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F E B R U A R Y 5 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 5 SAQUON BARKLEY Six players will compete for playing time at the running back position in preseason practice. Barkley, a power runner with breakaway speed, will be one of them. By signing Barkley and Andre Robinson, Penn State has landed the top two running backs in Pennsylvania. It's the first time that has happened in more than 20 years. RYAN BATES If any true freshman offensive lineman can make the depth chart this fall, it's Bates. He has excep- tional feet and is the most athletic of the high school linemen in this class. While it looks as though he will start out at center, he has the ability to play all three positions on the line. Freshman linemen almost always redshirt, but I wouldn't rule out Bates as a potential contributor in 2015. He is a potential three-year starter. MANNY BOWEN Bowen boasts side- line-to-sideline range and will play outside linebacker at Penn State. He is the quickest and most athletic line- backer in the Lions' class – quick enough to play the star position in Bob Shoop's 4-2-5 defensive scheme. He has 4.5-second 40-yard speed and a re- ported vertical leap of 36 inches. With his athletic ability, Bowen could con- tribute right away on the punt- and kick-coverage units. Pound for pound, he might be the hardest hitter in Penn State's class. He has a penchant for making big plays. NICK BOWERS The addition of Bow- ers gives Franklin and his staff excellent balance at the tight end position in this class. Bowers is a traditional tight end. It wouldn't be surprising if he were to grow to 265 pounds by next year. With Adam Breneman, Kyle Carter, Mike Gesicki and Brent Wilkerson all return- ing at tight end, it's likely that Bowers will redshirt this fall and concentrate on building strength and stamina. RYAN BUCHHOLZ With C.J. Olaniyan and Brad Bars graduating and Deion Barnes forgoing his final college season to enter the NFL DraB, Buch- holz will definitely be given an oppor- tunity to make the two-deep depth chart this fall at the strongside defen- sive end position. At 6-foot-6, he has a very big frame – big enough to allow for continued growth. He's also surpris- ingly athletic for a player of his size. He uses his hands well to disengage from blockers and gives 100 percent on every play. KAMONTE CARTER When Carter committed last February, he was listed at 230 pounds and was expected to play the weakside defensive end position. A year later, it's more difficult to figure out where he will fit in. He has been bulking up and is probably heavier than his listed weight would indicate. So while he might still begin his college career at defensive end, he could also add an ad- ditional 25 to 30 pounds and end up at the three-technique defensive tackle spot. Carter is an exceptional athlete with 4.65-second 40-yard speed and a 34-inch vertical leap. He will most likely redshirt this fall. IRVIN CHARLES Franklin and his re- ceivers coach, Josh Gattis, appear to love big, physical wideouts who can create mismatches in the secondary. Charles definitely fits that bill. He's a tall player with big hands and 4.6-sec- ond 40-yard speed. He also has excel- lent body control and can catch the ball in a crowd. Because of Penn State's depth at wide receiver, I expect Charles to redshirt this fall. JAKE COOPER Cooper has the size, speed and toughness to play either out- side or inside linebacker at Penn State. Although there's been speculation that he will most likely redshirt as a fresh- man, I believe he could be a quality spe- cial teams performer right away. He's a real student of the game who has turned in a 4.6-second 40-yard time. Rivals.com lists him as a three-star prospect, but I believe he has the poten- tial to outperform that ranking. KEVIN GIVENS Givens was a starter on both offense and defense during his last three seasons at Altoona. As a sen- ior, he played primarily at strongside defensive end – the position he will most likely play when he arrives on campus this summer. Givens is listed at 245 pounds, and he looks to be capable of bulking up to 260 or 265. Having re- cently turned 17 years old, he is a young prospect who will almost certainly red- shirt this fall. STEVEN GONZALEZ Gonzalez ap- pears to be the most physical of this year's offensive line recruits, as evi- denced by his 120 pancake blocks the past two seasons. He'll be a guard at Penn State, given his physique and the fact that he reportedly bench presses over 400 pounds. With Angelo Man- giro, Derek Dowrey and Brian Gaia all returning in 2015, Gonzalez will most likely redshirt as a true freshman. But I wouldn't rule him out as a potential contributor. He is an exceptional power drive blocker. JONATHAN HOLLAND When he ver- bally committed to Penn State last May, it seemed likely that Holland would begin his career at the defensive end position. But with Jesse James leaving early for the NFL, it now appears he will start out at tight end. In Bill O'Brien's system, he would have been labeled an "F" (flex) TE. Holland is extremely ath- letic and is able to make plays down- field, but he also has the size to be an effective blocker. He reminds me of Adam Breneman. I can envision him playing this fall. Examining the Nittany Lions' 2015 recruiting class player by player PHIL'S CORNER

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