STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Andy Kotelnicki walked off the practice field Tuesday night and stood inside Holuba Hall while James Franklin met with reporters.
As expected, many of the questions about how Franklin’s team is coming together after two weeks of preseason practice were largely centered around Kotelnicki’s offense. That’s the biggest storyline surrounding a team that is No. 8 in the preseason AP poll and is looking to crack into the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
“The state of the offense?” Kotelnicki said. “I wish I had some kind of presidential rival where half would boo, half would cheer. One of those kinds of things. But, I’ve been pleased. … We are definitely a better football team from the very first practice I was part of this spring to now. Every one of those we’ve had growth.”
One of the biggest areas for growth is explosive plays. Whether Franklin was shouting “chuck it deep” while reporters were at practice last season, or lamenting how his team failed to be explosive enough in the biggest games last season, it’s a detail that has to change. By the end of last year’s regular season, Penn State was 118th nationally in explosive play rate, per TruMedia. Just 9.8 percent of Penn State’s plays were explosive gains. This is categorized by rushes of 12-plus yards and passes of 16-plus yards. When Kotelnicki was at Kansas last season, his offense ranked ninth in explosive play rate with 16.4 percent of plays being chunk gains.
Creating an explosive offense is about design. It’s about being committed to pushing the ball down the field and having a vision for what that looks like, but it’s also about setting up complementary plays.
“You can’t just rip it down the field aimlessly,” Kotelnicki said.
Kotelnicki and Penn State will categorize explosive gains as rushes of 12-plus yards and passes of 15-plus yards. The goal is to have at least 15 percent of the team’s plays go for chunk gains. Turnovers are a factor and penalties can drastically reshape drives. Still, the emphasis on being more explosive is critical for this team.
“People talk about explosive plays because there’s a lot of statistical data to demonstrate that if you’re going to go on a scoring drive you’re going to have to have explosive plays in that drive somehow,” Kotelnicki said.
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Penn State’s players know this too. Quarterback Beau Pribula, working primarily with the second-team offense, said he’s gotten more comfortable staying in the pocket and working through his progressions. Pribula called this his best camp to date, highlighting that he’s seeing the field better while being more efficient and explosive than before.
Drew Allar, who threw 25 touchdowns to two interceptions last season, knows he needs to be smart with the ball, but also can’t shy away from taking the risk of a shot play when it’s there.
“The balance is with Coach K’s play calling,” Allar said. “It starts there, by presenting us opportunities to take shots downfield and us as quarterbacks when the shots are there to take them. … If the defense covers it down over the top, get it down to our playmakers in space. That’s where a lot of hidden explosive plays happen getting it to Nick (Singleton) and Fat (Kaytron Allen).”
Explosive plays will also come with Allar having more familiarity and trust in this receiving corps. Throughout the offseason, the quarterbacks watched film with the receivers to help both groups get on the same page.
“(On Tuesday) I gave Trey (Harrison Wallace III) a couple of tight windows and he came down with it,” Allar said. “It was fantastic coverage from (safety) KJ (Winston) but I kind of just put it where only Trey can get it and he did a great job of coming down with it. There have been countless other examples like that through camp.”
No. 8 Penn State is the third-highest-ranked Big Ten team in the preseason AP poll behind No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon. (Dan Rainville / USA Today)
Here’s what else we’ve learned about Penn State this preseason:
• Harrison Wallace III has been a problem for the Penn State defense. It’s no secret that’s good news for a receiving corps under the microscope. Wallace, who missed most of last season with a broken collarbone, is healthy and confident. He also said he’s bigger — listed at 6-foot-1, 194 pounds — and faster than he’s been at any point in his career.
“I feel like I’m there. I’m ready,” Wallace said of his outlook on the season. “Just from the work I’ve been putting in and the things I had to go through, it’s time.”
Don’t just take his word for it though. Safety KJ Winston went out of his way to highlight Wallace, as did safety Jaylen Reed. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen told the team before Tuesday’s practice that they need the receiving corps to continue playing at this high level, Allar said. Franklin said Wallace and Liam Clifford have both stood out.
Getting Wallace rolling, who Winston said has made multiple big-time plays, is a crucial piece to all of it. Pribula said seeing Clifford and Wallace (his roommates) turn the corner and step into bigger roles has been notable this preseason.
“Trey (Wallace) is playing off the charts,” Winston said. “He’s showcasing his talent like no other right now and playing his best football. But overall, as a group, they’re all doing great. Pushing each other, pushing us in practice. They’re looking very good right now.”
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• One of the most telling comments this preseason — and one that can help everyone piece together this new-look offense — was Franklin’s comment at media day on Aug. 3. He mentioned Allar doing “just enough” of the things people maybe don’t expect him to do. Of course, he’s alluding to Allar being more mobile. Yes, Penn State needs and plans to get the 6-5, 238-pound quarterback on the move more.
“Some of these things we are going to do you guys are going to look at and say, I don’t know if that’s something I would imagine Drew doing,” Franklin said. “But, by him doing just enough of it it opens up and creates opportunities for other things in our offense and makes us difficult to defend.”
• Cooper Cousins has made a favorable impression during his first preseason. At a solid 6-6, 315 pounds, the interior offensive lineman isn’t built like the typical freshman. Cousins committed to Penn State in January 2022. At the time, he was just a sophomore. During campus visits, he’d ask Phil Trautwein how he’d fit into this room down the road. During his official visit, where left tackle Drew Shelton was his host, Cousins had lots of questions. That seriousness about playing here and playing early has been evident this preseason. Franklin said he doesn’t want to talk in a way that will create “crazy expectations” but added that he couldn’t be any more impressed with Cousins thus far.
When the head coach peered out his office window this month, he saw Cousins on the field late at night doing pass sets. Cousins is working at guard and center this preseason.
“I actually had to call him the other day and tell him to leave (the football building),” Shelton said. “It was probably 11 o’clock at night and he sent me a picture of the whiteboard in the offensive line room and asked me a question. I said, ‘Coop, you gotta go home. You gotta get sleep. Now is not the time.’ He’s a guy that knows what he wants and he’s willing to put everything on the line to go get it.”
• Franklin said Penn State could have at least eight offensive linemen play in the season opener. That’s not a surprise considering what we’ve seen in the past. How do the Nittany Lions get to eight? Nolan Rucci and Anthony Donkoh are competing for the starting right tackle job. We’ve often seen the third tackle play pretty frequently and often Penn State lets a starting competition carry into the season. Franklin said he thinks his team will have more than two tackles play in the opener — so presumably that’s Shelton at left tackle with some sort of timeshare or rotating on the right side with Rucci and Donkoh.
Franklin said at least three guards and two centers could also play. My guesses along the interior are Sal Wormley, Vega Ioane and perhaps JB Nelson and/or J’Ven Williams. Williams is someone Penn State believe could play anywhere on the line. There’s position flexibility with Nelson too.
My guess is Nick Dawkins likely slots in at center while Cousins could play either guard or center. Franklin said he believes Cousins could “legitimately get in the game at both center and guard.” Ioane and Wormley have also worked at center this preseason. It’s good news that there haven’t been many questions asked about the offensive line.
“I think we have probably a little bit more depth than we’ve had in the past,” Franklin said.
• Defensive tackle Zane Durant smiled when asked who made the most impressive play this preseason. His pick goes to defensive end Abdul Carter, who will move around and play both outside linebacker and defensive end.
“Abdul made a tackle coming all the way over from the backside,” Durant said. “He tracked him down. … He’s so smooth. The mental part he’s been working on, but everything else is so smooth. Everybody knows he’s athletic so he’s been picking it up pretty quick.”
• Franklin hasn’t figured out yet which freshmen will burn redshirts. That will be sorted out in the coming weeks. Penn State will be without freshman wide receiver Peter Gonzalez for an undisclosed amount of time as he deals with what Franklin said is a “longer-term” injury.
Franklin did offer up that freshman tight end Luke Reynolds will play this season. Whether that’s playing in four games and maintaining a redshirt or being full-go, is to be determined, Franklin said. Penn State has depth at tight end, but Reynolds could be someone they ease in on special teams and then find spots for at tight end as he progresses.
“He’s gonna be a really good player here,” Franklin said. “He’s very similar to Tyler Warren. They both played high school quarterback and transitioned to the position.”
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• Cam Wallace and Quinton Martin Jr. are competing for the No. 3 running back spot. However, Franklin said both players have dealt with “bumps and bruises” this preseason. That’s made it difficult to try and evaluate them.
“That’s still a big question mark,” Franklin said. “Not really like we’re not sure if we have a third back, but just who is it going to be at this point.”
• Penn State’s season opener at West Virginia will be a special moment for running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider. Seider started his playing career in Morgantown as a quarterback behind Marc Bolger. He then transferred to Florida A&M, but later returned to West Virginia in 2008 as a graduate assistant. He returned again in 2013 and spent the next four seasons as the Mountaineers’ running backs coach.
He’s started to talk to his players about what they can expect on Aug. 31.
“You better buckle up Game 1,” Seider said. “It’s a different environment. It’s very similar to here. In some ways, it can get even louder because you’re built into those mountains. I’m glad we’re playing at 12 o’clock and not at night.”
(Top photo: Dan Rainville / USA Today)
