Trace McSorley, Nick Scott, and Amani Oruwariye Speak On B1G Media Day

The loss of several key defensive players has been given ample attention during the off-season. The offensive line has become a strength for the team and is coached by one of the best offensive line coaches in the country; a major improvement from past years. One advantage that the team has in full supply is leadership in the locker room.

Today three of the team leaders spoke with the media. While Trace McSorley has been in the limelight for the past couple of seasons, Nick Scott and Amani Oruwariye have been role players. Oruwariye and Scott spoke with composure and comfort. It’s nice to know that there are several other high-character veterans on the team such as John Reid and Koa Farmer, among others, that are able to help the newer additions to the depth chart become acclimated.

• When asked about players that they have learned from while at Penn State Amani Oruwariye mentioned former linebacker Mike Hull. Nick Scott mentioned Von Walker. Trace McSorley mentioned Brandon Bell. All linebackers.
• With the loss of so many great players on the defensive side of the ball, there was still a great deal of confidence that the team would continue to play well defensively. Oruwariye spoke about the blueprint that the team has built on from the experiences of past players, which current players are able to use.
• McSorley took a vacation to Mexico during the break and said that other than one Penn State fan that happened to be vacationing there, he was just ‘your average American hanging out in Mexico.’ With all the preseason accolades that he has gotten, it will be a while before he can walk around anonymously once again.

Here is the full video:

Coach James Franklin answered questions from the podium for the B1G Media event. He sat down with the Big Ten Network’s crew later in the day. We got a little more information about the positions of concern heading into the season; linebacker and defensive tackle. Franklin also spoke about John Reid and the impact that he will have for the team this fall.

Here’s the full video of Franklin’s interview: