Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/983252
O F F - S E A S O N R E P O R T sive line is retooling after the loss of three key play- ers 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 along 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 con- sidered a competition because there was only one candidate on campus: former- walk-on Carson Landis. But that wasn't entirely accurate. 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 disci- pline, but Gillikin has shown that he has the skill set – and the desire – to handle all three spots: punter, kickoff specialist and place kicker. "In high school I did all three my senior year and I really enjoyed that," he said. "I got to be more involved 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 tedious 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 to see Gillikin handle all three spots. It's not an ideal scenario, but it might be the best of the available options. ■ A LEG UP Landis went into spring practice as the only place kicker in camp, but Gillikin also worked out at the position. Photo by Bill An- derson