Blue White Illustrated

tacklers were in their first season of action. On special teams, its primary place-kicker is a freshman, as are three of the five players who had returned kick- offs through the first 10 games this season and both of the players who had returned punts. All told, 22 freshmen have seen action for Penn State this season, including five members of the Nittany Lions' 24-player Class of 2015. That's the 15th-highest total in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and it's largely a matter of necessity. Franklin may have signed 17 Rivals.com four-star prospects in his first two recruiting classes at Penn State, but it isn't just athletic prowess that is getting these young players on the field so quickly. Their quick ascent is also due to the fact that Franklin and his staff inherited a program that needed immediate help. The Nittany Lions have been compen- sating for a manpower drain that began in 2012, the year that the NCAA imposed its scholarship penalties in the wake of the Sandusky scandal while also ruling that players who were already on campus could transfer without having to sit out a season at their new school. It was con- sidered one of Bill O'Brien's bigger coups as head coach when only nine players took the NCAA up on its offer, but a number of the players who did leave (defensive tackle Jamil Pollard, safety Tim Buckley, offensive lineman Ryan Nowicki) would have still had eligibility in 2015. The Lions, who had brought in only 19 players in the 2012 class that predated the sanctions, signed just 17 the following year. And while those classes brought sev- eral high-profile players, such as Hack- enberg, Geno Lewis and Brandon Bell, they also included a number of prospects who were less prepared to compete at an elite level. Moreover, several of the players Penn State recruited in those classes trans- ferred quickly (Richy Anderson, Steven Bench, Tyler Ferguson), two gave up foot- ball (Anthony Stanko, Jonathan Warner) and a few never even enrolled (Neiko Robinson, Zayd Issah). Franklin began addressing the personnel shortage by holding together the 2014 class that O'Brien had been assembling before leaving for the NFL, a class that ranked 24th nationally in Rivals.com's final survey. Nine of those players ended up seeing ac- tion as freshmen, and five of them received at least one start. It was not an ideal situ- ation, as evidenced by Penn State's 7-6 record, its losingest season in a decade. "At times it was painful last year," Franklin admitted. "We were relying on so many young guys in so many key spots." This was a whole new look for Penn State. Joe Paterno had been famously re- luctant to put freshmen on the field, even the ones he thought were ready to compete at the Division I level. He had that luxury, of course – a luxury that Franklin doesn't PSU'S YOUTH MOVEMENT BY THE NUMBERS THE NITTANY LIONS... • Have had 22 freshmen play this season (17 redshirt, five true), 15th- most in the country. • Rank 20th in the country with 13 first- time starters this season. • Have the 14th-fewest seniors on their roster (13) of any team in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the third- fewest in the Big Ten. • Are the 14th-youngest team in the country based on average starting class (2.71 on a 1-4 scale). Michigan is the oldest team in the country with an average starting class of 3.55. • Are the 34th-youngest team in the country based on average player class (2.13) and the second-youngest team in the Big Ten. • Have gotten 76.6 percent of their oBensive touchdowns (23 of 30) from players with either freshman or sophomore eligibility. • Have gotten 46.7 percent of their oBensive touchdowns (14 of 30) from players with freshman eligibility. TRUE FRESHMEN WHO HAVE PLAYED IN 2015 Saquon Barkley, RB; Jake Cooper, OLB; Manny Bowen, LB; Brandon Polk, WR/KR; John Reid, CB REDSHIRT FRESHMEN WHO HAVE PLAYED IN 2015 Mark Allen, RB/PR; Noah Beh, OT; Man- ny Bowen, OLB; Brendan Brosnan, OT; Torrence Brown, DE; Koa Farmer, SS/KR; Joey Julius, PK; Robby Liebel, H; Trace McSorley, QB; Amani Oruwariye, CB; Troy Reeder, OLB; Nick Scott, RB/KR; Chance Sorrell, OT; Johnathan Thomas, RB; DeAndre Thompkins, WR/PR; Antoine White, DT; Chasz Wright, OG T H E 2 0 1 5 S E A S O N EARLY RISERS Polk (left) heads up- field during Penn State's game against Illinois. Reeder (above) returns the ball deep into Illini terri- tory after inter- cepting a pass in the first quarter. His pick – the first of his career – set up a PSU touchdown. Photos by Bill Anderson

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