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And he isn't just strong. James also boasts 4.6-second 40-yard speed – enough to burn safeties in one-on-one coverage – and he has the kind of sticky hands that produce ;rst downs and points. His average of 13.3 yards per catch last season was second only to Robinson (14.8) on Penn State's team, and he's scored eight touchdowns during the past two seasons, the team's fourth-highest total behind Zach Zwinak (19), Robinson (17) and Bill Belton (11). James made a big impression on Donovan when the veteran coach began watching the Nittany Lions' 2013 game ;lms in preparation for his ;rst season as Penn State's o=ensive coordinator. Understand- ably, it was the player's size that initially stood out. "He looked tall. He looked like what you want a tight end to look like," Donovan said. "He played a lot, and he made a lot of plays for them." While James was a key component in Bill O'Brien's o=ense the past two seasons, it was the recruiting acumen of a prede- cessor that led him to Penn State. In high school, James hadn't generated the kind of buzz that so many can't-miss prospects inspire. He played at South Al- legheny High, a Class AA school in the Pittsburgh suburb of Glassport, Pa., that wasn't accustomed to sending prospects to the top rungs of the Football Champi- onship Subdivision. While he was certainly big, James hadn't yet experienced the growth spurt that would turn him into a Mackey Award contender. Rivals.com gave him three stars. But South Allegheny's coach, Pat Mon- roe, was a former Penn State player who had been teammates with Tom Bradley, the Nittany Lions' defensive coordinator at the time. Monroe passed along James' ;lms, and Bradley immediately realized he had stumbled upon something special. James ran like a wide receiver even though he weighed nearly 250 pounds. Bradley's only concern was what would happen if Adam Breneman was one of Penn State's go-to guys at media day, drawing a steady stream of reporters to his cor- ner of Beaver Stadium. After watching him wrap up his freshman season with a three-catch, 78-yard, one-touchdown performance in the Nittany Lions' upset victory at Wisconsin, a lot of people seemed to think the big tight end was poised to continue his momentum into the 2014 season. Among those people was Breneman himself. "Any time you end the season like that, it gives you a lot of confidence heading into the off-season," he said. But those hopes were dashed before the campaign even began, as Breneman suf- fered a left knee injury in preseason prac- tice that could potentially force him to miss the season. Penn State did not dis- close the extent of the injury, but it is not believed to be an ACL tear, nor is it relat- ed to the ACL injury that cost him his senior season at Cedar Cliff High in Camp Hill, Pa. That previous injury was to his right knee. Breneman played sparingly in the first half of his freshman season but had 12 catches for 137 yards in the team's final five games. He scored touchdowns in each of the team's last three games and finished the year with 15 catches for 186 yards. His injury will likely thrust true fresh- man Mike Gesicki into a more promi- nent role. A 6-foot-6, 237-pounder from Manahawkin, N.J., Gesicki was one of the most sought-after players in Penn State's freshman class. But as coach James Franklin noted, he will need time to adjust to the new challenges he is set to face at the college level. "We all know he's really athletic, but part of his issue is that he's never put his hand in the ground ever," Franklin said. "We've got a lot of guys who come here and we're asking them to do things that they've never done before. Running, catching, things that deal with space and athleticism, he's done a great job with. We've got to continue getting him more confident when it comes to block- ing. As we reported earlier this summer, he benched 385 pounds. For a long, lean kid, he's got the tools you need to be an effective blocker." One other player who could help bolster the team's depth behind Jesse James and Kyle Carter is sophomore Brent Wilker- son. The 6-3, 247-pounder missed last season with a back injury but has made a full recovery. His presence gives the Lions some flexibility as they rearrange their depth chart in Breneman's absence. "You don't want to lose anybody," Franklin said. "But that's the position where we probably have the most depth." – M.H. Breneman's injury diminishes Lions' depth at tight end Steve Manuel TOUGH BREAK Breneman is out indefinitely following a preseason knee injury.

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