Penn State head football coach James Franklin addressed the media on Monday afternoon as he prepares to get spring practices underway. Franklin touched on a number of subjects throughout the press conference, from early enrollees to his own coaching objectives.

The General

James Franklin opened up his spring press conference with a shoutout to some of the other coaching staffs on campus. Specifically, he pointed to Cael Sanderson’s recent NCAA Championship, Pat Chambers’ recent win over Notre Dame in the NIT, and Guy Gadowsky’s upcoming trip to Allentown for the NCAA Ice Hockey Tournament. They’ve all got a fan in Coach Franklin.

“It’s awesome to be around so many successful coaches that are finding ways to compete at the highest level,” Franklin said.

Franklin also made mention of his team’s new nutrition program, which he called “a huge addition for us.” This nutritional program has apparently paired well with the strength program headed by Dwight Galt, as all of the early enrollees have seen their body-fat percentages fall substantially since stepping foot on campus.

Penn State’s highest profile coach also brought up some of his objectives and focuses heading into a brand new season. He and his coaching staff have emphasized team and individual effort, the team’s turnover ratio, discipline in everything from nutrition to schoolwork, building depth up front on defense, and finding field goal and kickoff kickers.

Replacing Lost Talent

One major offseason move that this program made was shifting blue-chip Pennsylvania defensive back Lamont Wade’s to safety after the departure of both Marcus Allen and Troy Apke. Franklin explained that this move came from the team’s depth and experience at corner and, now, lack thereof at safety. He believes his depth chart brings up some question marks at safety, whereas John Reid, Amani Oruwariye, and others give ample depth at corner.

For the Penn State coaching staff, Micah Parsons fills Penn State’s “pressing need” at middle linebacker after Jason Cabinda’s graduation. Franklin pointed to Parsons’ strength, ability, and quickness as keys to him being chosen to start off at this unfamiliar position, as Parsons played defensive end in high school. From a technique and playbook standpoint, the Harrisburg native will have a lot to catch up on. But in the words of James Franklin, “So far, so good.”

Franklin even went as far as to say that some players and coaches questioned the rollercoaster ride that was Micah Parsons’ recruiting process, wondering if would be best to simply allow him to commit elsewhere. Since Parsons has arrived on campus, however, no one has questioned what Parsons will bring to this team.

Of course, replacing Saquon Barkley’s production is what every Penn State fan is thinking about.

It will never be easy to take over for a Penn State legend and one of the best Nittany Lions of all-time, but Miles Sanders must do just that. When Ja’Juan Seider, Penn State’s new running backs coach, came in, he was very impressed with Sanders on and off the field. Franklin compared Miles Sanders’ situation to that of a young Aaron Rodgers, who had to wait for Brett Favre to leave the Green Bay Packers before he could take over the job. Penn State’s head coach believes in this model, and finds it important to allow his players to study the great players ahead of them.

Mike Gesicki fits the mold of a player whom Franklin wishes had some more time to develop to before he saw the field. His choice to come back for his senior year, Franklin says, allowed him more time to become a complete tight end and hone his craft. But back to replacing Barkley.

“We need to replace Saquon Barkley with our running backs, but also with the growth of the offensive line and the development of our tight ends,” Franklin explained. And the offensive line should have a slightly easier time this season. Whereas many teams over the course of the past two seasons approached the Nittany Lions with the intent of not letting Saquon Barkley beat them, Franklin now expects teams to sell out against Trace McSorley.

The defensive line is another point of attention for the Nittany Lions’ staff. With three graduating defensive tackles, there is some uncertainty up front defensively. Franklin reported that Antonio Shelton has closed the gap between himself and some of the returning tackles. Fred Hansard and Damion Barber have the coaching staff excited, but the coaching staff hasn’t really been able to see enough of these guys to know how they may factor into the defensive tackle rotation.

Players To Watch

Michal Menet seems to be poised for a breakout year. The offensive guard has had something of a slow start to his career in Happy Valley, but Franklin believes Menet has a whole lot to offer.

“The light has really come on for [Michal Menet]. There’s a lot of excitement about him right now,” Franklin said. The highly-touted offensive lineman has made strides forward, and Franklin says that Menet has focused on what he can control and keeping the right attitude.

Brandon Polk will also see a lot of playing time this season barring an unforeseen circumstances. He is simply the guy at the slot receiver and is currently listed as the starter at the position. Franklin pointed to Polk’s speed, ball skills, and chemistry with Trace McSorley as promising aspects of Polk’s opportunity.

Penn State fans should also keep an eye out for both Jan Johnson and Jake Cooper, two veterans who have been waiting for a chance to break through behind Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell in recent years. These two linebackers will be competing hard for time on the field, hoping to edge their way out in front of some of the young talent working its way through the system.

The Rest

James Franklin was not actually that impressed with Saquon Barkley’s NFL Combine performance. Barkley ran a 4.41 40-yard dash, put up a vertical of 41″, and tallied 29 bench press reps which is tied for best all-time with Nick Chubb. But Franklin has seen better of his talented running back.

“I think Saquon had a very average combine,” Franklin said. “I was very confident that Saquon would run a low 4.3.” Franklin explained that he’s seen the freak of nature that is Saquon Barkley put up even more staggering numbers than he did at the NFL Combine. There’s a scary thought.

Franklin also talked about Bill O’Brien’s return to Happy Valley this spring. The former Penn State head coach will be back in town from April 6-7 to help out with Penn State’s spring coaching clinic.