Penn State Sports Magazine
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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 2 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Cristian Driver R-FR. | 5-11 | 188 Focus really isn't an issue for Driver. He's a hard worker who is essentially tak- ing a second redshirt year after switching to offense. That was his choice, and the Nittany Lion staff still thinks he could have been a very good safety. As a wideout, he's still not ready. Driver has worked his way onto the field via special teams because he's a very good football player, but he needs to refine his offensive skill set. Driver was never really seen as a guy who would contribute in 2023 on offense, so he's actually on schedule. Tyler Johnson R-FR. | 6-0 | 183 Of the 2022 signees who are still with the team, Johnson is the only one who has yet to appear in a game for the Nittany Lions. We're not expecting to see him on the field at any point this season. Long story short, the jump from Magna Vista High School in Martinsburg, Va., to the Big Ten has been a massive one for Johnson, a former three-star prospect. That's both on the field and off. Johnson was named the coaching staff's Developmental Squad Player of the Week one time last year, and that's about it. Focus and maturity have been issues, and both have had a detrimen- tal effect on football and academics. He does have good natural movement skills, so if he were to put everything together, there may be something there. ■ Coaching Staff Excited About Potential Of Freshman Running Backs The timing might have appeared ideal for debut appearances by Penn State's two true freshman running backs, Cam Wallace and London Mont- gomery. The Nittany Lions were set to host Mas- sachusetts at Beaver Stadium in mid-October and were predicted to have the game well in hand by the fourth quarter. However, a few days before Penn State's non- conference finale, running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider said he wasn't sure whether the freshman duo would get on the field. In addition to getting sophomores Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen their touches, the Lions wanted to work some others into the game, such as redshirt senior Trey Potts and walk-ons Tank Smith and Tyler Holzworth. "We've got some good guys here," Seider said. "At some point, there is one football, and you play in a position where … you've got Nick, Kay- tron, Trey, Tank and Holzworth. Those guys are ready to play, too. [Wallace and Montgomery] are developmental guys. We knew that coming in." That designation hasn't prevented the two freshmen from making an impression within the pro- gram in their first months on campus. While both players carried three-star grades in the On3 In- dustry Ranking, Wallace specifically impressed strength coach Chuck Losey as a hard worker. He had arrived from Mount Vernon, Ga., standing 5-foot-9, 175 pounds but quickly added nearly 20 pounds in Penn State's weight program. Montgomery, meanwhile, has been working to bounce back from a knee injury that derailed his senior season at Scranton (Pa.) Prep. A 5-10, 185-pound prospect, he benefitted from the reps he got in preseason practice and was described by Seider as starting to "show some ability" in his work behind the scenes. Although neither Montgomery nor Wallace ended up seeing action against Massachusetts, head coach James Franklin said the staff has been happy with the progress it has seen from its newest running backs. "We've been pleased with both of them, both mentally and physically," he said. "In terms of football IQ, in terms of their instincts and vision, they've shown that. Their ability to pass protect — they've shown that they'll be tough and stick their faces in there. The Sunday night scrimmages have been good. "Both of those guys, if they're willing to do the necessary things off the field, specifically in the weight room and with nutrition, they have a chance to have bright futures." Seider said that future is already taking shape for both players, noting that Wallace "has flashed" during practice. Still, Penn State fully intends to redshirt them, and that impulse helps explain why they hadn't seen the field through the season's first nine weeks. If the Lions were to suffer some late-season injuries at running back, they would need to tap into their depth. If either Wallace or Montgomery had already seen action in a game or two, redshirting might no longer be an option. Said Seider, "We're going to want to be smart when we use those kids, because if we get an injury, these guys can factor in your depth charts." Whenever they do get on the field, whether it's in the coming weeks or in the more distant fu- ture, Franklin expressed optimism for what's to come. "There's some excitement about those two guys," he said. "Hopefully, you'll have the opportunity to see them late in the year. "For a lot of these guys, we're saving at least two if not more games for at the end of the season so we can basically play them whenever they're needed. That can be on special teams or offense and defense." — Nate Bauer Wallace rushed for 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior at Montgomery County (Ga.) High before heading to Penn State this year. He has yet to see game action this fall. PHOTO BY SEAN FITZ Having switched over from defense, where he began his career, Cristian Driver had seen little action as a wide receiver through nine games, but the staff is said to be enthusiastic about his potential on offense. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL