Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/797655
S P R I N G P R A C T I C E P R E V I E W both of last year's opening-day tackles are coming back from injuries and may be limited this spring, Miranda could end up seeing action at any number of posi- tions. Meanwhile, Faison-Walden is stepping into a roster that is thin at linebacker, with Brandon Bell and Nyeem Wartman- White graduating and Jake Cooper recov- ering from an injury. A potential candidate for playing time as a true fresh- man, Faison-Walden should see signifi- cant action this spring. Assistant coach Terry Smith has likened him to Manny Bowen. And then there's Lamont Wade. The coaching staff has said that the five-star prospect can be a difference-maker in all three phases of the game, but they don't want to overwhelm him in his first few months on campus. "I think the focal point through spring is to make sure he learns and under- stands defensive back," Smith said. "Once he learns that, then obviously we want to try and get him into the return game and try and get him some spot touches on offense. We just want to get him comfortable where he knows the system defensively and he's playing full speed." Wade is listed as a cornerback on Penn State's most recent roster, but the Lions are two-deep at both of those positions, so the potential for playing time may be limited. They do have a vacancy at strong safety with Malik Golden graduating, so there has been speculation that Wade could get a tryout at that position during the spring. Wherever he ends up, the coaching staff has high hopes. "He's not the biggest player, but his heart is so gi- gantic," Smith said. "He's a competitor and he refuses to lose, and those are the kind of guys you need in the locker room. Those are the Trace McSorleys of the world. It doesn't matter what their cir- cumstance is, they're just going to play hard and they're going to get the job done." 3 Who will be the Nittany Lions' breakout players this spring? This is always a bit of a crap shoot. No one saw Carl Nassib poised on the brink of greatness two years ago, nor did any- one outside the program foresee the kind of breakout performance that Kevin Givens put together last spring. We won't begin to get some real answers until the Nittany Lions strap on the pads later this month. That said, we do know where the op- portunities lie: at wide receiver and de- fensive end. Juwan Johnson and Irvin Charles were being hailed as potential impact players before they even arrived on campus in 2015, and with Chris Godwin off to the NFL, their big chance has arrived. John- son had only two catches for 70 yards as a redshirt freshman, but he reportedly im- pressed in winter workouts. In February, Gattis tweeted that Johnson "is working to another level! Just another dominant work day!" Charles had one of the biggest recep- tions of the 2016 season, an 80-yard catch-and-run against Minnesota that lit the fuse on the Nittany Lions' offensive powder keg. But he had only one other catch during his debut season, and so the team will be looking for more productiv- ity this fall, especially given his raw po- CHARLES IN CHARGE Irvin Charles had one of the biggest catches of Penn State's 2016 sea- son with his 80-yard score vs. Minnesota. Photo by Steve Manuel