Patriots secondary ready for Manning

THEIR VIEW Maintain good health while getting old

First Posted: 8/3/2014 Penn State players are reporting in for training camp as we speak (write, whatever), getting ready to move down to the dorms for the next few weeks to get ready for the 2014 season.
And, as he promised way back in January, James Franklin&#8217;s initial summer depth chart, released in late July, was sorted exclusively by seniority.
We&#8217;ll try and hack through the names and take a look at who could be starting on the field in four weeks in Dublin. Again, the players are initially listed exclusively by their seniority.
&#8226;OFFENSEQuarterback
14 Christian Hackenberg (6-3, 234, So/So)
17 D.J. Crook (6-1, 213, So/Fr)
15 Michael O&#8217;Connor (6-4, 226, Fr/Fr)
16 Billy Fessler (5-11, 183, Fr/Fr)
9 Trace McSorley (6-0, 192, Fr/Fr)
Projected starter: Hackenberg
Breakdown: OK, so we got to start with an easy one. It would have been funny to see someone else&#8217;s name at the top of the list just because they happened to have more seniority than Hackenberg. Nope. He&#8217;s even got that covered.
Though he has the job locked down, Hackenberg will still attract plenty of attention in camp for his ability to pick up and master John Donovan&#8217;s offense, the bulk of which is being ported over from Vanderbilt.
As for the backup role? That will depend on whether Franklin wants to redshirt O&#8217;Connor. That had been the option that O&#8217;Connor had discussed with Bill O&#8217;Brien, but those plans, understandably, could change under the new staff.
Adding McSorley late in the signing class gives some flexibility. Crook was the best out of a handful of walk-ons that O&#8217;Brien brought aboard last year.
&#8226;Running back
28 Zach Zwinak (6-1, 233, 5th/Sr)
1 Bill Belton (5-10, 204, Sr/Sr)
29 Brandon Johnson (6-1, 215, Sr/Jr)
36 Deron Thompson (5-10, 204, Sr/Jr)
22 Akeel Lynch (6-0, 215, Jr/So)
32 Jack Haffner (5-10, 210, Jr/So)
33 Cole Chiappialle (5-8, 211, So/So)
31 Adam Geiger (5-9, 191, So/So)
24 Nick Scott (5-11, 192, Fr/Fr)
23 Mark Allen (5-7, 184, Fr/Fr)
20 Jonathan Thomas (5-11, 215, Fr/Fr)
Fullback
34 Dom Salomone (5-10, 226, Jr/So)
30 Charles Idemudia (5-11, 237, Jr/So)
47 Brandon Smith (6-0, 225, So/Fr)
Projected starter: Belton
Breakdown: Tough to project a starter for fullback when there&#8217;s not much indication on how much the offense will actually use the position. So we&#8217;ll stick to that monster list of tailbacks.
Giving Belton the benefit of the doubt for now, but like last season, the starter may well be the guy who goes the longest in between fumbles. It was easily the biggest issue for both Belton and Zwinak in 2013, and the new staff made it a focus during spring ball.
New running backs coach Charles Huff is changing how his charges carry the ball, having them keep the ball pointed up toward the chin. Huff, who worked in the NFL a bit with running backs with the Buffalo Bills, cited it as the same change that former Giants star Tiki Barber made to fix his infamous fumbling problem.
Expect a healthy mix of both backs with Akeel Lynch working his way in more as the season goes along as the heir apparent at the position.
&#8226;Wide Receiver (X)
86 DeShawn Baker (6-0, 188, Sr/Jr)
80 Matt Zanellato (6-3, 200, Sr/Jr)
7 Eugene Lewis (6-1, 199, Jr/So)
84 Chris Geiss (6-3, 188, So/Fr)
13 Saeed Blacknall (6-3, 210, Fr/Fr)
Wide Receiver (Z)
2 Jake Kiley (6-0, 179, Jr/So)
5 DaeSean Hamilton (6-1, 203, So/Fr)
83 Luke Vadas (5-11, 163, So/Fr)
12 Chris Godwin (6-2, 210, Fr/Fr)
29 Brandon Kuntz (6-4, 200, Fr/Fr)
Wide Receiver (F)
82 Gregg Garrity (5-9, 152, So/So)
3 DeAndre Thompkins (5-11, 176, Fr/Fr)
Projected starters: Lewis (X), Hamilton (Z), Thompkins (F)
Breakdown: The wideouts will be some the most interesting to watch in camp because of the lack of any returning starters. Lewis is the closest thing the Lions have to that, having taken most of Brandon Felder&#8217;s snaps midway through last November.
In the Blue-White Game, it was Zanellato, the unit&#8217;s most senior scholarship wideout, who started opposite Lewis, but there&#8217;s a good deal of buzz around Hamilton. The redshirt freshman sat out all of 2013 while rehabbing from wrist surgery to correct a problem suffered in high school. He wasn&#8217;t even able to start catching passes until spring practice began.
When the Lions do use a slot receiver, Thompkins looks to be a good bet to man the spot. Penn State&#8217;s original depth chart had true freshman Troy Apke listed with the slot receivers, but the school said at Big Ten media days that he will practice at safety in camp.
As for the other scholarship freshmen, Godwin and Blacknall, they have an opportunity to make an impact right away. Whether they can take advantage in the next few weeks remains to be seen.
&#8226;Tight End (Y)
18 Jesse James (6-7, 254, Jr/Jr)
81 Adam Breneman (6-4, 243, So/So)
89 Tom Pancoast (6-2, 209, So/Fr)
Tight End (F)
87 Kyle Carter (6-3, 241, Sr/Jr)
11 Brent Wilkerson (6-3, 247, Jr/So)
88 Mike Gesicki (6-6, 237, Fr/Fr)
Projected starters: James (Y), Carter (F)
Breakdown: Truly the one position that has remained unaffected by depth issues from the NCAA sanctions. Penn State has had rosters where any one of James, Carter or Breneman would have been the top tight end. In 2014, you can expect a handful of plays where all three are on the field at the same time.
Strength coach Dwight Galt raved about James for five solid minutes after Lift For Life in July, calling him one of the most impressive players he&#8217;s ever coached, especially from a physical standpoint. And this is a guy who has mentored several future NFL tight ends during his tenure at Maryland, with 49ers star Vernon Davis right at the top of the list.
Wilkerson was a highly regarded recruit in his own right &#8212; Nebraska was trying to court him away before signing day in 2012 in the wake of the Sandusky scandal. And Gesicki? In a few short weeks since arriving in Happy Valley, he&#8217;s already drawn the attention of teammates who have done informal seven-on-seven work with him. He might be too talented to redshirt despite the riches at the position.
&#8226;Left Tackle
76 Donovan Smith (6-5, 335, Sr/Jr)
71 Albert Hall (6-4, 266, Jr/So)
75 Brendan Brosnan (6-6, 286, Fr/Fr)
69 Adam Deboef (6-5, 265, Fr/Fr)
58 Chance Sorrell (6-5, 291, Fr/Fr)
Left Guard
53 Derek Dowrey (6-3, 323, Jr/So)
70 Brendan Mahon (6-4, 292, So/Fr)
57 Marshall Lefferts (6-2, 330, Fr/Fr)
Center
66 Angelo Mangiro (6-3, 309, Sr/Jr)
55 Wendy Laurent (6-2, 284, Jr/So)
78 Tom Devenney (6-1, 299, So/Fr)
Right Guard
65 Miles Dieffenbach (6-3, 303, 5th/Sr)
72 Brian Gaia (6-3, 291, Jr/So)
67 Andrew Terlingo (6-4, 289, So/Fr)
60 Noah Beh (6-6, 257, Fr/Fr)
73 Steve Myers (6-2, 315, Fr/Fr)
Right Tackle
59 Andrew Nelson (6-5, 305, So/Fr)
74 Evan Galimberti (6-4, 268, So/Fr)
77 Chasz Wright (6-7, 321, Fr/Fr)
79 Charlie Schuman (6-8, 305, Fr/Fr)
Projected starters: Smith (LT), Dowrey (LG), Mangiro (C), Gaia (RG), Nelson (RT)
Breakdown: Out of all of the units, the offensive line is the one that could change the most based on camp. With Dieffenbach likely out until at least November, Smith is the only returning starter in the group.
That&#8217;s how you end up with two guys who played defensive tackle last year as your first-team guards in the spring game. In fairness to Dowrey, he was moved over right from the start of the offseason once the new staff arrived. Gaia is the one who has had a trickier transition, having practiced on defense even at the start of the spring.
There could be a chance for a redshirt freshman like Mahon to challenge for a starting spot, joining classmate Nelson, who looks to be a good bet to get the nod at right tackle. It&#8217;s anyone&#8217;s guess what the full two-deep will look like by the end of the month.
&#8226;DEFENSEDefensive End
31 Brad Bars (6-3, 263, 5th/Sr)
18 Deion Barnes (6-4, 255, Sr/Jr)
94 Evan Schwan (6-6, 247, Jr/So)
52 Curtis Cothran (6-5, 235, So/Fr)
Defensive Tackle
88 Tyrone Smith (6-4, 275, Sr/Sr)
98 Anthony Zettel (6-5, 274, Sr/Jr)
93 Antoine White (6-1, 286, Fr/Fr)
Defensive Tackle
91 Tarow Barney (6-1, 289, Jr/Jr)
99 Austin Johnson (6-4, 313, Jr/So)
41 Parker Cothren (6-5, 271, So/Fr)
92 Joey Holmes (5-11, 268, Fr/Fr)
Defensive End
86 C.J. Olaniyan (6-3, 252, 5th/Sr)
95 Carl Nassib (6-6, 258, Sr/Jr)
90 Garrett Sickels (6-4, 246, So/Fr)
96 Torrence Brown (6-3, 253, Fr/Fr)
Projected starters: Barnes (DE), Zettel (DT), Johnson (DT), Olaniyan (DE)
Breakdown: Impressively, even with the shuffle of Dowrey and Gaia to offense, the Lions still have solid depth in the trenches here. Zettel&#8217;s shift inside from end coupled with the addition of JUCO transfer of Barney helps shore up the tackles with Johnson a returning starter.
Barnes saw his numbers drop off as a sophomore, but the impressive work done by Olaniyan as the season went along helped offset that. If the Lions can get both of them on track at the same time, it could fuel the entire defense in Bob Shoop&#8217;s relatively aggressive scheme.
Speaking of new coaches, this will be the first time in many years the line won&#8217;t be coached by Larry Johnson. The Lions haven&#8217;t missed a beat so far on the recruiting trail in Johnson&#8217;s traditional DMV stomping grounds, but Johnson&#8217;s track record of developing NFL D-linemen will be missed.
&#8226;Outside Linebacker
38 Ben Kline (6-2, 238, Sr/Jr)
35 Matthew Baney (6-0, 230, Jr/Jr)
5 Nyeem Wartman (6-1, 236, Jr/So)
48 Ryan Ammerman (6-1, 220, So/Fr)
56 Carter Henderson (5-10, 213, So/Fr)
40 Jason Cabinda (6-1, 248, Fr/Fr)
Middle Linebacker
43 Mike Hull (6-0, 232, 5th/Sr)
8 Gary Wooten (6-2, 237, Jr/So)
45 Adam Cole (5-11, 223, Jr/So)
50 Mike Wiand (6-0, 222, So/Fr)
44 Troy Reeder (6-1, 244, Fr/Fr)
Outside Linebacker
51 Drew Boyce (6-1, 203, Sr/Jr)
42 T.J. Rhattigan (5-10, 194, Sr/Jr)
26 Brandon Bell (6-1, 222, So/So)
25 Von Walker (5-11, 207, So/So)
36 Hunter Crafford (6-1, 211, So/Fr)
Projected starters: Wartman (OLB), Hull (MLB), Bell (OLB)
Breakdown: Despite the sheer number of names listed, only three of those 16 are both A) healthy and B) have more than a handful of snaps at linebacker in actual games. Those three are the ones listed directly above this. Kline is almost certainly out for the year with an Achilles injury. Wooten has played mostly on special teams. Walker was a running back last season.
Last week in Chicago, Hull said Wooten had made big strides from last year and that he was impressed with freshmen Reeder and Cabinda, both of whom may be needed to play this year. One thing that&#8217;s clear &#8212; the Lions can&#8217;t afford to lose Hull to injury, or have him limited in games like in the early going last season.
Wartman is as anxious as anyone to prove he can be a consistent, every-down player. Bell impressed as he played more in the last two games of his rookie season, making an impact against Nebraska and Wisconsin.
&#8226;Cornerback
13 Jesse Merise (5-8, 180, Sr/Jr)
10 Trevor Williams (6-1, 188, Jr/Jr)
3 Da&#8217;Quan Davis (5-10, 171, Jr/Jr)
14 Kasey Gaines (5-10, 161, So/Fr)
37 Kyle Alston (5-9, 173, So/Fr)
1 Christian Campbell (6-1, 183, Fr/Fr)
21 Amani Oruwariye (6-1, 193, Fr/Fr)
Free Safety
23 Ryan Keiser (6-1, 208, 5th/Sr)
39 Jesse Della Valle (6-1, 203, 5th/Sr)
27 Colin Harrop (6-0, 174, Jr/So)
24 Anthony Smith (6-0, 196, So/So)
49 Brian Tomasetti (6-1,182, So/Fr)
2 Marcus Allen (6-2, 196, Fr/Fr)
Strong Safety
4 Adrian Amos (6-0, 209, Sr/Sr)
20 Jordan Dudas (6-0, 208, Sr/Jr)
6 Malik Golden (6-1, 197, Jr/So)
7 Koa Farmer (6-1, 208, Fr/Fr)
85 Troy Apke (6-1, 185, Fr/Fr)
Cornerback
16 Devin Pryor (5-10, 181, Sr/Jr)
9 Jordan Lucas (6-0, 198, Jr/Jr)
12 Jordan Smith (5-11, 183, So/So)
17 Dad Poquie (5-10, 179, So/So)
38 Desi Davis (5-10, 165, So/Fr)
15 Grant Haley (5-9, 186, Fr/Fr)
19 Daquan Worley (5-10, 180, Fr/Fr)
Projected starters: Williams (CB), Keiser (FS), Amos (SS), Lucas (CB)
Breakdown: Like last season, there could be a decent amount of variety in the secondary. Amos&#8217; versatility allows him to play safety or corner, depending on what package the defense is in. He could even work at the &#8220;star&#8221; DB/LB hybrid position that Shoop ran at Vanderbilt &#8212; assuming that makes its way into the scheme at Penn State.
One thing not up for debate is Lucas&#8217; value to the defense. His play in 2013 established him as arguably the most aggressive playmaking corner Penn State has had since Alan Zemaitis left in 2005. Whether Williams can re-establish himself as the starter on the opposite side is something to watch in camp. Williams had some growing pains after moving over from receiver last year and spent the middle of the season on the sideline for the most part.
When healthy last season, Keiser demonstrated a real nose for the ball, coming up with game-clinching interceptions against both Illinois and Wisconsin. The former walk-on can help provide some stability to the unit.
&#8226;SPECIAL TEAMSPunter
97 Sam Ficken (6-2, 186, Sr/Sr)
37 Chris Gulla (6-0, 193, So/Fr)
93 Robby Liebel (6-2, 200, Fr/Fr)
92 Danny Pasquariello (6-0, 199, Fr/Fr)
Kicker
97 Sam Ficken (6-2, 186, Sr/Sr)
37 Chris Gulla (6-0, 193, So/Fr)
99 Joey Julius (5-11, 200, Fr/Fr)
Holder
23 Ryan Keiser (6-1, 208, 5th/Sr)
31 Adam Geiger (5-9, 191, So/So)
37 Chris Gulla (6-0, 193, So/Fr)
Kick Snapper
44 Tyler Yazujian (6-0, 228, Jr/So)
41 Zach Ladonis (6-2, 219, So/So)
54 Sean Corcoran (6-0, 206, So/Fr)
36 Hunter Crafford (6-1, 211, So/Fr)
Breakdown: Penn State listed Ficken at both kicker and punter, but it would be a surprise if he ended up handling both duties a la Anthony Fera. That being said, there is no clear-cut favorite to replace Alex Butterworth at punter. Gulla has the benefit of a year in his pocket after redshirting in 2013, but Pasquariello, an Australian import, is an interesting candidate.
More under the radar is Keiser&#8217;s health as the team&#8217;s primary holder. There&#8217;s no question that Ficken&#8217;s performance suffered when Keiser missed games with a broken hand &#8212; the routine that allowed Ficken to set the school record for consecutive makes was broken.
&#8226;Kickoff Returners
4 Adrian Amos (6-0, 209, Sr/Sr)
16 Devin Pryor (5-10, 181, Sr/Jr)
10 Trevor Williams (6-1, 188, Jr/Jr)
3 DeAndre Thompkins (5-11, 173, Fr/Fr)
15 Grant Haley (5-10, 186, Fr/Fr)
7 Koa Farmer (6-1, 208, Fr/Fr)
Punt Returners
39 Jesse Della Valle (6-1, 203, 5th/Sr)
9 Jordan Lucas (6-0, 198, Jr/Jr)
82 Gregg Garrity (5-9, 153, So/So)
15 Grant Haley (5-10, 186, Fr/Fr)
3 DeAndre Thompkins (5-11, 173, Fr/Fr)
Breakdown: Charles Huff, who also serves as special teams coordinator, has promised an aggressive mindset across all phases of special teams. Will that mean we could see some freshmen get their shot in the return game?
Outside of Derrick Williams (and to a lesser extent, Chaz Powell) the Lions have been missing a dynamic return man. The presence of speedsters like Thompkins and Haley on the lists here suggests that they could get their shot.
Not listed with the return men this year is Eugene Lewis, who was one of the team&#8217;s primary kick returners in 2013.

NITTANY NOTES: Training camp breakdown