For the past two weeks, Penn State football’s pregame availability report has had a lot of names.

While some players like quarterback Jaxon Smolik, wide receiver Peter Gonzalez, and defensive end Zuriah Fisher are out with long-term injuries that were previously disclosed, some names were a surprise.

The Nittany Lions were without tight end Khalil Dinkins during the season opener, and wide receiver Kaden Saunders only saw action on punt returns after dealing with some “bumps and bruises” toward the end of preseason camp.

With Dinkins back in the lineup for week two, tight end Andrew Rappleyea, who had garnered attention after his performance in Dinkins’ absence in week one, was listed as out on the team’s report. Rappleyea later appeared on the sideline using crutches, and James Franklin announced on Wednesday the injury was long-term.

Along with Rappleyea, true freshman third-string quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer also appeared on the availability report as he was questionable before Saturday’s home opener.

“We’ve had more bumps and bruises this year than we’ve had in previous years,” Franklin said. “Three years ago, we had a decent spike in bumps and bruises, and we have that right now. We’ve got to develop depth and that is going to be really important for us moving forward.”

Chuck Losey, the team’s leader on the strength and conditioning staff, said his job is to look for patterns when a team experiences an uptick in injuries.

While there are instances where Losey can pinpoint what’s leading to the injuries, the nature of football can sometimes make the task difficult.

“My No. 1 priority with these guys is always to bullet-proof them as much as I can,” Losey said. “This is my 21st year in the profession, and sometimes you have those years where your injury rates are higher than others.”

Only two games into the season, Losey can’t yet see a pattern developing, but noted that changes to the game itself might have an impact.

According to Losey, the game is getting bigger and faster, further complicating the injury issue. While it does add an unknown element, it also makes Losey’s role more critical than ever.

Losey has been with Penn State’s performance enhancement team since 2014 and experienced the spike in injuries from three years ago Franklin mentioned. While there isn’t yet something specific to pinpoint, Losey’s been through a similar situation before.

“If I ever do see some type of pattern, I have to do my best to address that as soon as I can,” Losey said. “I think the best way to that is to be proactive and get ahead of it as best we can.”

Along with being physical, football is unpredictable, and Franklin said contingency planning is a big part of practice every day. Even though he’s happy with the depth in some rooms, like the tight ends and cornerbacks, Franklin has mentioned a few spots, like the linebackers, that need to create more depth in case the spike in unavailable players gets worse.

An early-season injury bug wasn’t something Franklin and the coaching staff wanted, but through the little things in practice each day, it’s something they’ve prepared for.

“That’s why in practice you rep the ones and the twos, and sometimes the threes,” Franklin said. “They’re going to have to be developed, and they’re going to have to be ready to play.”