James Franklin talks Penn State vs. West Virginia, standout PSU players... (press conference)

um um now I'm in my 50s I'm starting to forget things and the other day you guys asked me about the White House and I didn't mention Omari omari's had a a great training camp and we're expecting him to have a big year and I want to make sure that I address that you didn't think it was you don't read more into that than just being 52 years old and and forgetting um the other thing is can Kade showed me an article somebody had wrote about uh Javin Williams switching position to guard I don't I don't remember saying that I talk about Javen getting reps at guard to create flexibility like we do um with all of our offensive lineman so if I did say that I apologize but I want to clear that up he has not moved fulltime to guard it's the position flexibility um that we're always trying to create on the offensive line so I just want to clear those things up if I misspoke I apologize or if I was misinterpreted I just wanted to clear it up James the that West Virginia rushing attack was for them last year your defensive tackle group just on ey test they look bigger looks a little bit deeper in terms of size too uh can you describe what kind of advantage that group can bring to you in this match up I do think we're bigger uh Pat craft thank you training table thank you first time we've had a training table in my 11 years in in the football facility it's been huge for us been a real positive um but yeah that that position we've been emphasizing size trying to get a little bit bigger um some of it is just natural maturation that needed to happen with some of those guys some of it is the training table uh some of them some of some of it is them going through it and realizing that size is also one of their weapons uh so I think that's been helpful and I think Alonzo's been a guy that after not seeing him for a year we didn't know what we were going to have and he's been a real pleasant surprise specifically against the Run he's been he's been really good so so very impressive from that perspective but yeah that's going to be important uh their running back can uh excuse me their quarterback can make plays with feet that that has an impact on their running game and then they got two backs that are very complimentary pieces obviously the young man from the state here that's done a great job and then you know and then more of the Workhorse 240 lb kid who started out at tight end and then switched to running back so two guys that we got a tremendous amount of respect for I think their o line coach does a really good job consistently they play well um so it's going to be a challenge there's no doubt about it James how how anxious are you to see what this offense can do against somebody else I mean they' been going against your defense but uh there's so much anticipation about what it's going to look like how about you as a coach what are you what's going through your head yeah I think I got a pretty good idea of what it's going to look like cuz I've seen it for 16 hours a day for last I don't know how long but um I think your point is a fair one you never truly know until you go against somebody else um and then obviously you know typically offenses in college football early in the season um you make they see a few more things that need to get cleaned up than on defense typically on defense if you can get them lined up get their cleats in the ground be gaps sound and then run to the ball um you're going to be more times than not in pretty good shape offensively we got to make sure that we're doing a great job on all the pre-nap snap stuff the substitutions the Motions the shifts um you know all the pre- snap um gymnastics that you go through we got to make sure that those things are all clean and then do enough of all the things that we've been working on in Camp that can be challenging things that we've done in our history things that Andy has brought things that people have been able to see on tape from watching us as well as Kansas and then some wrinkles that maybe they haven't seen either place before coach you've opened three of the last four seasons at a big 10 opponent for the season opener um how applicable do you think that experience is here going to West Virginia to start the season it's great um the big 10 has prepared us for road games very well uh to open the season and to open the conference so we embrace it um obviously when you think about you know like Purdue going on the road to Purdue to open the season that was I think a pretty good environment and a tough game as you guys saw um so this go this going to be a tough game it's going to be a tough environment got a lot of respect for them they're confident uh after how their season ended so it's it's going to be a challenge but I do think we have enough veterans coming back that have opened in in some of these games before and that that's that's helpful James how you say Tyler Warren take the next step in his progression over the course of the off season yeah he's just he's been there done that he's just he's been such a great leader for us I think he's the most complete tight end in the country in terms of he truly is a weapon in the Run game as a blocker he truly is a weapon on third down in the p pass ing game and then obviously you know just how are they going to treat him he can line up wide and and and play like a wide receiver in a four wide Set uh but he can also connect in the box and and be a lead blocker or uh working in a double team with the offensive tackle on the D end to the outside linebacker so you know those are the tight ends in my opinion when you talk to defensive coordinators all over the country they're the ones that they hate is when they can't put them in a category this guy kind of is the big slug that everybody knows is just a run blocker or this guy won't crack an egg but is a is a threat as a wide receiver those guys are not that difficult to defend because you can put them in one category or the other the guys like Tyler there's not many of them across the country that can do both and they cause a lot of headaches James sticking at TI I think this was the third open practice in a row we had not seen khil naturally that leads me to believe we'll see more of Andrew Raper um how do you feel like he's prepared for this moment assuming he is going to have an expanded role yeah I think you'll see a ton of rap Lea I also think you'll see a decent amount of Luke as well in this first game um I think rap as you guys know there's been an excitement about him since last year and he just continues to develop and get better I think Tyler's influence on all those guys has been has been really good and Luke has come in exactly what you want and has pushed those guys too so um he's a mature guy and he'll have he'll have a role in this game one two James you mentioned Omari he said earlier this month that last year was a big learning experience for him with his expectations versus how it went how have you seen him approach this year to have that kind of yeah he's he's had a really good camp and he's made a huge stride Omari is the guy um I think everybody's excited for to come out and play well um early on and gain confidence and then literally he's one of these guys that his career could just take off uh you talk about speed size athleticism intelligence like he's got all the things that you're looking for we'd go out and recruit him every single year and I think when he first got here he was a really good athlete um and maybe a little bit of a track guy who's really growing into to football and understanding what it takes at this level um but he's a guy that I think there's a there's a lot of excitement within the program that he's ready and you know a few big catches and a few big plays and he could be a guy we're talking about very different at the end of the season than maybe the conversations that are going on right now and and we believe that will happen James with Kobe going into his first season and now being a team captain how have you seen his leadership skills evolve since he's been at pen State yeah he's just you know he's that guy that he understands Penn State he un understands the Big 10 he understands the culture around here he knows how to work obviously he also had the advantage of having a brother here and learning from his experiences too and his successes and um you know he's just kind of that that vet that you would love to have at Mike linebacker every year I mean you know he's kind of seen it all um I think he can command the the defensive front specifically D line and the other linebackers you know you combine him and and Jay Reid and KJ Winston kind of like I think you got a baseball shirt on there you talk about you know in in um you know in baseball you kind of want to be strong up the middle right you're catcher your pitcher Short Stop second basement center fielder and that's kind of like I think someone asked me a question about the D tackles and then Kobe and then KJ and J Reed and and and zachie we feel like we're built in a similar way and that's that's probably you know in a lot of ways run by Kobe specifically in the front Sev so uh we're very pleased with him I think ellon has had a really good camp as well and I think Tamir had a really good camp as well so so we're excited about the development of that position two more guys what are the benefits you've seen up to this point maybe from the start of the summer to now for having had KRON and Nick split workload like they have for the last two years and so effective yeah I just think you look at that position and what's going on in college football and you look at that position and what's going on in the NFL we just want to make sure that we're one of these programs that's not only developing BigTime college players but also preparing them for their NFL future and they're not one of these guys where the NFL Scouts are down on because there's so much wear and tear that helps us keep them fresh and keep them healthy for their careers and it also puts them in a very positive light uh from an NFL perspective and then you know when you got cam really coming on for us right now that helps a lot of confidence for us to put him in the game and then two talented true freshman as well so um I I think our philosophy that we have used um I think has been really helpful for Penn State but also just as important and helpful for for these guys in their Futures too James um that depth you just mentioned that running back um maybe you didn't have that in the past do you feel like with the guys you have now there's an opportunity for maybe those guys to see the field together more knowing you've got guys that you could put into that lineup and you don't have to lose that package if one of them something would happen yeah and what you guys don't know you you'll see soon is we're going to huddle which you guys will love and we're going to put five fullbacks on the field like like fullback here full back here fullback here full back here everybody will be happy we'll play goal line offense up and down the field Neil's not here it'll be awesome Neil's not here my audience is gone um but no I think yeah being able to play some what we call 20 Personnel two backs you know zero tight ends or two backs one tight end uh maybe not a traditional 21 that people think with a tail back a true fullback a tight end and two wide receivers um but two backs and then a combination of tight end two receivers three receivers whatever it may be um yeah there's there's a ton of value and especially having a guy like cam who's also not a small back and has the ability to not only be a Ball Carrier but also a lead blocker because that's really when 20 Personnel is most effective when they have to fear both of those backs um as also blockers and also receivers KRON um has been really a good receiver since he got here um I think that's where Nick has improved as much as anything is in his confidence and his ability to be a receiver and and Cam's always been a very very natural wide receiver so that's important for all those guys thank you coach thanks guys