Blue White Illustrated

C OA C H S P E A K| EXCERPTS FROM JAMES FRANKLIN'S BOWL PRESSER How important are these practices for an offensive line that didn't come together until late in the season? Yeah, I think it's really important be- cause you have those redshirt guys. The redshirt guys have been on the scout team and now you're able to start work- ing those guys back in. It's even the meeting time. A lot of times, those guys were in scout meetings trying to learn how to run the opposing offense or op- posing defense. And now they're in those meeting sessions as well. They're getting a bunch of one-on-one reps. As we all know, the development of our of- fensive line is critical to our success moving forward. Coaches have always talked about try- ing to get a rule in place where the bowl game is kind of not really connected to the season, and you can play pretty much everybody in the bowl game and have it not count against eligibility. That's never gone through, but it's al- ways been a discussion point, because you'd love to be able to play some of these guys in that situation. But they've done a nice job. You think about the [Brendan] Brosnans and the Noah Behs, and the Chance Sorrells, and the Chasz Wrights of the world. We're excited about those guys and their future. We've also talked about how, in a lot of programs, established programs, offen- sive linemen typically don't play until their redshirt sophomore years. Though they've made great strides, they're still young guys. When you talk about the young guys you've gotten into practice so far, have any of them jumped out specifically in terms of guys that you maybe wanted to get a better look at and have been impressed with? It's hard to pick out guys, but sitting here and thinking, because you've asked the question, I think Joey Julius has done a really good job. That's going to be an important piece moving forward with [Sam] Ficken graduating and moving on, and he's done such a great job for us. But he's a guy who has been impressive. I think about offense, getting De'An- dre Thompkins involved. We know he's a guy who can run and has been explo- sive. So we've been doing things with him the last couple of practices. I had a meeting with him one on one, which was really good. I think there are a lot of guys. Antoine White is a guy who's been jumping out really all year long. It's interesting, there is a possibility that next year we could have three guys from the state of Ala- bama either starting or playing a lot for us. I don't know if that's happened be- fore [at Penn State]. Parker Cothren has had a really good year for us and has done some really nice things. You think about Christian Campbell as a true freshman and Torrence Brown, who is a guy we're excited about from the scout team as well. I'm kind of careful doing this, because I don't want to leave guys out, but they're the guys who probably jump out to me right now. What was your evaluation of the year Deion Barnes had, and where do you think he can improve going for- ward for the bowl game and next sea- son? We haven't really done that yet. Basi- cally from the time the last game ended we've been on the road recruiting and not going back and doing those types of evaluations. Those things will happen. We'll look at the grades, we'll watch the film, we'll make cut-ups. I'll have one on one meetings with each player. The position coach will have one on ones with each player. I get a sheet that's been really valuable for us. The strength staff does an evaluation of all the players. The academic staff does an evaluation of all the players. The position coach does an evaluation of all the players. So when I sit down and meet with them, it's not just my opinion, it's a complete evaluation on them. So that's been really helpful. But we're not at that point yet. We'll do that once the season ends. But over- all, I can tell you this: his practice habits, his leadership, his maturity – I think we've all been really, really im- pressed with them. He's been a really important piece of our defense. You've talked a few times over the last handful of games about wide re- ceiver separation. How would you evaluate the progress of the way the guys were able to do that or not do that over the last two games? What can this period do to maybe help learn route running, footwork, tech- nique, whatever the case might be? We have to get better there. That is going to be in the off-season speed de- velopment, improving in those areas. D E C E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 12 Tim Owen HOLDING THE LINE Franklin and his staff have been using the Nittany Lions' bowl practices to evaluate some of the team's redshirting of- fensive linemen. Said Franklin, "We're excited about those guys and their future."

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