James Franklin addresses contract extension, camp standouts, more at Penn State football media day

James Franklin sat down at the Beaver Stadium dais and looked around at a room overflowing with reporters Saturday.

Media from across Pennsylvania and the country were ready — ready to hear what the coach of the defending Big Ten champs had to say less than one month from the start of Penn State’s 2017 season.

Here are five takeaways from Franklin’s press conference.

Franklin has “no concerns” about a contract extension — and, now that camp is underway, his attention is elsewhere

“I’m in football mode now,” Franklin said. “I’m focused on the season.”

Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said at Big Ten media days that the athletic department is 100 percent committed to Franklin and vice versa.

Franklin is entering his fourth season of a six-year contract he signed in 2014.

“We’ve been talking about this for a while, and I feel good about it,” Franklin said. “But my focus is on the team and our 2017 season completely.”

Early enrollee Lamont Wade has garnered the hype — but there’s another freshman member of the secondary worth watching

Tariq Castro-Fields, a four-star corner from Maryland, is making noise in camp, per Franklin.

Castro-Fields committed to Penn State over Alabama and Maryland as signing day waned, and the Nittany Lion staff was audibly cheering in the recruiting lounge when he announced his decision.

Castro-Fields, who arrived on-campus in June, has seen only a week of practice — but Franklin is excited about him nonetheless.

“As freshman, he’s making an argument that he’s going to have to factor in,” the coach said.

Franklin also mentioned defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos as the other true freshman who’s really impressed so far.

Damion Barber is expected to be on-campus by time the fall semester starts

Barber, a four-star defensive end from Harrisburg, is not yet listed on Penn State’s 2017 roster.

Still, Barber should be on the 105-man roster by time Penn State submits it.

“We’re confident that Damion will be here,” Franklin noted.

Sean Clifford is competing for the No. 3 QB job and could redshirt even if he wins it

It’s clear that Trace McSorley and Tommy Stevens are Penn State’s No. 1 and 2 quarterbacks, respectively

There’s no doubt about that.

“Who’s the No. 3?” Franklin asked, brow raised with a smile. “That’s probably one of the more important things on my mind and my plate.”

The competition is coming down to Clifford and redshirt freshman Jake Zembiec.

While Clifford — a four-star talent out of Ohio — will likely redshirt, that won’t preclude him from earning the No. 3 job.

Franklin added: “I think it’s going to be a battle.”

Whether or not cornerback John Reid plays a down for Penn State in 2017, Franklin believes he’ll make a sizable difference

Reid, who reportedly suffered a significant knee injury in spring camp, could be out for the entire season.

Franklin said he and his staff will “see how it plays out” — but either way, Reid will have a role.

“John’s going to have a huge impact for us this year,” Franklin added.

In the meantime, Reid is interning at Intel out in Portland, Ore., where he’s still helping out the Nittany Lions. Franklin said he’s been dissecting film in his down time and sending notes to teammates and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith.

“Based on some of the challenges he has right now, he’s able to stay and maximize that opportunity,” Franklin said of Reid’s internship. “We’ll be excited to have him come back and have his leadership.”

This story was originally published August 5, 2017 at 12:23 PM with the headline "James Franklin addresses contract extension, camp standouts, more at Penn State football media day."