Inside the Den: Experienced OL has opportunity to become a strength
The question is one Penn State football fans have awaited an affirmative answer for some time now. Can the Nittany Lions' offensive line develop into one of the team's strengths? We've surveyed the program this offseason for a better understanding of that possibility as preseason camp nears:
Inside the Den: At quarterback, two themes dominate this offseason
Inside the Den: Penn State running backs, tight ends take steps forward
Inside the Den: Next steps necessary for at least one Penn State receiver
The shaky start for Penn State’s offensive line last season wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Bringing in Phil Trautwein to coach the group in a transition away from Matt Limegrover, head coach James Franklin understood an adjustment period would take place in a ground-up technical rebuild.
Franklin just expected that adjustment to take place in spring practices.
Instead, derailed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trautwein’s instruction had to occur virtually for nearly the entire offseason. And, even once the Nittany Lions finally reconvened last summer for a ramped-up workout schedule heading into preseason practices, the start of the schedule amounted to a crash course of previously limited live reps.
Having had the opportunity to move on from the disappointment of the 2020 season, one that started with an 0-5 record before eventually making positive strides to close out the year with four wins, Penn State’s normal winter workouts, spring practices, and summer offseason work has opened the door to new possibilities for the offensive line this season.
Will it be enough to turn around the performance that landed the Nittany Lions at No. 39 nationally on PFF’s ranking of offensive lines well into the 2020 season?
With the Big Ten’s preseason media days quickly approaching and the start of Penn State’s camp soon thereafter, we surveyed program sources and our collected interviews for a better grip on the position group this summer:
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