How Penn State’s new coordinators will identify playmakers, build in the trenches and more

The 2023 iteration of Penn State football wasn’t one without offensive weapons. The group featured a former five-star quarterback, two of the best running backs in the country, a future fourth round pick and another potential early selection in the draft at tight end, and a group of receivers that wasn’t lacking in talent — even if it was in production.

Yet, those pieces were unable to come together and form a unit good enough to lead the program to the College Football Playoff. The lack of cohesion ultimately led to Mike Yurcich being fired with two games left to play in the regular season.

After that, a switch flipped. Suddenly those running backs — Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen — were getting more touches and many of those receiving weapons were getting the ball in more creative ways. Feeding those players was part of the reason head coach James Franklin hired Andy Kotelnicki to replace Yurcich on the staff.

“I felt like the last couple games of the year, you saw a significant change there,” Franklin said Saturday at media day. “So obviously with that, that kind of went through the interview process. That was a big part of the interview process is production of explosive plays and the data to back it up, not just saying in an interview, hey, I want to be explosive; the data to back it up. But then also philosophically, how are you going to get your best players the ball. How are you going to get them touches. How are you going to get them touches early in the game. Those types of things are a big part of it.”

One of Kotelnicki’s most important tasks will be getting the ball to those players. It’s not just Singleton and Allen, either. It’s tight end Tyler Warren, the previously referenced potential early selection at tight end, too. And it’s finding out who the rest of those weapons will be — something Kotelnicki said is all part of the process.

“First and most important is identifying them,” Kotelnicki said. “Sometimes there are very clear cut, ‘hey this is a dude.’ Other times reps and practice and things of that nature, it starts to reveal itself a little bit. ... So it starts there with the identification then figure out who those people are and what their skill sets are.”

Staying strong in the trenches

Penn State’s lines have been a strong point on the roster over the last couple seasons and that should be the case again in 2024. The Nittany Lions have lost plenty on both sides of the ball — Adisa Isaac and Chop Robinson will need replacing off the edge on defense, while Olu Fashanu, Hunter Nourzad and Caedan Wallace are all gone from the offensive line.

But in their place are the next wave of talented linemen.

Drew Shelton will have a chance to become a stalwart in his own right at left tackle as he tries to replace Fashanu, while Nick Dawkins will take on an important role at center and Anthony Donkoh and Nolan Rucci likely fight it out at right tackle.

With all of those snaps gone, there could easily be a leadership void, but that hasn’t been the case for Penn State.

“I will say this about Nick Dawkins — he is one of a kind,” Kotelnicki said. “I have coached long enough to know when you’re interacting with a special person that is in their early 20s or late teens, and he is a special one. His maturity, his authenticity, it just screams when you interact with him. I tell our staff we can never take for granted the kind of leader and person he is because he is rare.”

The on-field aspects of replacing three offensive linemen could still be a concern, but Penn State is taking steps to make sure it has options in how it replaces all three players. Several players are taking reps snapping the ball, while the tackles competing for the jobs on the outside are cross-training at both spots to increase versatility.

The other side of the field should have a relatively easy transition, with Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton filling in for the departed Isaac and Robinson. While the team’s depth will take a hit, the growth along the interior of the line should help keep the team strong up front.

“Oftentimes you talk about the (defensive) ends here, and rightfully so, but I tell you, I’ve been impressed with the inside guys,” defensive coordinator Tom Allen said. “... It’s a deep, deep group. It really is. I think the bottom line is you can’t have enough big, physical guys that have good lateral movement as well. And we’re not a team who just sits there. We’ll be very aggressive and attacking in our style. They’re a huge part of what we want to do.”

Filling roles on special teams

Penn State returns many of its special teams standouts from 2023, but one of the more important competitions on the entire team will be the one for the team’s starting kicker. Alex Felkins was reliable within 40 yards for the Nittany Lions last season and will have to be replaced.

Sander Sahaydak, Chase Meyer and Ryan Barker are the three kickers who will battle it out for the job, and special teams coordinator Justin Lustig said all three have been competitive.

“We’re in a really good spot right now,” Lustig said. “Those three guys are really competing. ... We’ve got a good problem right now in that room. We just need them to continue with their consistency through camp.”

Some of the other spots are relatively straight forward for the program this year. Punter Riley Thompson returns after producing at a high level last season, as does kickoff specialist Gabe Nwosu, who could be in line to keep that job.

Running back Nick Singleton leading the pack to be the team’s kick returner once again, according to Lustig, while wide receiver Kaden Saunders — who returned punts last season before Daequan Hardy won the job with two return touchdowns against UMass — is the “clear leader in the clubhouse” at punt returner.

Some of the roles that don’t get quite the notoriety — like the gunners on the punt team, which Penn State calls the bullet position — have yet to be determined, but Lustig said the team is in a good spot at those positions.

“I feel really good about our depth,” Lustig said. “If you think about all of our corners ... that’s been a bright spot at camp so far. Really that whole room is working at the bullet position. You can name any of those guys, from Jalen Kimber to (Audavion Collins) to Zion Tracy — all of those guys we’re looking at to step up in those roles.”