100 days checklist: Penn State football’s top priorities to kickoff
The milestone mark has been met for Penn State football. As of May 23, the Nittany Lions have 100 days separating them from the kickoff to their 2024 campaign.
And, there is much remaining to accomplish if the program hopes to achieve its goals for the upcoming season.
With challenges large and small always at hand, here is a look at the major areas within which Penn State football can take significant steps in the next 100 days.
1) Get, and stay, healthy
This one is simultaneously practical and not. But, for Penn State to be at its best this season, the program needs to avoid new injuries beyond the ones already sustained through its spring practices.
Those setbacks to linebacker Keon Wylie and quarterback Jaxon Smolik don’t impact the public consciousness that a front-line starter would. But, with both expected to miss the majority or all of the 2024 season and rumblings of similar challenges for defensive end Zuriah Fisher, their absences will demonstrably affect choices and plans Penn State makes this offseason. Harkening back to Adisa Isaac’s June injury that cost him the 2021 campaign, the Nittany Lions must stay out of the operating room this summer.
In the same vein, Penn State does have expected first-string contributors who missed time this spring. Running back Kaytron Allen is at the top of the list, though head coach James Franklin acknowledged in April that the stud junior would be fine.
“It’s nothing that is going to be a problem this summer for summer training,” he said. “Nothing that’s going to be a problem for next year.”
Always a concern to have injury absences on the roster, though, Allen wasn’t alone. The offensive line, in particular, had injury concerns to J.B. Nelson and Anthony Donkoh, each of whom missed the spring game, and Drew Shelton, who missed all of spring action recovering from planned offseason surgery.
Those players need to be healthy for Penn State to be at its best this season.
2) Rep it a million times
Cue up Franklin for the correct framing on this one:
“I’ve had all the faith in the world in our wide receivers in terms of talent and ability. We’ve got to take the next step, and I saw them take a step this spring. We’re going to be taking another step this summer,” he said. “The positive thing is you can really improve defensively and offensively in the passing game over the summer.”
In so many ways, this is when the work gets done in college football. And for Penn State, introducing the new tutelage of Andy Kotelnicki on offense and Tom Allen on defense, the coming weeks and months are the opportunity to put a fine point on the installation that took place in the winter and spring.
Given recent trends and personnel carryover, Allen has less of an uphill climb. But, Kotelnicki and the Nittany Lion offense, with quarterback Drew Allar at the helm, need the countless reps the summer can provide.
The storyline this offseason that constantly floated the possibility of a shakeup took place. Allar is the quarterback. And, with the departures of KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Malik McClain, Cristian Driver, Malick Meiga, and Dante Cephas from last season, his targets aren’t in question.
Can Trey Wallace, Julian Fleming, Omari Evans, Liam Clifford, Kaden Saunders, Anthony Ivey, Tyler Johnson, Mehki Flowers, Peter Gonzalez and Tyseer Denmark get it done? Can Allar?
The next 100 days will go a long way toward determining those answers.
3) Get the Penn State NIL house in order
Given the activity on the NIL front for Penn State football in recent weeks, one thing has been established clearly. The program is working to make as many connections as possible to help boost its NIL war chest.
There have already been events held with Happy Valley United in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and as of last night, Los Angeles. Others are in the works for NEPA and the Jersey Shore. A constant state of pushing to educate Penn State fans to the program’s position with NIL against that of its Big Ten and national peers, the messaging has garnered grinding, mixed results.
But, coming NCAA rules changes set to begin on August 1 will provide more options at Penn State’s disposal. While the Nittany Lions won’t be able to make direct personnel payments from its athletics budget, it can soon “facilitate” NIL deals directly for players. That means arrangements with already-existing partners of the program can be redirected. And with them, they can help ensure players can maximize their NIL value at market rates.
Needing to be prepared for those changes, and the possibilities being discussed as a consequence of the resolution of House v. NCAA, this is a critical moment for Penn State to be at the forefront of a massively important area it has so far struggled to master.
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The post 100 days checklist: Penn State football’s top priorities to kickoff appeared first on On3.
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