Fullbacks are a dying breed in today's game. Most teams like to spread out the defense to create space. The days of three yards and a cloud of dust are over. But Joe Paterno still likes to use the fullback in short yardage situations. And they can even be an effective weapon in the Spread HD passing attack. So Penn State still keeps a few on the depth chart. Let's look at the 2010 roster and determine if Penn State will recruit any fullbacks this year.
| Seniors | Juniors | Sophomores | Redshirt Freshmen |
True Freshmen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Suhey | Michael Zordich | Zach Zwinak | ||
| Shaine Thompson |
Joe Suhey looked like a capable fullback in 2009. He's not a punishing blocker like a Brian Milne or a Matt Hahn, but he was a nice little changeup in the passing game. With two years of eligibility left he's sure to improve. Shaine Thompson also got some good reviews last year in spring practice, though it didn't carry over onto the field.
There's a good chance that Zordich may play linebacker, but he is capable of playing fullback in a pinch so I put him on the list. And Zach Zwinak is joining the team this season. The four-star prospect from Maryland looks like the guy that will take over when Suhey is gone.
Right now I don't see a need for Penn State to take a fullback in this class. There is no immediate demand. Suhey has the job locked up through 2011, and then Zordich and Zwinak will compete for the job in 2012. That is if Zwinak doesn't beat everyone out and take the job before that. But the bottom line is, with such a small class and not that many scholarships to hand out, there's no need for Penn State to take a fullback in this class.
| Projected 2011 Scholarship Totals | |
|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | 1 |
| Running Backs | 1 |
| Full Backs | 0 |
| Projected Total | 16-18 |
Click on links for previous projections.