Blue White Illustrated

N E W C O M E R S O F I N F L U E N C E witnessed indoors translated onto the practice 9eld in March. Wade earned an overwhelming number of reps through- out the spring and 9nished with at least three interceptions. Before he started picking o: passes, however, his teammates recognized that Wade was college-ready in other ways. "He's a younger guy who doesn't carry himself as a younger guy," said safety and captain Nick Scott. "He's taking reps with the ones and he's making plays." While Galt saw the signs of a future contributor when Wade stepped foot on Penn State's campus, it was the traits that he displayed at Clairton that 9rst piqued head coach James Franklin's interest. In addition to his athletic ability, he had great con9dence, Franklin said. Of course, even great high school play- ers sometimes lose their swagger when they reach the next level. Said Franklin, "That sometimes goes away when you go to college." But in Wade's case, Franklin added, "That hasn't gone away. He has a lot of competi- tive con9dence and he seems to learn well. Coach Galt men- tioned that in the weight room, and it's been the same way on the 9eld. He learns well, and he's made plays so far." One play in particular had teammates raving throughout the spring – and cheering on the sidelines a;er it hap- pened. Facing wide receiver DeAndre Thomp- kins in man-to-man coverage, Wade un- dercut a route before laying out for an interception. The play was so cut out for a highlight tape that position coach Terry Smith tweeted out a video of it soon therea;er. His teammates considered it one of the best plays of the spring. "[Thompkins] ran a comeback and 'Mont, he just stayed square, like we preach," cornerback T.J. Johnson said. "He opened up his hips and stayed square. Then he just broke on the ball and got the diving pick." More plays like that could be in the off- ing this fall, as Wade has positioned himself for playing time in 2017 at either cornerback or nickel back. With return- ing starter John Reid likely to miss sig- nificant action this fall due to an injury he suffered in spring practice, Wade ap- pears to have an opportunity to see the field. Will he be the only member of the Class of 2017 to push his way into playing time? Or will there be others? Here are some players who might be called upon. ELLIS BROOKS LB, 6-1, 230 Mechanicsville, Va. One of the last additions to the Class of 2017, Brooks could be one of the 9rst to see the 9eld. At 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, he has prototypical size for a box linebacker in defensive coordinator Brent Pry's scheme. Following the conclusion of spring practice, there weren't many play- ers with that kind of build at Pry's dis- posal. Barring more injuries, it's unlikely that Brooks will see an expanded role, but with Jason Cabinda, Brandon Smith and Jason Vranic, all of whom play Mike LB, entering their 9nal season of eligibility, Brooks might be only a year away from a starting position. It wouldn't hurt for him to get some experience beforehand, and it wouldn't surprise us if the coaching sta: eased him into action this season for that very purpose. TARIQ CASTRO-FIELDS CB, 6-0, 185 Upper Marlboro, Md. Even with Wade nudging his way into the depth chart this spring, Penn State could 9nd itself in need of help from an- other freshman if more injuries were to LENDING A HAND Hansard could be an early contribu- tor on the Nit- tany Lions' defensive line. Photo cour- tesy of Rivals.com

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