Three takeaways from the final viewing window of Penn State fall camp
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State nears starter decisions with backup QB and right guard battles ongoing.
- Cornerbacks Harris, Washington and Collins headline elite defensive depth chart.
- Allar sharp in red zone drills as Grunkemeyer, Howard and Dinkins show promise.
Penn State opened up a portion of practice Tuesday evening for the final time in fall camp, with head coach James Franklin, assistant coaches and players speaking to the media following the practice.
Here are three takeaways from the Nittany Lions’ Tuesday evening practice.
Position battles coming to an end
With fall camp wrapping up and game prep less than a week away, it’s nearly time for Penn State to name its starters and have its backups ready on both sides of the ball.
On offense, there are two spots head coach James Franklin discussed specifically Tuesday night — right guard and backup quarterback. The former is a little more complicated, while the latter is a straight-up competition between Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer to back up starter Drew Allar. Franklin said the reps have begun to tilt in favor of the leader, despite the battle not being over. It’s important to note that Grunkemeyer worked with the top group of weapons alongside Allar Tuesday night when the media was in practice.
The right guard spot is a little more complicated. There are two primary competitors for the job in Cooper Cousins and Anthony Donkoh, although Franklin also named T.J. Shanahan in that group. That being said, the battle also includes right tackle Nolan Rucci because of Donkoh’s versatility. Donkoh can play guard or tackle, and if he and Cousins surpass Rucci, they could start at guard and tackle respectively while Rucci moves to the bench. That being said, the most likely scenario right now seems to be Donkoh at right guard and Rucci at right tackle, with Cousins rotating in plenty.
Cornerbacks should be elite
Cornerback A.J. Harris spoke to the media Tuesday night and didn’t mince words about his position group.
“I feel like we have the best cornerback room in the country,” Harris said.
And he might be right. Harris might be the best corner in the country, and the other two potential starters — Elliot Washington II and Audavion Collins — have both received plenty of praise during fall camp. Washington is someone Harris cited specifically for his athleticism, mentioning his 4.2 40-yard dash speed. But more than his athleticism, Washington has the size and strength to be on Harris’ level and form one of the best cornerback duos if he’s the starter.
And if he’s not, Collins brings his own brand of high-level cornerback play. He’s not as strong as Washington, but Collins has elite quickness and is the type of competitor that will never back down from receivers — even those that are bigger than him. The Nittany Lions are projected to be one of the best teams in the country with one of the best defenses. And the cornerback room will likely be a large reason why they have success this season.
Notes and observations
Some specific notes from the team’s practice window, which included some routes on air and a period of 3-on-3 between receivers and defenders that started in the redzone at the 10-yard line.
- Allar continues to look the part at quarterback. He’s been much better at layering throws in the media’s limited viewing windows, which was a point of emphasis for him this offseason.
- While Grunkemeyer worked alongside Allar with the top group, he struggled at times with anticipation throws. That should come in time, but it’s clear the Nittany Lions have a large gap between their top quarterback and the rest of the group at this time. Still, Grunkemeyer has the arm talent to be a starter down the line.
- The 3-on-3 work saw plenty of wins early for the offense, with a quality rub route that got Trebor Peña open for a touchdown and wins for Khalil Dinkins and Andrew Rappleyea, who both got inside of safeties. Dinkins beat King Mack, while Rappleyea beat Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, who were both late to break the play up.
- Dinkins is the starter at tight end and could emerge as a breakout player for the Nittany Lions. He’s not going to be Tyler Warren, but he should be a high-end starter who can be on the field in every situation.
- Belgrave-Shorter bounced back with a breakup shortly after giving up the touchdown. He’s emerged as an option at safety, with Mack leading the way alongside Zakee Wheatley for the time being.
- Devonte Ross and Tyseer Denmark both showed off their short area quickness in 3-on-3. Both shook defenders with inside moves and can create separation with the best of them.
- Ross made a diving attempt on a catch that he dropped, landing on his left arm, which appears to have a harness on it.
- Koby Howard continues to receive high praise and showed off his ability to create separation on a ball thrown by Grunkemeyer to the corner of the end zone. Howard had plenty of space to make the catch, and hauled it in for the touchdown. He should be in the conversation to get reps at wide receiver this year, even with the three transfer additions in Peña, Ross and Kyron Hudson.
- Hudson was consistent in practice, much as he has been all of fall camp. Franklin called him “steady Eddy” in his post-practice presser.
Scenes from practice
