Penn State 2014 Spring Football Wrap Up

Strengths & question marks coming out of spring

Penn State, right now, is a team that is built on offense first due in large part to the way Bill O’Brien had recruited during two years of reduced sanctions. O’Brien made a push to bring in whatever players at the skill positions he could while putting depth on the line of scrimmage down on the list of priorities.

Because of that, Penn State has offensive weapons at quarterback and running back and the receiving unit with tight ends should be more than adequate. Meanwhile the stability of the offensive line will remain a question mark as it seems to have been for years.

The defense could be a bit of a work in progress as well as it lacks guys up front who bring consistent pressure outside of Deion Barnes. The linebackers have been a staple for generations at Penn State but are they bringing enough size to the field overall?

And if the defensive front can’t bring pressure, the shaky secondary could be in trouble as they gamble on some plays and get caught chasing down field.

Name a few breakout players to keep an eye on in 2014

Christian Hackenberg already showed why fans are excited to watch his growth last season and he should be fun to watch in year two as a starter even during a coaching change.

On offense Penn State could get a push on the ground from sophomore Akeel Lynch, who I am waiting to see become the primary running back.

On defense, linebacker Nyeem Wartman should get plenty of playing time and could develop into the top linebacker on the team.

Grade each position group 

QB:  B+   With Hackenberg ready for his second full season as starter, the optimism is running high for Penn State’s offense. Having Michael O’Connor taking a year to study from the sidelines should provide quality depth at a key position. 

RB:  B   Zach Zwinak is ready to carry the load, Bill Belton can shake things up with his speed and Akeel Lynch should start to get stronger as well. Not quite a three-headed monster, but plenty of options for various situations. 

Receivers:  B-    No more Allen Robinson so someone will have to step up to be the go-to wide receiver. Penn State will rely on tight ends more than some teams, but Geno Lewis, DaeSean Hamilton, De’Andre Thompkins and the pending arrival of Saeed Blacknall should help Penn State have a steady receiving corp. 

OL:  C-   Penn State returns just one starter (Donovan Smith) and has the most work to do to make a depleted unit steady enough to block for the running game and give Hackenberg time to think. This may be the biggest concern on the team at the start of the season. 

DL:  C+   Penn State has generally been pretty solid up front on defense, but Deion Barnes will need some help in bringing pressure on opposing quarterbacks. This may not be the strongest defensive line in years, but they should be more than capable of handling most of their opponents. The problem comes when they play teams like Ohio State and Michigan State. 

Linebackers:  C    The most iconic position of the program may be a little shallow in depth this season, and that should be a big concern. Having Mike Hull in the middle is not bad, but he’s no Posluszny, Conlan or Arrington by any stretch of the imagination. Nyeem Wartman on the outside could be fun to watch but if any starter goes down Penn State could struggle in the middle of the defense. 

Secondary:  C    Penn State’s secondary was picked apart at times last season, and that could be a concern once again in 2014 if opposing quarterbacks and receivers have time to make something happen. Youth was a problem last season, so let’s see what this unit can do with a little experience behind them. 

Special Teams:  D+    This is a big question mark for Penn State, although the Sam Ficken story has not been as bad as it once was scripted. Penn State’s special teams lack much in the return game and the punting game could use improvement as well. Coverage on special teams is decent though. 

What can we expect from Penn State in 2014?

This is going to be quite an interesting season for Penn State, and if all goes right for the Nttany Lions there should be nothing holding them back from improving on their 2013 win total of seven games, despite still playing through sanctions and reduced scholarships.

James Franklin should bring a new spark to the program and the offense has players who can make some things happen.

The schedule is about as favorable as it could get despite playing UCF in Ireland (not the same UCF from 2013 of course), Rutgers on the road in their first Big Ten game, and they get Ohio State and Michigan State, the two 2013 Big Ten Championship Game participants, both at home. A split against the Buckeyes and the Spartans is probably not that far out of the question.

I can realistically see as many as four wins in November, which means they would need four more before then to improve on the 2013 record.

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Kevin McGuire of Crystal Ball Run & Nittany Lions Den provided the information for our Penn State Football 2013 Spring Wrap Up.  For more Penn State football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Kevin on Twitter @KevinOnCFB. 

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