Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703041
P R E V I E W fellow running backs found them- selves trapped in the backfield with no escape route. Will that change in 2016? There have been some positive signs. James Franklin and his staff have empha- sized the O-line in their recruiting ef- forts, and they've enjoyed some suc- cesses, none bigger than their four- player haul this past February. Offen- sive lines don't get better overnight, of course, and Penn State has had to scramble to cover up its personnel de- ficiencies. However, the influx of young talent is starting to make a dif- ference. Bates is the most obvious example. He's got a good chance to be an open- ing-day starter opposite either Dowrey or Mahon at right guard. In addition, while Palmer appears to be the favorite at right tackle, Beh is on the rise and is expected to see significant playing time. And then there's Menet, an in- coming freshman who dominated at the high school level and, at 6-4, 288 pounds, can't be ruled out as a poten- tial contributor at tackle or guard this fall. The other young players – McGov- ern at center, Gonzalez and Wright at guard, Jenkins, Fries and Gellerstedt at tackle – are going to enhance the unit's depth and create competitive situations in practice. It's a far cry from where the Nittany Lions were heading into the 2014 season, when they didn't have enough scholarship players to fill up their two-deep. There have been other major changes as well. Gaia has moved from guard to center, a more natural position for the 6-3, 295-pounder. Nelson and Palmer have exchanged spots, with the latter at right tackle and the former on the op- posite side of the line protecting the quarterbacks' blind side (Trace McSor- ley and Tommy Stevens are both right- handers). The unit also has a new posi- tion coach in former Minnesota offen- sive coordinator Matt Limegrover and a new system courtesy of first-year coor- dinator Joe Moorhead. The changes have instilled a sense of optimism after two challenging seasons, particularly Moorhead's hurry-up scheme, which looked quite effective in the spring game. "It's unconventional," Nelson said, "but it really works. Was it hard for us to adjust to it in the beginning? Yes, certainly. The tempo and stuff were hard for us offensive guys even [in the spring game]. But it really works, and that's what's awesome about it." –M.H. HUB-Robeson Center On Campus Squeeze THE DAY ® * Starting experience in 2015