Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
M A Y 2 0 2 4 19 P enn State head coach James Franklin sounded an optimistic tone at his press conference fol- lowing the Blue-White Game. Taking to the podium in the Beaver Sta- dium media room, the Nittany Lions' 11th-year head coach was decidedly pleased with what he'd seen. The White team, consisting mostly of projected starters and returnees with significant experience, topped the Blue, 27-0, on April 13, bringing spring practice to a close for the Lions. Although it was the last practice session of the spring, it was the first to take place on Penn State's home field, with Franklin lauding the at- tendance for the intrasquad contest, esti- mated to be 67,000. The coach's optimism was rooted in the groundwork that PSU had laid heading into a crucial stretch of offseason devel- opment. "I'm pleased with where we're at," he said. "We have some work to do between now and summer camp and [the season opener at] West Virginia, but I liked the foundation that we laid this spring." Quickly, however, Franklin was con- fronted with the other side of the coin. For all the strides it may have taken this off- season, the team's showing in the spring game had a distinct eye-of-the-beholder dimension. Taking The Next Step That abrupt turn from the positiv- ity of Franklin's opening statement was due largely to the news that super senior wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith was considered likely to enter the transfer portal (and did so) when it reopened on April 16. The team's leading receiver last season with 53 catches for 673 yards and 4 touchdowns, Lambert-Smith had been absent from the April 9 practice session that was open to the media, and he was a no-show for the Blue-White Game, too. Asked about Lambert-Smith and his future with the program, Franklin offered little in the way of concrete information following the game. "I'm really happy to talk about any of the guys that played in the game today and are in the locker room," he said. "Be- sides that, I don't have a whole lot to tell you." Lambert-Smith's expected departure has only intensified the concerns about Penn State's passing attack in 2024. The Nittany Lions struggled mightily during the 2023 campaign, finishing 77th in the FBS in passing offense with an average of 215 yards per game. Making matters worse, the Lions averaged 192.4 yards in Big Ten play, ranking seventh in the conference. Those difficulties led to Mike Yurcich's ouster as offensive coordinator following a 24-15 loss to Michigan on Nov. 11. Less than three weeks later, the Nittany Lions hired Andy Kotelnicki away from Kansas. Kotelnicki's offense has been the focal point of speculation this spring, specifi- cally how junior quarterback Drew Allar has adapted to it and whether the wide receiver corps, which now includes se- nior transfer Julian Fleming, formerly of Ohio State, will enjoy more success under the unit's new leadership than it managed during last year's struggles. Franklin was not asked about Allar's performance after the Blue-White Game, but he did express confidence in the wide receivers as a group, seven of whom caught at least 1 pass in the contest. "A bunch of guys touched the ball and James Franklin sees many signs of progress during the Nittany Lions' offseason drills, but questions linger heading into the summer NATE BAUER | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M Franklin is getting set for his 11th season as the Nittany Lions' head coach. He's gone 88-39 at PSU, including five sea- sons with 10 or more wins. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL