Blue White Illustrated

F A S T F O R W A R D >> A N E A R L Y L O O K T here's no standardized schedule for player development. Each career fol- lows its own timeline. For every true freshman who sees the field in his first season, a redshirt bides his time and waits. For every Brandon Bell, who got his first career start in the last game of his first season, there's an Evan Schwan, who got his first career start in the first game of his last season. No matter the pace, no matter the situ- ation, for every incoming class, the route is unique for each individual. That holds true for the Lions' most recent batch of new players. In the Class of 2016, a group of 20 that signed last February, there were two full-time starters (Blake Gillikin and Connor McGovern), a special teams fix- ture (Miles Sanders) and a sudden call-up (Cam Brown). There was also a borderline case (Will Fries), who was nearly cleared to see action due to injuries but who ulti- mately retained his freshman eligibility. Heading into the 2017 off-season, there are now 14 players who are officially no longer redshirts. A few of those players battled injuries during their first year on campus; the rest scrapped daily on the scout team against the starters. That's what Schwan did when he was a true freshman, and by his fifth year he was a full-time starter and a team leader in sacks. Schwan said the grind he endured as a redshirting freshman prepared him for a successful swan song. As he awaited his turn early in his Penn State career, he faced daily battles against future NFL of- fensive linemen such as Garry Gilliam and Donovan Smith, helping them prepare for their upcoming opponent. It wasn't the easiest of jobs, but Schwan saw the work he put in as an underclassman pay off on the field as a starter in 2016, as he set ca- reer-highs in all the major defensive sta- tistical categories. Looking back, Schwan appreciates how his experience as a true freshman helped lay the groundwork for his senior-year surge. And he's grateful for the role that his successors played in helping him and his teammates get ready for game day. "I don't think that our scout teams get enough credit for the success that we've had all year," Schwan said. "If we didn't have them – and Coach [James] Franklin, especially, behind the scout team offen- sive line and the whole offense chirping at them if someone is being a little lack- adaisical – we wouldn't have had the suc- cess that we've had this year." Many of those players are redshirts who will soon be contributing on the field. Here's a look at how the members of the Class of 2016 fared in their first year on campus: QUARTERBACK An early enrollee, Jake Zembiec has now been at Penn State for a year and was listed No. 3 on the season- ending depth chart. His most important role, however, came on the scout team; by the end of the season, he was emulating the opposing quarterback. During bowl season, he wore a No. 14 jersey as he took reps as Sam Darnold. RUNNING BACK Considered to have a "green light" from the moment he stepped on campus, Sanders fielded 33 kickoff returns for an average of 20.9 yards per attempt. It was his primary role as a true freshman. He added 184 yards on 25 carries in limited snaps from the running back position but also had four fumbles. WIDE RECEIVER Penn State signed only one wideout in last year's class, and he was a late addition, as Dae'lun Darien switched his commitment from Temple just before signing day. Darien spent the year mimicking outside wide receivers on the scout team. Even with Chris Godwin leaving early, Darien will have to fight through a deep and talented position group in order to see the field next season. Nonetheless, after Godwin announced that he was leaving, Darien tweeted, "It's been a great redshirt year, just sitting back, watching and learning from [him]." TIGHT END Danny Dalton enrolled last January as a 240-pound pass-catching tight end, and since then one of his pri- mary goals has been to bulk up. He made contributions to the scout team, but if a blocking tight end was needed, Dalton was replaced on occasion by an offensive line- man. By season's end, he was approaching 250 pounds. With starter Mike Gesicki re- turning for 2017, Dalton might have the benefit of another year of development. OFFENSIVE LINE This was the deepest offensive position group in Penn State's 2016 class, as four linemen were signed. McGovern, an early enrollee, earned a starting spot one month into the season, while the other three made steady im- provements throughout the year. Fries almost had his redshirt lifted in the second half of the season after Penn State was forced to replace three starting of- fensive tackles in a month. It was his strong performance on the scout team that prompted the coaching staff to get him practice snaps with the travel squad. "I think Will is going to be a very special player," sophomore-to-be Ryan Bates said. "He's big, athletic, and he's strong. He's going to have a good career here at Penn State." Bates was impressed with Michal Menet, too. Recruited to play either center or guard, Menet also spent time at tight end this past season, simulating block-first TE/H-backs on the scout team. "Mike is a strong guy," Bates said. "He's gained so much strength [since last June]. He's just a big guy now. He's big, strong and he's SUPPORT SYSTEM Whether in practice or on Saturdays, true freshmen play role in PSU's rise |

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