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O C T O B E R 4 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 9 When Penn State released its official depth chart ahead of the 2017 season, redshirt freshman Will Fries was listed as the backup at leC tackle. When he made his first career start a few weeks later, it was at leC guard. And when he returned to the starting lineup this past weekend against Indiana, it was at right tackle. If all that makes your head spin a little bit, imagine his. For a first-year starter working three dif- ferent positions, playing on either side of the center, that might make for a heavy mental load. But Fries, a four-year honor student at Cranford (N.J.) High, has shown the capacity to handle it. The work he put in beforehand prepared him for his opportunity. A four-star prospect in the Class of 2016, he spent a couple of years at offensive guard in high school level. While redshirt- ing last season, he worked at both tackle positions, and he did so again in preseason camp this year. He credits his work on the scout team and the travel squad with help- ing him get ready for the variety of assign- ments asked of him so far this season. The way in which his redshirt season un- folded prepared him for action this fall. Although Fries started last season as a "yellow light" – meaning that he might or might not redshirt – it was decided aCer the first month that he would sit out to pre- serve his freshman eligibility. But when in- juries started to mount at offensive tackle late in the year, there was some discussion on the staff about whether the time had come to put him on the field. "I was a redshirt at the beginning [of 2016], but there was a chance that I might have to play aCer the first few games. But then aCer Michigan, I was pretty much in that redshirt mindset," Fries said. "It was going good. I was getting bigger and stronger and getting better in practice going against [defensive ends] Garrett Sickels, Evan Schwan and Torrence Brown and those guys, and there came a point when I thought I might have to play. I obviously felt very prepared and Coach [Matt] Limegrover and the older guys got me prepared to play. That didn't end up working out like that." Not last year, anyhow. But now he's see- ing the payoff. Being bounced around from the practice squad to the travel roster was difficult at times, but it hardened his resolve and helped him grow into a more versatile player when he was needed. Whether he's stationed at guard or tackle, Fries said he's been comfortable with his role. "It's not too big of an adjustment," he said. Switching from the leC to the right side is "just a matter of getting the form back down and just being more dominant with your right foot, right hand and things like that. It's definitely an adjustment, but it's something you get used to pretty quickly [by] just get- ting work at practice and things like that." But no matter how many reps he's gotten on the practice fields, there is no duplicat- ing the speed of a game or the environment that players face when they enter a college football stadium on Saturdays. He said that with each game he's played, he's grown more at ease. In the first game there were nerves, he ac- knowledged to reporters on a conference call Tuesday morning. A big part of the ac- climation process, he said, has simply been "a matter of really trusting yourself and being more confident overall." Coming from an offense that ran the ball frequently in high school, Fries was most secure in his ability to run block when he entered college. Now he's focusing on his pass-set technique, and his steady im- provement illustrates why he's been one of the first backups to see action when some- one goes down, no matter the position. "In my opinion, I would think I'm a better run blocker," Fries said. "That's something that I worked a lot on in high school. It has come more natural to me. There are a lot of technique adjustments with jumping to the college level with pass protection. That's something that I keep working on and get- ting better and better on every day, just re- fining my technique to become the best player possible." T I M   O W E N | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M Fries' versatility paying off for PSU's offensive line Since preseason practice, Fries has played three posi- tions on the offen- sive line: left guard and right and left tackle. The red- shirt freshman lineman has helped Penn State overcome several nagging injuries, filling in wherever needed on a weekly basis. Photo by Nate Bauer

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