The weather warming up outside means one thing: Penn State football is gearing up for spring ball.

With the Nittany Lions diving into spring practices ahead of the Blue-White Game on April 26, James Franklin took to the stand in the Beaver Stadium media room to outline the program’s ambitions at this point in the offseason.

Here’s what we learned.

On Devonte Ross & Kyron Hudson

Franklin expanded on wide receivers Devonte Ross and Kyron Hudson’s recruitment and implementation into the program following winter workouts. He said their attitudes, work ethic, and demeanor have been snug fits into the program’s culture and locker room.

“I would say recruiting guys like Ross out of Troy and schools like that, a lot of times those are exciting because, no knock on any other school or any other place, but we just have a little bit more resources,” Franklin said. “So, those guys have a chance to develop a little bit more than when you go get a guy from a similar type of program.”

Franklin said no matter who you talk to from any of his stops on his football journey, everybody loves Hudson. Franklin said he was comfortable bringing him in because of his success at a big-time program like USC and further highlighted Hudson’s drive to succeed as a key component of his appeal.

“Obviously, I think there’s also an aspect when guys know it’s their last year,” Franklin said. “I think there’s a motivation that comes along with that as well as with Ross.”

Franklin said Ross’ performance in Troy’s September loss to Iowa instilled confidence in the young receiver. Ross finished with five receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns against the Hawkeyes, coupled with a 77-yard punt return touchdown.

“For him to do it against that type of opponent on that stage gave me a lot of confidence that that could translate to us,” Franklin said.

On Linebacker Competition

Franklin opened up about the hole that Kobe King has left as the Mike linebacker on defense. He said King and the Mike linebacker position serve as the “quarterback of the defense.” However, with his departure, the position is open for other players to jockey for.

Franklin said he’s looking forward to evaluating veterans like Dom DeLuca and Tony Rojas with some younger guys like Ta’Mere Robinson, Lavar Arrington II, and Kari Jackson. He said the linebacker evaluations will play a key role in the type of defensive packages the coaching staff and new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will install to put the team in the best position to succeed.

“There’s a number of guys, but right now, not sure how it’s going to play out,” Franklin said.

On The Blue-White Game

Franklin said that there would be some sort of modification to the Blue-White Game this year, but he and the program still wanted to have it because they recognize the immense impact it has on the State College area, from restaurants and hotels to the fans themselves.

However, Franklin announced that the game will not be televised this year and that the game will be a bit shorter.

“One of the things that I don’t think we’ll do is a halftime,” Franklin said. “There’s been years where we’ll have 75,000 people out there, we’ll go halftime for 20 minutes, and the parking lot becomes more attractive than the second half with the tailgaiting. So, probably condense it down a little bit, maybe a little bit shorter quarters, maybe until halftime.”

Franklin also recognized the fans who go for the football, who want to see how the team is shaping up at this point of the offseason. He said it’s valuable, and for all of those reasons, the game will still be played.

He finalized the Blue-White talk with a nod to new Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Franklin said he feels it’s important for Knowles to get into the stadium and call a game from the booth, further allowing the staff to coalesce.

On Veterans Heading Into Spring Ball

Franklin spoke on modifications for veterans as the program heads into spring practices. He said veterans like Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, and Kaytron Allen will have their reps modified going into spring ball.

“It’s a fine line because they still need to get better,” Franklin said. “That’s why they came back, so we need to be smart about that.”

Franklin also pointed out that modified reps allow for the coaching staff to better evaluate other players sitting behind veterans who are working towards more significant roles. He said he’ll work through the established players with their position coaches and that there are one or two players at every position that will go through some sort of modification in the spring.

On The 105 Rule

Franklin spoke on the 105 rule — a rule that caps FBS rosters to 105 players, including walk-ons, starting in the 2025 season.

Franklin said the team has already discussed the 105 rule and is well aware of it. Franklin recognized that the rule would create a lot of changes in how the program and college football as a whole are typically run, with different needs popping up as the season progresses.

“Guys are going to have to understand that we may be doing some offense, servicing the defense, servicing the offense. Essentially, guys are going to need to be on scout teams that have not been on a scout team maybe in two years,” Franklin said. “We’ve been fortunate enough with our roster numbers and our development of our preferred run-ons or walk-ons, however you want to describe it.”

Franklin said the prospect of some players having to be on scout teams will be challenging, but it’s a different season, and everybody needs to understand that college football has changed.

“You can’t be stubborn and just say, ‘Well, this is how we’ve always done it,'” Franklin said. “You’re gonna have to adjust under the new rules and embrace the new rules, and part of that is getting our players to understand this is going to be a different season than they’re used to.”

On Drew Allar’s Development

When asked what he’s looking for in Drew Allar’s next step of his development, Franklin didn’t pinpoint a specific aspect of his quarterback’s game. Rather, he said plainly that Allar needs to take another step forward this year, as he’s done every other year.

Franklin said Allar is an exciting player to see grow as a leader, saying his mental and physical preparation is top-notch. Franklin also said he hopes Allar leads new receiving additions Ross and Hudson heading into the new season.

On The State Of NIL

Franklin expressed discontent with the current state of NIL and how it has affected college football programs across the nation.

“We’re having to make plans for NIL and the transfer portal, like everybody in the country, and you had to have these deals done before the transfer portal closed,” Franklin said. “That affected people’s decisions. Then, you also didn’t completely know or understand all the rules of engagement and how it was going to work out because it was still being worked through in court. This is a challenge all over the country.”

Franklin continued by saying that the staff will take the changes in college football’s economic landscape in stride while supporting the players along the way.

On Receiving Production & Tyler Warren

Franklin highlighted Tyler Warren’s efficiency as a receiver in 2024 as a big reason for his excitement for new guys to step up in the receiving game. Warren ended his collegiate career with a 1,233-yard season behind 104 receptions and eight touchdowns.

Franklin said that the wide receivers need to acknowledge that they aren’t just competing with other receivers, but they’re also competing with the running backs and the tight ends, which was evident in Warren’s high production.

“Who’s going to be the guys that step up in the tight end room? Who’s going to be the guys that step up in the wide receiver room?” Franklin asked. “And that’s going to be very important for the development of our offense, for the development of our team, and for us to take another step this year.”

Franklin said Warren made it clear he wanted the ball, which hindered the production of other offensive players last season. Franklin said he’s looking for the offense to play a more complimentary style of football this year, bouncing off each other to create threats on every inch of the field for opposing defenses.

“When you lose a guy like Tyler Warren, there’s a question mark there,” Franklin said.

On West Shore Home Field At Beaver Stadium

Franklin expressed admiration for the job Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft has done with crafting relationships and making financial decisions that ultimately benefit the program, such as the relationship with BJ Werzyn and West Shore Homes.

He said he knows that the $700 million Beaver Stadium revitalization project, coupled with NIL, brings other challenges, but Kraft has handled it all swiftly.