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are about to suit up for Penn State for the first time, six of whom have already arrived as early enrollees. Moreover, the Lions have more vacancies to fill this coming season than they did in 2016 or '17. They lost four starters on offense and eight on defense, and they also must find a new place kicker. Those factors could mean that the Class of 2018 will have a more immediate im- pact on Penn State's fortunes than its recent predecessors. As to which specific players stand to see the most exten- sive action this coming fall, with six months to go before the opener, that's still very much a matter of conjecture. Below are a few educated guesses: MICAH PARSONS Throughout his re- cruitment, Parsons was regarded as a high-impact prospect. And in recent months, the five-star defensive end has done two things that could substantially improve his chances of seeing immediate action. First, he enrolled at Penn State in January, a bit of a surprise considering that there was still some uncertainty late last fall whether he would be eligible to graduate early from Harrisburg High. Second, he has changed positions. "We're going to play Micah Parsons at Mike linebacker this spring and see how that goes," Franklin said. "We know he can move back to defensive end, but we're going to have him here for spring ball and see if he can do that." We won't find out for a few months how quickly Parsons is able to adapt to the middle linebacker spot after playing all over the field, both on offense and defense, at Harrisburg. But we do know this: Opportunity is knocking. Jason Cabinda has graduated, as has backup Brandon Smith. That leaves Jan Johnson, Ellis Brooks and possibly Jake Cooper as returning contenders for the starting spot. Brooks, a redshirt freshman, is the least experienced of those players but may be the leading candidate heading into spring practice. Franklin might have caught people off- guard with his announcement that Par- sons would be playing linebacker this spring, but it makes a lot of sense. At 6- foot-3, 240 pounds, he already has the size he needs to hold his own in the mid- dle of the front seven. He's also got a jer- sey number – 11 – that indicates the coaches see him as part of a lineage of Linebacker U greats that includes LaVar Arrington and NaVorro Bowman. If he can get to the point where he's comfort- able making the calls that are required of a Mike linebacker, he's going to see ac- tion sooner rather than later. PAT FREIERMUTH or ZACK KUNTZ Here's another position where the Lions could use help immediately. Jonathan Holland is the most experienced of the returnees, and even he's played sparingly, with three career catches in his two seasons of eligibility. The team's other scholar- ship tight ends, Nick Bowers and Danny Dalton, have seen little action. That's mostly due to Mike Gesicki's excellence; if you've got one of the great pass- catching tight ends in the country on your roster, you want him on the field as much as possible. But in Bowers' case, it's also been due to a knee injury that cost him an entire season. The 6-4, 268- pounder signed in February 2015 but didn't make his collegiate debut until this past October against Northwestern. Gesicki is gone now, and his gradua- tion will open up an opportunity for the team's other tight ends, including its two four-star newcomers. At 6-7, 230 pounds, Kuntz is physically reminiscent of the Lions' departing All-American. Franklin said he's "probably further along as a tight end than Mike was" at a similar stage in his career, and it also helps that he's an early enrollee who will participate in spring practice. Freiermuth is a more prototypical tight end at 6-5, 250 pounds. Franklin likes his skill set, describing him as "a tough guy with really soft hands." Unless their depth situation is more dire than it appears, Penn State would probably prefer to play one and redshirt the other. Who has the edge? For now, it's Kuntz, simply because he's already on campus. But at 250 pounds, Freier- muth doesn't need to add much size and could be well positioned to catch up quickly once he arrives in University PICTURE THIS Freiermuth (8), Kuntz and their families pose for a photo during a visit to the Lasch Build- ing. Photo courtesy of Freiermuth family

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