The Penn State starting lineup is still being developed, even ahead of one of the biggest games of the season.

After what was a great fall camp for Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, the redshirt freshman safety still finds himself in a competition for the second safety spot next to Zakee Wheatley. Belgrave-Shorter was initially announced as the starter a week before the season opener against Nevada, with impressive reviews from James Franklin coming out of the offseason.

“Belgrave-Shorter is probably a guy that there wasn’t a lot of conversations going on outside of the Lasch Building, but led us in interceptions and turnovers this training camp,” Franklin said at his week one Monday press conference. “Been very, very consistent about how he’s gone about his business, so he has earned that spot.”

Although it was more likely that veteran players such as King Mack would fill the position, Franklin was adamant about Belgrave-Shorter’s work ethic and offseason grind, which initially earned him a starting spot.

Thus far, Belgrave-Shorter has only made six total tackles. Mack, his apparent main competition, has registered 13 tackles and a pass deflection.

As of now, ahead of the top-10 matchup against the Oregon Ducks in Penn State’s patented White Out game, there is clearly an ongoing competition for the safety position.

In Franklin’s weekly press conference on Monday, he called for an appreciation of the players who have remained consistent, whether they had won or lost the starting position out of camp. Franklin discussed Mack’s approach to practice even after missing out on the week one starting lineup.

“It’s been impressive to watch how he’s approached [not being the immediate starter], and probably as much from the standpoint that he didn’t win the starting job during camp, and never let it faze him,” Franklin said Monday. “I think some of the younger players, when they either lost a job or didn’t win the job, I think they let it faze them in terms of the consistency and the approach.”

Franklin discussed the difference in younger players still refining their weekly routines, whereas older players tend to have that routine down at this point in their career. Starting safety Wheatley had a similar sentiment about the older defensive backs in the room, but specifically about Mack.

“Knowing King, being with him, seeing him make changes in his life, on his approach to football, and seeing him end up getting a [starting] job last week, he’s going to show you that you can’t let the decision [of missing the starting lineup] distract you from the end goal,” Wheatley said Tuesday.

The veteran sounded off on how explosive Mack has always been, but has noticed a considerable increase in his football IQ and is fully embracing the learning aspect of being a starting safety for Jim Knowles’ defense. Wheatley went as far as to say that Mack possesses an explosive playing style that ranks as one of the best in the country, allowing the junior to “get to the right spot at the right time” and be “unstoppable.”

To echo his teammate, starting corner AJ Harris was complimentary of Mack’s ability to understand the new defensive scheme after transferring from Alabama this offseason. Harris said Mack “picked it up fast” and found that the football knowledge that Mack had received at his previous school had helped him climb the depth chart.

Although there is no definite, solidified starting safety as of right now, it feels as if the veteran Mack has made a name for himself since the end of camp. As any in-season competition goes, expect both players to see reps; however, with Mack’s recent surge to the front of the line, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see the former Crimson Tide player start for the Nittany Lions in the White Out.