Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545007
J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 6 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M way back from the original injury nearly a year earlier, the additional setback has compounded his frustration. Still, given how he feels physically, particularly with his knee, he views it as a balanc- ing act. "It definitely gets a little frustrat- ing, especially being out for so long with something else, and then some- thing like a back flaring up," Granville said. "When I've been running, I feel great. I feel athletic, I feel fast, and I put on some more muscle. There are no real trust issues. If I'm going to make a plant, I feel great." Now listed at 6-foot-3, 251 pounds, Granville said he has spent consider- able time studying former Penn State defensive ends he believes he can emu- late —Micah Parsons, Abdul Carter and Chop Robinson, all of whom were first- round draft picks after starring for the Nittany Lions. When he watches film of those play- ers, he focuses on their get-off, athleti- cism, ankle and hip mobility, and flex- ibility. He's also looking at their hand usage and positioning, hoping to pick up on techniques that he can use to refine his own game. The time away from full participation, he said, has improved his feel for the game and strengthened his confidence and self-belief. "I feel like it showed me, Man, I do feel like I'm a special kind of player, and I can make big plays when my team needs me," Granville said. For Campbell, Lynn and Smith, how- ever, self-confidence can only take a player so far. While crediting Granville for maximizing his time away — both in his rehabilitation and in the class- room — the coaching staff needs to see its questions answered on the field. For now, their assessments are based on 67 game reps on defense and special teams — all from a season that's now more than 16 months in the past. What will he look like within the defense that Penn State plans to field in 2026? "That's a tough question," Smith said. "All we can go off right now is what we've seen videotape evidence of, and that's a couple games in his true fresh- man year."