Penn State Depth Chart and Injury Report, UCF Edition

It was a taxing offseason for a team with so little depth to withstand it. Almost unquestionably, the greatest loss was Miles Dieffenbach, who injured his knee early this spring, leaving the offensive line with only one returning starter. Dieffenbach is not expected back until late in the season, if at all.

Another injury came at a position of even less depth: On top of a torn pectoral and sholder surgery that prematurely ended his 2013 campaign, Ben Kline suffered a torn Achilles this summer, and the senior linebacker will miss significant time, with a good chance he misses the entire season. The poor kid just can't catch a break.

Lastly, Adam Breneman suffered a knee injury earlier this month, and is out "indefinitely," according to a university report. It's possible that Breneman could return  later this season, but it may make more sense to use a redshirt on the sophomore rather than burn a year of eligibility on just a few games, especially given Penn State's depth at tight end.

In more positive news, returning to the lineup after missing all of last season is Brad Bars. Similarly, Brent Wilkerson, a third-year sophomore, will make his Penn State debut after a back injury kept him out all of 2013. DaeSean Hamilton is also ready to suit up, after redshirting last year with a wrist injury.

James Franklin, like his predecessor, is exceedingly tight-lipped with minor injuries, so we likely won't know who else is banged up until they don't play tomorrow. However, a few enterprising journalists who saw Wednesday's practice were able to note that a few players were limited in contact, including C.J. Olaniyan, Matt Zanellato, Tarow Barney, and Evan Schwan.

Oh, right: FOOTBALL TOMORROW YOU GUYS.

On to the depth chart!

*-denotes walk-on