Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703041
2 0 1 6 P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L KEY PERSONNEL C: Brian Gaia*, Wendy Laurent*, Connor McGovern; G: Ryan Bates, Derek Dowrey*, Steven Gonzalez, Brendan Mahon*, Chasz Wright; T: Noah Beh, Brendan Bros- nan, Will Fries, Alex Gellerstedt, Ster- ling Jenkins, Michal Menet, Andrew Nelson*, Paris Palmer*, Chance Sorrell LOSSES C/G: Angelo Mangiro*; G: Kevin Reihner RISING STAR After a strong season on the scout team last year, Bates is poised to make an immediate impact at guard. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder from Warrington, Pa., will be doing battle against the veterans Dowrey and Mahon in August, just as he did this past spring. BIGGEST LOSS The versatile Man- giro started 25 of Penn State's 26 games the past two seasons and won the Dick Maginnis Memorial Award, which goes to the team's outstanding offensive lineman, both years. He made 12 starts as a senior last fall, playing both center and left guard. As a junior, he played center and right tackle and was an hon- orable mention All-Big Ten selection. He's the only starter from last year's offensive line to depart. NUMBERS GAME The Nittany Lions gave up 39 sacks last season, more than any team in the Big Ten and more than 110 of 127 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. It's possible to surrender lots of sacks and still field an effective offense; Oregon also gave up 39 sacks last year, while Oklahoma surrendered 41. But those are the exceptions. If Penn State wants to make a dramatic leap forward, it will have to protect its QB better in 2016 than it protected Christian Hackenberg the past two seasons. Even if you subtract the Lions' disastrous opener last year against Temple, in which Hackenberg was sacked 10 times, the Lions still aver- aged 2.42 sacks per game, a number that would have ranked 13th in the con- ference and 86th nationally. OUTLOOK The offensive line has obviously been Penn State's most glaring weakness the past two sea- sons. In addition to the pass-protec- tion difficulties, the Nittany Lions finished 14th in the Big Ten in rushing two years ago (101.9 yards per game) and 12th last year (133.9). The line's performance in 2015 was particularly disheartening in that the Lions con- tinued to rank near the bottom of the FBS in tackles for loss (93, good for 111th place) despite having a major talent in their backfield in Saquon Barkley. All too often, Barkley and his >> LEFT TACKLE NO NAME YR HT WT 59 Andrew Nelson R-Jr. 6-6 301 58 Chance Sorrell R-So. 6-5 293 LEFT GUARD 52 Ryan Bates R-Fr. 6-4 305 53 Derek Dowrey Sr. 6-3 334 CENTER 72 Brian Gaia Sr. 6-3 295 55 Wendy Laurent Sr. 6-2 294 66 Connor McGovern Fr. 6-5 310 RIGHT GUARD 70 Brendan Mahon R-Jr. 6-4 315 53 Derek Dowrey Sr. 6-3 334 RIGHT TACKLE 73 Paris Palmer Sr. 6-7 304 60 Noah Beh R-So. 6-6 300 PHIL'S TAKE There are three important storylines that developed in spring practice on the offensive line. Storyline No. 1: Andrew Nelson is now 100 percent healthy and seems to have adjusted quite nicely to his move to the starting left tackle slot. Storyline No. 2: Redshirt freshman Ryan Bates met expectations and is, in my view, a strong favorite to win the starting left guard position. Storyline No. 3: Penn State has 17 scholarship offensive linemen on its current roster and a legitimate two-deep situation at all five positions. I foresee Bri- an Gaia starting at center, Bates and either Brendan Mahon or Derek Dowrey at guard, and Nelson and either Paris Palmer or Noah Beh at tackle. This group seems to like Joe Moorhead's zone blocking scheme. The Lions will almost certainly field a better offensive line than they did in either 2014 or '15, but it will need to become a strength in order for Penn State's offense to perform up to expectations. Steve Manuel RYAN BATES OR OR