain players. Especially at the defensive tackle spots, Franklin's teams have tended to fly in the face of Big Ten tradition by being smaller than usual. During his press conference at the start of spring practice, Franklin men- tioned that he would like his current de- fensive tackles to be "a bit bigger." After all this time, is he changing his tune? "No," Franklin said flatly. Despite his public call for more size, Franklin has no plans to change the team's approach. Eschewing the tra- ditional method of feeding a defensive tackle until he's 340 pounds, Franklin said weight isn't everything to him and his staff. "We are never going to chase size for size's sake," he said. "All of our weights are based on body composition. If you've got a guy who is naturally a high-body- fat guy, we're not going to ask him to put on weight, because he's most likely just going to put on more body fat." On the surface, this comment conflicts with what Franklin said over the previous several months. He wants his players to get bigger but doesn't want them to carry extra body fat. Isn't that the point of de- fensive tackles? Not if you do it right. "If you're carrying lean mass, it should actually make you more athletic," Frank- lin explained. It's easy to miss the distinction that he was drawing. Franklin has said he wants his team bigger, not big, and there's a dif- ference. He wants players to maximize the health potential of lean body mass and play with more strength for their size. It's not about being the biggest; it's about being the biggest you can manage. That's where the issues lie. Penn State's defensive tackles are already a naturally small group. Most of them are three-technique body types. Redshirt senior Hakeem Beamon and sophomore Zane Durant are outliers even in a smaller-than-average position group. Beamon was listed at 256 pounds coming out of winter workouts, four pounds lighter than his playing weight in the Rose Bowl last January. Durant has bulked up since arriving at Penn State last year, but at 275 pounds he's still lighter than average for the position. Redshirt sophomore Jordan van den Berg (286 pounds) and junior Coziah Iz- zard (291) aren't naturally big players, either. Both were defensive ends before arriving at Penn State and have grown into interior linemen, but they're not destined to fill the one-technique tackle role. In the best-case scenario, Beamon, Durant, van den Berg and Izzard would all be three techniques. Size isn't everything, though. It's es- sential to recognize that Penn State has still been very good over the years with this plan. While we, the football con- sumers, obsess over heights and weights, they're only part of the puzzle. "If you talk about a baseball player, they say you've got a five- tool player. It's the same thing in football. Strength is a tool, speed is a tool, quickness is a tool, length is a tool," Franklin said. "Size, when we're talking about weight, is also a weapon. You would like to have just enough of each of those variables to have the impact you want. "But it's one of your tools. Your football IQ, your intelligence, how quickly you process information. There are all these tools and traits that we're looking for." PSU is interested in having more than just space-eaters at defensive tackle, but those players need enough mass to match up against every form of competi- tion. Franklin's call for more size is an acknowledgment that the ros- ter has skewed too far in one direction. To improve in this area, Penn State needs to make continuous strides. Smaller defensive tackles must take an intentional approach to their body goals, starting early in the offseason. "If you can gain a pound every week or a pound every two weeks or every three weeks and just gradually put it on the right way throughout the season, that's what we want," Franklin said. Recruiting is also part of the answer. It's hard to find prospects who can play football at 300 pounds while still exhib- iting athleticism. The players who have that rare combination of attributes tend to end up at the nation's best programs. Indeed, the ability to land such players is a sign that a program has reached elite status. Looking ahead to the upcoming sea- son, Penn State must focus on making steady improvements. Gaining healthy weight takes time. If players aren't in- tentional, they can't compensate for those missed gains later. Come the fall, they may be unable to measure up to the competition. ■ Hakeem Beamon weighed 260 pounds but still started 12 games at defensive tackle last season. The redshirt senior has since lost weight and is currently listed at 256 pounds. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE PSU's Defensive Line Will Need To Punch Above Its Weight Upon Further Review