Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/916653
of its pass-catchers topping 50 recep- tions. One of its receivers has already done that, as Gesicki, a senior tight end, leads the team with 51 catches for 501 yards and nine touchdowns. Hamilton is next with 48 catches for 747 yards and seven TDs, while Johnson has 48 catches for 635 yards, and Barkley has 47 for 594 yards. To illustrate how rare and impressive such an accomplishment would be, I went back through 30-plus years of Big Ten football statistics and was unable to 9nd one conference team that had four receivers with 50 or more catches in the same year. Not even the pass-happy Purdue teams of the early Joe Tiller era, the ones that had Drew Brees as their starting quarterback, had four 50-catch receivers. This is the best group of receivers I've ever seen perform at Penn State in the three decades that I've been covering the program BOWL PRACTICES CRUCIAL Many of Penn State's most important players will be getting set to wrap up their careers in the Fiesta Bowl. On o:ense, Gesicki, Hamilton, Saeed Blacknall and Brendan Mahon will be graduating, and it's as- sumed that Barkley will be leaving early to enter the NFL Dra;, even though he hadn't said so publicly as of this writing. On defense, the Lions will lose their en- tire starting secondary – Marcus Allen, Troy Apke, Christian Campbell and Grant Haley – and they will also be bid- ding farewell to defensive tackles Curtis Cothran and Parker Cothren and line- backers Jason Cabinda and Brandon Smith. With so many players set to de- part, the Nittany Lions' ongoing bowl practice sessions take on a new and im- portant meaning. If Penn State hopes to remain in con- tention for the Big Ten East Division title in 2018, a number of players in its Class of 2017 will have to step forward during the team's Fiesta Bowl preparations and in spring practice. The good news for the Lions is that they appear to have a num- ber of players with the potential to as- sert themselves as early contributors. At wide receiver, both K.J. Hamler and Mac Hippenhammer have reportedly been very impressive on Penn State's scout team. Hamler, despite coming o: a knee injury that forced him to miss his entire senior season at IMG Academy, came within a whisker of seeing action this past season. I'm hearing that one of coach James Franklin's toughest deci- sions in preseason practice was whether to redshirt the 5-foot-9, 172-pound prospect. I 9rmly believe that Hamler has a legitimate chance of replacing Hamilton as the Nittany Lions' slot re- ceiver next season. Hippenhammer also has a chance of making Penn State's six-man rotation at wide receiver with the impending de- parture of Hamilton and Blacknall. The coaching sta: will no doubt be keeping a close eye on him during the coming months as it looks to 9ll its vacancies. Other o:ensive players in Penn State's Class of 2017 who have a real opportu- nity to impress the coaches this month and beyond include guard C.J. Thorpe, guard/center Mike Miranda and running back Journey Brown. Miranda, who was an early enrollee in January, has been mentioned by several assistant coaches as a contender to re- place Mahon at the starting right guard position. He's listed on the team's depth chart as the second-team le; guard be- hind Steven Gonzalez and the third- team center behind Connor McGovern and Zach Simpson. But he hasn't played this year, preserving his freshman eligi- bility. Thorpe has also been impressive, by all accounts. At 6-3, 329 pounds, he has the size to be a contributor early in his ca- reer, and he will likely provide competi- tion for Gonzalez and Menet at guard. With Thorpe, Miranda, Menet and Gonzalez in the mix, this will be the most competitive situation the Nittany Lions have had in years at both guard positions. Not since the NCAA sanc- tions were imposed on the program in July 2012 have the Lions had this much talent at those spots. On defense, the redshirt freshman who has received the most praise from Penn State players and coaches has been !"#!" $%&'( !! "#$%&$' &'' ()* + ! ,-)) +. /-% #$ !"#"$ %$ &' () " & *& +,-,../01 SEE CORNER PAGE 66