Currently listed among the five most favored teams to win the National Championship next year by the oddsmakers in Vegas, big things are expected of James Franklin’s Nittany Lions this season. While Franklin once again boasts a tremendous amount of talent on his roster, this season’s Nittany Lions lack game time experience.

Young players across the roster will be asked to step up and fill the voids left behind by others who have moved on this offseason. Luckily for Penn State fans, Franklin has recruited exceptionally since arriving in Happy Valley.

Many of Franklin’s former highly-rated recruits will get their first tastes of real game time this season, and how quickly they adapt to the collegiate level will determine the Nittany Lions’ success. Only time will tell, but it’s never too early to look at each position on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback

One position where there is no uncertainty for the Nittany Lions is quarterback. Penn State will lean heavily on Trace McSorley, who’s returning for his third season as a starter. This will be, however, McSorley’s first season without Saquon Barkley joining him in the backfield.

For the Nittany Lions to be successful this season, they’ll need McSorley to continue to develop as a passer. His completion percentage jumped from 57.9 percent his first year as a starter to 66.5 percent last year.

Oddsmakers believe he will make yet another leap. He’s currently a favorite for the Heisman Trophy. If McSorley can improve on those numbers further, he may very well be the best quarterback in the Big Ten next season.

Running Back

Losing Saquon Barkley to the NFL Draft was certainly a big blow to the Penn State offense. Barkley finished his career with 3,843 rushing yards, 1,195 receiving yards, and 51 total touchdowns for the Nittany Lions.

Even without Barkley, Penn State should be just fine at running back this season with junior Miles Sanders to fill the void. Sanders was the former No. 1-ranked running back in the country during his recruitment back in 2015.

The Pittsburgh native is strong, elusive, and explosive in the open field, much like his predecessor. After spending the last two seasons stuck behind Barkley on the depth chart, Sanders will have his opportunity to show what he’s learned.

Penn State fans should also expect incoming freshman Ricky Slade to play a role in this season’s offense. Some consider Slade undersized. He’s currently listed at only 5’ 9” and 185 pounds. But what Slade lacks in size he more than makes up for in speed and quickness (not to mention personality). The Virginia native is electric with ball in his hands and is a dynamic pass catcher out of the backfield.

Tight End

Replacing NFL-bound Mike Gesicki will be a challenge for Penn State this season. The towering tight end was a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses in the red zone and served as Trace McSorley’s security blanket the last two seasons.

Penn State returns juniors Danny Dalton, Nick Bowers, and Jonathan Holland this fall. Franklin also adds incoming freshmen Zack Kuntz and Pat Freiermuth to his tight end group, both four-star recruits who might just figure into the equation early on in their careers.

With all five players having played sparingly or not at all at the collegiate level, this position battle is wide open so far.

Wide Receiver

DaeSean Hamilton was an extremely productive player during his career at Penn State. However, the Nittany Lions should, in theory, be able to replace his production. The wideout corps returns Juwan Johnson, Deandre Thompkins, and Brandon Polk. Johnson and Thompkins received regular paying time consistently last season and will be expected to help replace Hamilton’s lost production. Polk, who has battled injury problems in the past, has shown that he can wreak havoc with his speed and quick cuts.

Rahne may also look to get some younger receivers, such as K.J. Hamler and Mac Hippenhammer, more involved in the offense next season as well. Another player worth keeping an eye on is incoming freshman Justin Shorter. The five-star recruit is the highest-rated receiver recruited during Franklin’s time in State College and is one of the best incoming freshman in the country.

Offensive Line

The offensive line proved to be an Achilles heel for the Nittany Lions during last season’s loss at Ohio State. Unable to generate a push in the run game or consistently protect McSorley, the Nittany Lion offense was slowed to a halt during the second half against the Buckeyes.

Franklin and his staff have put a lot of time and effort into improving their offensive line situation on the recruiting trail. This season is when all of that hard work should finally pay off for Penn State. The Nittany Lions will bring back four of five starters from last season, as Ryan Bates, Steven Gonzalez, Connor McGovern, and Will Fries all return. Franklin and his staff only need to decide who will occupy the left guard spot vacated by Brendan Mahon.

Redshirt sophomore Michal Menet appears to be the favorite to take over the position this season. Menet was a former four-star recruit and will add talent and tenacity to the offensive front.

The offensive line has been a problem area for the entirety of Franklin’s tenure so far at Penn State, but it appears that may finally no longer be the case this year.