James Franklin has more than enough options at offensive line. In fact, Penn State could play at least eight different linemen in its Aug. 31 season opener at West Virginia. And that’s not to say the front-end talent isn’t there. It is. But that the depth is so strong there may not be a need to play the starters every snap.
In theory, that should only help keep the line fresh and healthy.
“I think we’ll have more than two tackles play. I think we’ll have at least three guards play, and I think we’ll have two centers play. So, how much? We’ll see,” Franklin said on Tuesday. “We’ve still got a ton of work to do between now and then, but I think we have probably a little bit more depth than we’ve had in the past. That’s a good thing.”
Drew Shelton has all but locked up his starting spot at left tackle. There’s a similar confidence that Nick Dawkins, named a team captain on Saturday, will start at center and Sal Wormley will again handle business at right guard. That leaves right tackle, between Nolan Rucci and Anthony Donkoh, and left guard — Vega Ioane against JB Nelson — up for debate.
Who wins or loses the positional battles hardly matters. It’s becoming an increasing possibility that all play meaningfully. And throw true freshman Cooper Cousins into the mix, and the Nittany Lions’ line looks about as deep as it’s ever been in Franklin’s 11 seasons.
The team’s new offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki, who once played center at Wisconsin-River Falls, said the line’s development has been “very obvious as a group,” and that its depth should show up over the course of the season.
“To intentionally get guys into the game, either rotating in by series, or whatever it might be, to make sure that they’re getting playing time and that you have a chance to continue to evaluate them as the season’s going on,” Kotelnicki said. “But then they’re also getting playing time for when they do need to play a significant amount, they’re ready to go.”
The experience should be especially important for Cousins, who could become a staple of the team’s offense for years to come. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Cousins took snaps almost strictly at center this past spring, but has since expanded his range to guard, and Franklin feels confident placing him at either spot. It’s becoming increasingly likely Cousins plays Week 1.
“Typically with young players, you try to keep him at one spot, but he’s done such a nice job this spring and done such a nice job this summer that we’re playing him at both right now, and I think he could legitimately get in the game at both positions, center and guard,” Franklin said.
Cousins isn’t the only one with position flexibility. Nelson, who started eight games at left guard last season, has worked at both guard and tackle spots this offseason. Franklin said Nelson “can and will” play right tackle in 2024, adding another component to the tandem already consisting of Rucci and Donkoh.
With so many moving pieces, it’s not unreasonable to wonder whether quarterback Drew Allar has enough time to find a groove behind his blockers. But according to him, there’s no difference. Every linemen has brought a high skill set that Allar and his coaches feel confident in.
“I think the most important thing for me is I don’t really notice it, to be honest,” Allar said. “I know there’s a lot of guys coming in and out, but there’s no drop off right now. And I think at that position specifically, you need to have depth, just because of how much physicalness that there is in the trenches down there, and they’re doing a great job of just continuing to grow, continuing to play fast and physical. It’s been really cool to see that.”
