Penn State Nittany Lions Saved by David Joyner

Offense

Quarterback Christian Hackenberg’s talent is undeniable, but playing in O’Brien’s system made him that much better. How he is able to handle Franklin and offensive coordinator John Donovan’s system is up for debate, but this is a coaching staff that put together three of the most productive years in Vanderbilt football history. Both coaches have a well-known ability to adapt to their personnel. Because he is in a new system, Hackenberg probably won’t show himself to be much further along this year as a sophomore, but he’s still going to be very good. Even the same as last year makes for good quarterback play after throwing for 2,955 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions as a freshman. Actually, it makes for better quarterback play than anything Franklin had at Vanderbilt. And Hackenberg is showing himself to be a true leader, becoming the team’s first ever sophomore captain this year. Expect Hackenberg to be very good this year and turn great next year.

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Senior running backs Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton should make for a very strong two-headed monster. Last year they managed 989 and 803 yards respectively, averaging 4.7 and 5.1 yards per carry. They also had 12 and 5 touchdowns respectively. Expect the running game to be utilized even more this year, and there is a strong possibility for two 1,000-yard rushers provided everybody stays healthy.  The running game is also in very good shape for the future with sophomore Akeel Lynch backing those two guys up. Lynch showed what he can do as a freshman with 358 yards on only 60 carries. Junior Deron Thompson will provide depth, and Franklin also has two true freshmen on the roster, which bodes well for the future.

Another reason not to expect Hackenberg to make a major jump from last year is the departing talent at receiver. Allen Robinson’s 1,432 yards will be missed, and nobody else had more than 333 yards. No. 2 receiver Brandon Felder is also gone. Junior tight end Jesse James could become the main target of the offense after 333 receiving yards  and 3 touchdowns last year, and he has some pretty good size at 6’7″ 257 pounds. Look for sophomore Geno Lewis to be the breakout player on the unit after he was highly recruited and managed 234 yards and 3 touchdowns in limited action as a freshman last year. Sophomore Greg Garrity and junior Matt Zanellato could have larger roles this year as well, but the real story at this position is the number of freshmen Franklin brought in. DeAndre Thompkins, Chris Godwin, Saeed Blacknall, and Troy Apke are all highly recruited true freshmen, and tight end Mike Gesicki and redshirt freshman DaeSean Hamilton are also there. All of them could be in the mix to become starters at receiver. Junior tight end Kyle Carter and sophomore Adam Breneman are also on the roster. As a whole, there will be a bit of a drop-off at the position this year due to the loss of Robinson, but the long-term prospects look great. There is lots of young talent and depth here, and while there are no serniors, there are also only three juniors, so expect this unit to be the strength of the team in the years to come.

Apr 12, 2014; State College, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg (14) throws a pass during a warmup prior to the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. The Blue team defeated the White team 37-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O

The offensive line takes the biggest hit this year with the loss of three starters, including Campbell Trophy winning guard John Urschel, and then an injury to returning starter Miles Dieffenbach at the other guard position leaves junior left tackle Donovan Smith as the only starter back. But he is a good one, standing at 6’5″ 322 pounds. Nobody else has ever started a game. This is another situation that’s great for the future, even though guys will struggle this year. Junior guard Angelo Mangiro is a likely candidate to fill a starting role, and sophomores Derek Dowrey, Wendy Laurent, and Albert Hall will all be in the starting mix as well. But once again, the story is freshmen. Redshirt freshmen Brendan Mahon and Andrew Nelson were both highly recruited, as was true freshman Noah Beh. Andrew Terlingo is another redshirt freshman that could be in the mix at guard. The line has lots of very exciting young talent, and those guys bode well for this to be a future strength. But with so many starters gone and one bad injury, expect a serious drop-off this year, especially because the depth will not be there.

The offense as a group has lots of talent, but it is still thin and inexperienced. This group will be incredible for the future, but a jump this year cannot be expected. However, it could match last year’s performance thanks simply to Hackenberg’s return. In a year’s time, though, Franklin could have the best offense in the Big Ten. Continue to Next Slide for Defense