The offseason is here and Penn State’s success in 2023 will start to take root in the coming months. A football season is determined by a lot of things, both controllable and often completely random, but that being said there are a few important storylines that will steer how the opening chapters of 2023 go. Here are five to consider.
Learning From The Past: In many respects the Christian Hackenberg era and the Drew Allar era have more differences than similarities. Hackenberg came to Penn State at a time the program was struggling to build proper depth across its roster due to NCAA sanctions. This was survival mode as much as anything else, not so much about chasing down Big Ten titles and national championship aspirations. Allar on the other hand comes to Penn State on the upswing of depth and young talent on the heels of an impressive and important postseason victory.
In that light there are only so many comparisons you can make between Hackenberg and Allar. That being said, Allar’s high profile status coupled with his pro style quarterback play makes him more like Hackenberg than either Trace McSorley or Sean Clifford. With that in mind it will be interesting to see what James Franklin has learned from the last time he had a quarterback that didn’t entirely fit the sort of system Penn State has run as of late. That’s not to say Allar isn’t mobile or that Franklin hasn’t learned any lessons, but Allar is the closest thing this program has had to a Hackenberg do-over. Can the program make good on a second chance? Having a good offensive line and two elite running backs doesn’t hurt any.
Alignment Articulation: James Franklin has publicly praised the current administration’s alignment with his goals and aspirations for the program – which effectively is a fancy way of saying Penn State is willing and interested in raising and spending money on football related needs. This might not be Franklin’s job to complete, but Penn State could go a long way towards getting more and more people on board with a new financial era of the program if it is even more straightforward about what it wants and why. Some of these issues – players getting parking tickets outside the Lasch Building – might not need to be fully public, but explaining Name Image and Likeness collectives in plain terms and what sorts of upgrades would help the program – and why – helps keep people up to speed. It also makes them more likely to jump on board.
A Plan: Penn State’s window of opportunity is opening and much like the 2017 season, how James Franklin and his coaching staff manage that window will go a long way towards how productive it turns out to be. Penn State might have to prove its worth before the hype is justified in full, but it’s hard not to look at the roster Penn State is bringing back in 2023 and not give the Nittany Lions an optimistic outlook. What has this program learned from the last time this window was open? What adjustments and lessons learned from the last time around feed into this season’s management? A lot of these things many never be public, but Penn State’s ability to adjust and adapt to everything it has learned so far – especially with teams that have a chance to do something special – could be a behind the scenes difference.
Health: Perhaps goes without saying but Penn State’s season will go as well as it is healthy. Not every offseason objective is terribly complicated to figure out. Can all of the key pieces get through winter workouts, spring practice, summer workouts and camp and return to Beaver Stadium in better shape than they were at the end of this season? Health has derailed more than a few seasons, Penn State’s included.
Needs Answered: For all of the preseason hype that Penn State has this year coming off a Rose Bowl win, the Nittany Lions aren’t without needs that have to be answered. From wide receiver to defensive line there are places on this roster that need improving. That’s not to say the Nittany Lions don’t have answers already on the roster waiting to be developed, but the transfer portal has been kind to Penn State so far. Another few pickups from the portal this offseason could be the difference in more ways than one. Penn State doesn’t need game changers to come out of the portal, but it needs usable depth. The more assets Penn State picks up this offseason the better, doesn’t matter who or from where.
