Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/938373
We didn't have a chance to talk about Jason Oweh in December be- cause of the way things played out. What was that like from a coach's perspective? How were you guys able to help keep his commitment quiet until he made his announcement in January? He had actually signed on the first signing date but was waiting to an- nounce it at the [Under Armour All- America] game. We were comfortable with that. We were just able to develop a really good relationship with Jason and his family. There was trust there, and I think you guys have heard me talk about this before, me coming back home and the relationships that I have, not only from high school but also from going to East Stroudsburg, a teacher's college, where all my buddies are high school coaches all over the state and in the region [has been beneficial in re- cruiting]. So I played with Jason's high school coach at East Stroudsburg. Jason's de- fensive coordinator, I played with him at East Stroudsburg. Jason's defensive line coach, I played with him at East Stroudsburg. So I would make the argument that we had a pretty good inside chance there because there were people there who could really vouch for me, not only as a coach, but as a man, and I think that gave Jason and his family comfort. You obviously emphasized the of- fensive and defensive lines in this class. Is that where you need to im- prove to take the next step in the pro- gression of the program? Yeah, I think so. Really, that's where it starts, up front. The best teams in the country consistently win up front, and when you consistently win up front, it's going to give you a chance to have the most consistent program. Obviously, to be able to win at the very highest level, you've got to be re- ally good across the board. You've got to be great in coaching. You've got to be great in recruiting. You've got to be great in scheming. You've got to be great in developing. You've got to be great at every position. That's the real- ity of it. I think you can still have a very good year by overcoming some deficiencies that you have in a certain area, but you can't overcome deficiencies up front. It's just too challenging. You're going to have to be really strong up front to win at the highest level. So we're committed to doing that. I think you guys have heard me say it before: The thing that makes it so chal- lenging [on the offensive line] is that when you do have problems, you can't solve them quickly. Those guys need time to develop. A wide receiver, a cor- ner, a safety, a running back could prob- ably play for you as a true freshman. But it's hard to get [linemen prepared] be- cause of the size and strength and ma- turity aspects that come with those positions. F E B R U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 12