How OC Andy Kotelnicki is getting the Penn State offense on the same page in spring ball
There might not be a position group at Penn State under more scrutiny than the wide receivers. The Nittany Lions were under the microscope last season and received a portion of the blame for the team’s offensive failures. Changes have been made, with head coach James Franklin firing offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and replacing him with Andy Kotelnicki in December, along with a new receiver in former Ohio State WR Julian Fleming joining from the transfer portal.
And with those changes comes an opportunity for all of the wide receivers to re-establish themselves.
And through the early parts of spring practice, that’s what Kotelnicki says it has done.
“I think they’re progressing really, really well right now,” Kotelnicki said following Tuesday night’s spring practice. “I think that’s a position group that’s gonna surprise some people. Because nobody is gonna talk about ‘em. ... They have committed themselves to improving daily and it’s very evident. We have challenged them physically and mentally more than they’ve had, at least according to their feedback. ... We’re making it hard on them and they’re really digging into it and doing a good job.”
Kotelnicki’s belief in the group should help push it along as the receivers and the rest of the offense transition to his leadership on that side of the ball.
The move to Kotelnicki is going to have a large impact on what the Nittany Lions are able to accomplish this season, and that process began back in December when he was hired. The offensive coordinator spent the early days of his job observing bowl practices and learning the staff and personnel.
Then it moved into a phase of establishing what his offense will be at Penn State. And now it’s about implementing those ideas and building a foundation for the team during the spring as it prepares for the season that begins in fewer than six months.
Kotelnicki said the realness of spring ball is what changes the implementation process.
“What’s really good is that — it’s one thing to talk about things, installations, and show ‘em film of other people or years’ past, last fall here. But then they get to see themselves doing it,” he said. “So what happens for them is everything gets a little more real. The self reflection really amps up and increases. And, typically this is true of football and I really believe this as a teacher, we all need to make mistakes. So when you go out here there’s mistakes that happen and there’s corrections that occur, and they’re the ones making the mistake. ... It’s real. It’s football.”
The wide receivers will have to learn and adjust, but so will the quarterbacks. Drew Allar had a good first season as a starter but did not meet the lofty expectations that come with being a five-star quarterback in high school.
This season he’ll have the chance to build off what he did in his sophomore year and begin taking the steps to becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the country — if he’s to reach that level.
Half of the battle for players in taking that step is wanting to get there, and Kotelnicki said that’s not an issue for the young quarterback.
“I would tell you the first thing is his yearning to improve all the time,” Kotelnicki said. “... He is always seeking feedback to improve himself and I think that’s really important.”
For now, that’s all that Penn State can hope for. There are only practices and meetings to gauge just how far the offense has come and determine what it can accomplish in 2024. And there is no opponent in spring ball — just teammates on the opposite side of the field.
There’s no way to know exactly how it will translate, but for now, Kotelnicki has his offense pulling in the same direction.
“There’s a ton of time of explaining the ‘why,’” Franklin said. “Which, in (2024) is really important. I think student-athletes and young people will do the same things we did in the ‘90s and the ‘80s, they just wanna know why. And I think Andy is doing a really good job of explaining the ‘why’ and teaching football. And really getting everybody pulling the rope in the same direction and excited about what we’re gonna be able to accomplish on offense this year.”
