Frankly, there’s only so much stock you can put into the Blue White game. Good plays and bad both come with a lot of asterisks attached. The defense knows what the offense is going to do, the offense knows the defense’s weaknesses. It’s a mixed roster of the top talent and players looking to find a place on the depth chart.
You have to take everything with a grain of salt.
Even so, some players can still pass the so-called ‘eye test’ and overcome an otherwise routine practice in front of tens of thousands of people.
So who to watch? Here are five good bets this weekend.
No.1 KJ Hamler:
If personality could play football Hamler would already have the Heisman locked up. Penn State hasn’t shied away from showcasing Hamler’s speed at receiver and his personality off the field on social media so this will be the first chance to see what the speedster has to offer in person. It sounds like Hamler will be a name to know in the fall, so may as well get used to seeing him out there starting this weekend.
No. 11 Micah Parsons:
The high profile recruit doesn’t exactly need an intro so it kind of goes without saying that Parsons at outside linebacker is one guy to keep an eye on. Where he ends up this season, be it inside or outside linebacker remains to be seen, but there’s little doubt Parsons is going to be fun to watch no matter where he ends up on the field. It’s high praise to give him so early in his career, but Parsons has Saquon Barkley eye-popping potential. Seeing that potential in action starts Saturday.
No. 29 John Reid:
Reid is an old face but after a year away with injury just seeing Reid on the field again is worth watching. The corner probably won’t see to many throws in his direction if opposing quarterbacks are smart, but he will still be a key part of Penn State’s coverage package. You know what you’re going to get out of Reid, but seeing how he moves and plays after a year off it worth keeping tabs on.
No.6 Cam Brown:
Another linebacker looking for a bigger and bigger role on the defense, Brown isn’t exactly an unknown entiity, but without Jason Cabinda in the fold anymore, Brown will have to take the next step. In fairness, the Blue White game isn’t exactly a showcase of eight man blitzes and physical football, but watching Brown run the show is an interesting and important wrinkle to this year.
No. 80 Danny Dalton:
If you thought replacing Saquon Barkley comes with pressure, imagine replacing Mike Gesicki too. Dalton has watched Gesicki thrive the past few seasons so he knows what it takes to make an impact in this offense. The first time out in front of a crowd with the first team, Dalton can go a long way towards calming any spring stresses from fans about the tight end position with a few catches and a few blocks. Coaches and players have only had nice things to say about Dalton, but seeing it in person is worth leaving the tailgate for.
