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he said, is "not ready to crown anybody at this point." 3. The new receivers have been looking good, but Penn State appears to have a bigger challenge ahead as it seeks a suc- cessor to graduated tight end Mike Gesicki. Redshirt freshman K.J. Hamler was the team's most buzzworthy newcomer during first few weeks of practice, and since then teammates have also been singing the praises of Hamler's classmate Mac Hip- penhammer. With seniors DaeSean Hamil- ton and Saeed Blacknall having departed, and with Juwan Johnson missing some reps due to an apparent injury, the young guys have seized their opportunity. Fellow freshman Cam Sullivan-Brown has been limited, but it's likely that at least one member of last year's star-studded re- ceiver class will be making an impact on Saturdays this fall. Whether or not it's specifically attribut- able to the rise of Hamler in the slot, Bran- don Polk has switched from the H to the Z receiver spot this spring. If that puts him on the field with either Hamler or starter DeAndre Thompkins, it will give the Lions a fleet of speedsters that few, if any, Big Ten defenses will be able to keep up with. The offense is looking OK at wideout, but replacing Gesicki is proving to be a more troublesome matter. Two of the team's top options have been limited this spring, which has meant that redshirt sophomore Danny Dalton and early enrollee Zack Kuntz have gotten the majority of the live reps. Dalton has shown flashes mixed in with lapses here and there, while Kuntz has been just what the coaching staff antici- pated: a rangy pass-catcher who has a ways to go in his blocking ability/technique. 4. The offensive line is looking like one of Penn State's biggest assets. Entering his third season as starter, junior center Connor McGovern said this week that he expects the line to be the strength of the 2018 offense. Offering an outside perspective, punter Blake Gillikin agreed. "I would 100 percent back that up," he said. "I think they'll be a real strength for our team this year, just from what I've seen in live periods." While the line made significant improve- ments last season from years prior, the tenor is changing even more this spring. That's largely because of the backups who are pushing for playing time. The right guard position is the only vacant spot on the line, and redshirt sophomore Michal Menet is a primary candidate to take over. By all accounts, Menet's fundamentals and technique are much improved since the end of the 2017 season. "He's probably had, since the end of the season until now, as much improvement as anybody in our pro- gram," Franklin said. However, redshirt freshman C.J. Thorpe is giving Menet a run for his money. The scouting report on Thorpe coming out of spring practice is that he gives the offen- sive front a quality it lacked during Franklin's first few seasons at PSU. Said the coach, "He plays with an attitude, he plays with a chip, he tries to finish people [and] he has a nasty streak." Thorpe has the mindset and physical tools to step into the first team. Adjusting to the college game is what could hold him back. "He's every- thing you want in the run game," Franklin said, "but he's behind in the pass [block- ing]. That's got to be his area of focus." Elsewhere, the backup offensive tackles are pushing the returnees. There are three proven options, with Ryan Bates, Will Fries and Chasz Wright all back, but there are only two starting spots. And behind those players are a couple of risers who are mak- ing their case as viable Big Ten offensive linemen. Redshirt freshman Des Holmes has starter's ability in pass protection but is still developing his skills as a run blocker. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore Alex Gellerstedt has turned from a tall and lanky athlete learning the position into a 300- pounder who is almost ready for playing time. As Franklin noted, however, any assess- ment of the offensive line this spring must take into account that the defensive line is retooling after the loss of three key players on the interior. "It's hard sometimes to judge [progress on offense] based on the lack of experience that we have at D- tackle," he said. "Are they as far as long as I think they are?" 5. Gillikin is the team's best punter and probably its best place kicker… for now, at least. Franklin said early in spring practice that the race to replace graduated field goal kicker Tyler Davis could not be considered a competition because there was only one candidate on campus: former-walk-on Carson Landis. But that wasn't entirely ac- curate. As spring practice went on, Landis's holder – Gillikin – emerged as a real threat. Franklin has emphasized many times that he wants his specialists to concentrate on one discipline, but Gillikin has shown that he has the skill set – and the desire – to handle all three spots: punter, kickoff spe- cialist and place kicker. "In high school I did all three my senior year and I really en- joyed that," he said. "I got to be more in- volved in the entire game. Obviously, we play some games [at Penn State] where we don't punt a lot and those can be kind of te- dious and boring, so I'm hopefully looking forward to taking on a larger role this year." In June, Penn State will welcome true freshman kicker Jake Pinegar, who has the leg power to contribute immediately. Does he also have the accuracy and composure to handle a full-time role at the college level as a true freshman? The Nittany Lions are very eager to find out. Said Gillikin, "Obviously, we lost a great kicker who did both kickoffs and field goals for us, so I think [Pinegar] realizes the opportunity that's in front of him." If he's not ready, though, it wouldn't be surprising if Gillikin ends up handling all three spots. It's not an ideal scenario, but it might be the best of the available options. A P R I L 1 8 , 2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 8 Penn State chooses three to serve as captains in 2018 Quarterback Trace McSorley, safety Nick Scott and punter Blake Gillikin have been voted team captains for the 2018 season by their teammates. McSorley and Scott are team captains for the second consecutive season. Gillikin is coming off a season in which he garnered second-team All-Big Ten ac- colades from the coaches and media. He also took home second-team All-Confer- ence honors from The Associated Press. McSorley, who was a captain in 2017, enters his final season having thrown a touchdown pass in 28 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He holds the Penn State career records for completion per- centage (61.8), passing efficiency (152.9), passing touchdowns (59) and total offense (8,268). Scott, who also was a captain last sea- son, had 33 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss as a junior. A leader on special teams, he finished with eight tackles on kickoffs and one on punt coverage.

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