Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499919
2 0 J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M season camp. The receivers are still seek- ing to build the depth that Franklin wants to see. If the young pass catchers don't develop as hoped, it could diminish the team's offensive potential. Difficulties at the center position could do so, too. That said, former teammates and cur- rent coaches alike have been raving about Nourzad's readiness. "If you watch him at guard, you realize that he can play center," Scruggs told re- porters this spring while preparing for the draft. "When I watched him in practice, just how quick he is off the ball — I don't think you guys understand how fast he is. In the summer, he ran 19 miles per hour. That's unheard for an offensive lineman." For comparison's sake, Scruggs' top speed during the team's conditioning tests was 17 mph. "With just how fast he is and how ex- plosive he is when he makes contact on the second level, he's going to be a great center for us," Scruggs said. "Once he gets the communication down and doesn't have to worry about it, it becomes second nature, and the sky is the limit." Steady Progress Scruggs played a big role in Nourzad's transition. One of only two 13-game starters on Penn State's offensive line last fall, Scruggs had plenty of advice to im- part, and Nourzad was grateful for the op- portunity to learn about the position from someone who had already been through the same switch he was about to make. "It was really helpful having him around toward the end of last year, be- cause he also went from guard to center," Nourzad said. "When I was trying to talk about different techniques or what I'm doing on certain plays, like footwork, he was there to help me out." Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich sees that work paying off this fall. Nourzad is listed at 6-foot-3, 312 pounds and gives every indication that he can handle the physical demands of the posi- tion. Yurcich is eager to see him in action. "We think the world of him," the third- year PSU coordinator said. "He's very tough. He's very physical. "Center is a difficult position by nature. It's hard to block a 300-pound nose guard all day. It's hard to reach a two-technique [defensive tackle], a guy that's lined up on the guard. Besides doing all that, you've got to snap a ball between your legs. "Those are all the things that you think about, but we're really happy for Hunter and to see his progress." Nourzad, too, is pleased with the strides he made this spring. He's now spent a year in Penn State's strength and condi- tioning program, which should allow him to handle his new responsibilities. Practice is not the same as game day, of course, but if Penn State has learned anything about its new first-team center during his year on campus, it's that he's smart, adaptable and skilled. Those traits, combined with his speed and strength, have inspired confidence within the program that he's ready to be Penn State's big man in the middle this fall. Now that he's set to lead the unit, Nourzad has another metric that he'll be using to define success. "I think it's going to be exciting to see how our offensive line develops and how we grow as a unit," he said. "At our po- sition, it's more about how all five of us perform rather than just one of us. We like to focus on that." ■ Nourzad (left) and defensive end Chop Robinson arrived together as transfers last summer. Both quickly developed into key players for the Nittany Lions, with Nourzad becoming a starter on the offensive line and Robinson ranking second on the team with 5.5 sacks. PHOTO BY THOMAS FRANK CARR "He's very tough. He's very physical. Center is a difficult position by nature. It's hard to block a 300-pound nose guard all day." O F F E N S I V E C O O R D I N A T O R M I K E Y U R C I C H O N N O U R Z A D