7/27/2022 football Edit

What will James Franklin have to say at Big Ten Media Days?

Nittany Nation

Staff

Big Ten Media Days day two will get underway on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. as the final seven head coaches from the conference will take to the podium and discuss their programs heading into the 2022 season.

Among the coaches set to talk on Wednesday is Penn State head football coach James Franklin, scheduled to take the stage at noon eastern time. He was accompanied to Indianapolis by senior safety Ja'Ayir Brown, senior quarterback Sean Clifford, and senior defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher who will have to be available to the media in smaller settings.

Here are five storylines to watch on Wednesday during James Franklin's media availability.

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1. NIL-related thoughts

It seems quite inevitable that James Franklin at one point or another will be asked about Name, Image, and Likeness. It's been a consistent topic around the Penn State football program as the program and university as a whole adapt to the ever-changing world of college athletics. Franklin has been vocal about his displeasure with the state of NIL within the university and the program. While Penn State has made some positive steps in NIL-related issues, plenty of work still has to be done. What will Franklin have to say about NIL on Wednesday?

2. Sean Clifford and Mike Yurich

The offense bouncing back from a tough 2022 season will be at the top of the list of talking points on Wednesday most likely. Sean Clifford returns for his sixth season and his second with Mike Yurich. Last season, Clifford got off to a strong start before an upper-body injury against Iowa in the first half knocked him out for the remainder of that game and the Nittany Lions' eventual loss to Illinois a week later. Following the injury, Clifford wasn't able to keep up the same consistency that he had prior to the injury. Now, fully healthy, what Clifford can Penn State expect to get in 2022?

Additionally, one thing to watch with Clifford is that with a fully healthy 2022 season, it's likely that Sean Clifford finishes the season as Penn State's all-time career leader in passing completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. If Penn State can get the Sean Clifford they had in the first half of last season, the Nittany Lions' potential offensively is quite high.

That being said, the offense last season with Clifford and without Clifford still struggled quite a bit. The Nittany Lions averaged just 25 points and just over 375 yards per game in 2021. It's safe to say it was a disappointing first season for offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich who was expected to have a similar impact as Joe Morehead had on the Nittany Lions in 2016 and 2017.

Yurcich's play calling at times was questionable but many of the offense's issues reverted back to the offensive line. The offensive line last year for the Nittany Lions was rough, to say the least, the rushing game averaged just 107.8 yards per game and they allowed 34 sacks throughout the season. On that end, it's a big season for the offensive line and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein who came to Happy Valley with high expectations but through his first two seasons, the play of the offensive line has been sub-par at best.

In all, it's a big season for the Penn State offense with many having to prove their worth to the program. While it may be Sean Clifford's last season with the program, offensive coordinator Mike Yurich and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein will both be under the microscope of Penn State fans and media alike and likely James Franklin himself.

3. Manny Diaz looks to pick up where Brent Pry left off

James Franklin has talked quite a bit about Manny Diaz this offseason but he'll likely be asked about the first-year defensive coordinator again on Wednesday. Diaz will look to pick up where former defensive coordinator and now Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry left off. Consistently putting out top-rated defenses on the field. Since James Franklin took over in 2014, Penn State's defense has been a top-10 defense three times and a top-30 defense six times. Only twice have the Nittany Lions allowed on average more than 21 points per game during the Franklin era. Those are lofty expectations to meet for any defensive coordinator but especially one that is stepping into a program that prides itself on elite defenses.

Pry leaves behind a strong legacy in Happy Valley and Diaz will now look to pick up where he left off. Penn State's defense did lose some key players over the offseason to the NFL Draft but does return in 2022 with what should be one of the country's best secondaries. There are questions within the front seven, the depth at linebacker being especially thin for the Nittany Lions as they enter the season but expectations overall remain high.

It will be interesting to see what comments, if any, about Manny Diaz and the defense James Franklin makes on Wednesday.

4. Which freshmen will have an impact this upcoming season?

Penn State brought in one of James Franklin's highest-rated recruiting classes in the 2022 recruiting cycle and there's plenty of optimism around the Nittany Lions' talented group of freshmen. It will be interesting to see which freshmen get the nod to play right away for Penn State this fall. Star quarterback prospect Drew Allar is likely to be redshirted but DE Dani Dennis-Sutton, WR Kaden Saunders, RB Nicholas Singleton, and LB Abdul Carter are all true freshmen who could have an impact this fall. We'll see if Franklin discusses the freshmen class and what they could bring to the table this season.

5. Penn State's overall plan to bounce back after disappointing 2020 and 2021 seasons

Finally, it will be notable to see how Franklin addresses how Penn State is planning to bounce back after putting together back-to-back disappointing seasons in 2020 and 2021. The program has gone from knocking on the door of the College Football Playoffs to just 11-11 over their last two seasons. Franklin received a massive 10-year, $70 million extension from the university last November, and with such an extension comes even higher expectations. Can the Nittany Lions return to being a 9-10+ team in 2022?