PSU football position battles heating up
by jebatzel on Apr 21, 2010 3:01 PM EDT
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PrintPSU football position battles heating up (cumberlink.com)
- Redshirt senior Doug Klopacz has slid into center. He missed the 2008 season after tearing his ACL in September '08 but appeared in five games last season at center.
- Standout senior Stefen Wisniewski has moved back to a guard position, currently working with the first team at right guard.
- Redshirt senior Lou Eliades has moved down to right tackle. Eliades was the primary right guard last season and started on the line in every game last year.
The moves have given the Nittany Lions a makeshift veteran corps after losing starters Dennis Landolt and Ako Poti, as well as Nerraw McCormack. Should this formation hold up over the next few months, Pannell will be the only player to return to the offensive line position he held by season's end last year.
At linebacker, a number of athletes are in what redshirt junior Nathan Stupar dubbed a metaphorical "fight to the death." The early frontrunners include Stupar, redshirt senior Bani Gbadyu, senior Chris Colasanti and redshirt sophomore Michael Mauti. The latter of the four missed last season with a torn ACL but was originally expected to push Josh Hull for a starting position in the '09 preseason. Redshirt sophomore Michael Yancich has had a solid spring thus far and is in the mix as well.
The million-dollar question remains at quarterback, where sophomore Kevin Newsome, redshirt sophomore Matt McGloin and true freshman Paul Jones are in what is expected to be a wide-open battle for the starting position.
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I'm doubtful that Oline experimentation will stick
I could change my mind if I read something glowing about Klopacz. But right now, it sounds like spring tinkering, for purposes of depth and to send doghouse messages to Troutman.
"We just forgot our pants. Nothing against the team or anything like that." -- take a guess
Gbadyu and Colassanti in there because of seniority.
If they can make the plays, great. But the idea of Mauti-Stupar-Yancich is fun, especially since none are seniors, so even if BG or CC is in there, these three will be back next year, where even more talented LBs will be pushing up the chart.
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Fair statements by you both
I do like moving Wiz to guard. IF Klopacz can snap accurately, keep a low base and thus live up to his recruitment billing – I’m on this train.
I have more optimism and hope for CC than Bani. If any 2 underclassmen truly ‘beat-out’ CC and Bani – I’m all for that as well. If that happens and sticks throughout the season, I believe we would return all but like 2 on D. Sick nasty!
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
I love our LB depth.
Not even mentioned in the article: Hodges, Carson, Fortt, Hullstache the 2nd, and I’m sure others that I am missing. Very young there, but man that is a ton of talent. Really any combination should be fine.
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Bani
I like him in on passing downs, but don’t think he has the shed skills or instinct to play the run. I too prefer Wiz @ center, and I am intrigued by Big Lou @ RT. He is a bit of a grader, and I felt that he was a little slow to pull as a G. That said, PSU likes to pull Ts so maybe that doesn’t help.
Pretty ambivalent when it comes to QB and MLB.
by InScoresOfOtherGames on Apr 21, 2010 5:48 PM EDT reply actions
Size
Second thought, we’re going to need more size at LB this year. Without JO at DT, LBs will have to deal with more Gs and Cs.
by InScoresOfOtherGames on Apr 21, 2010 5:49 PM EDT reply actions
I don't mean to discount the loss of Odrick
But Still and Ogbu are both going to help that problem.
"I am enthusiasm, wrapped in zeal, inside an enema." - SMA
by ReadingRambler on Apr 21, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
True!
…and size wise, Still is ~ 6-5 / 300, same as Odrick…Ollie weight was ~ 300ish @ like 6-3. Repping Jordan Hill, Latham, BWare ( you know his size by now) Sean Stanley and JC…I’m telling ya, these guys will do just fine. I’m pretty sure our DL rotation is quicker and will be ‘overall’ more seasoned than last year. ‘This’ I like to help bring in the new LB group.
" When you cross that Blue Line, you are mine...Across the Blue Line, it's all football. " " And what you need to do in your life is paint Blue Lines everywhere. " - Joe Paterno 2009
by BlueWhiteLife on Apr 21, 2010 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
Re: quicker and more seasoned. We’ve said all along, all Jack the Ripper needs is more experience. Sure got it last year playing next to Odrick.
And there’s no way you can’t absolutely love a man staring down a knife and a punk bitch wielding it and uttering ‘sack up and stab me,’ but I’m a backup player kinda fan. And I’m counting on Jordan Hill to carry me through my early-endorsement misses on My Boy Lou and Young Zordich.
"We just forgot our pants. Nothing against the team or anything like that." -- take a guess
I agree as well
but I think a huge key is keeping Still and Ogbu healthy. Otherwise, you have a very inexperienced four man rotation.
Rambler is right
JO is a big loss, but if LJ Sr’s rotation last year showed us anything, we have some stud DTs that were second team to JO, but were very productive when they got in. Interior D-line is not something we should be worrying about at this point.
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