Set to begin at 2 p.m., the Blue-White Game is the 15th and final practice of a crucial spring schedule, providing one last opportunity for players to impress in pads until preseason camp. Following a winter that featured the loss of several standouts, and an influx of transfer talent and freshmen, Penn State is still piecing together 2024 depth chart plans.
More roster reinforcements are set to arrive this summer but spring has provided a proving ground of sorts for competitors at positions across the field. From young risers to program veterans, there is pressure on plenty of athletes to establish forward momentum with jobs at stake.
With that in mind, our Penn State Blue-White Game Roundtable series begins with picks for position competitions to watch Saturday. Each of our football beat reporters had a selection, operating in alphabetical order with no repeat picks permitted.
Continue reading for a full review…
Cam Miller is a key returner. (Photo: Grace Brennan-Lions247)
Penn State saw its top three cornerbacks from 2023 head off to the NFL, but shed no tears for position coach Terry Smith. Strong recent recruiting and an influx of talent from the NCAA Transfer Portal have made the competition at corner fierce this spring, and you can expect that to carry over into the Blue-White Game — and then into summer workouts and preseason camp.
Due to opt-outs, we got a long look at 2023 backups Cam Miller (78 snaps) and Zion Tracy (42 snaps) in the Peach Bowl. Both had their hands full at times against the potent passing attack of Ole Miss, but you have to imagine it was a great learning experience for the duo, as well.
Tracy and fellow true freshman Elliot Washington both burned redshirts as true freshmen last season, and both are considered elite athletes.
Another 2023 true freshman, A.J. Harris, transferred in from Georgia, and the former five-star prospect has been described as a “stud” by teammates and “super aggressive” by coaches. In the meantime, Jaylen Kimber is a transfer from Florida who started 11 games as a redshirt junior with the Gators last season, and has been praised for lending a veteran voice to the room and leadership presence to the defense overall.
With so much focus on Harris and Kimber — and deservedly so — another transfer has flown under the radar to fans, but not the coaching staff. Don’t be surprised if Audavion Collins, who was limited to six games (and three tackles) as a redshirt freshman last season after transferring in from Mississippi State, pushes for playing time next season after turning heads in the spring.
That stockpile of talent, which was further bolstered by the midyear addition of 2024 true freshmen Antoine Belgrave-Shorter and Jon Mitchell, allowed the coaching staff to move redshirt freshman Lamont Payne to safety. But there are still a lot of players to keep track of at corner in the Blue-White Game. You’ll probably need a program to pull it off, though.
— Mark Brennan
________________
J’ven Williams is one of three second-year tackles. (Photo: Grace Brennan-Lions247)
Like cornerback, Penn State is dealing with a first-team reset at offensive tackle. Olu Fashanu, a consensus All-American, and Caedan Wallace, a four-year starter, are currently preparing for the NFL draft, leaving behind a couple crucial job vacancies.
The competition this spring has been incomplete due to an extended absence from action for junior Drew Shelton. By far the program’s most experienced tackle, he remains in recovery from surgery that followed the 2023 season. Spotted wearing an arm sling this winter at a public event, Shelton owns six career starts at left tackle (five in 2022 plus the 2023 Peach Bowl) and neared 400 game snaps last season as the second option on both sides.
Shelton is expected to push for a return to the starting lineup at left tackle upon getting back to practice work in August. With him sidelined, versatile senior lineman JB Nelson has spent significant time focused on left tackle duties after starting eight games at left guard last season. Nelson played tackle while at Lackawanna College and has cross-trained from the interior to perimeter while on campus. With Nelson working at tackle, left guard duties have primarily gone to redshirt sophomore Vega Ioane, who started five contests there last year, including the Peach Bowl.
Former Top247 prospects Chimdy Onoh and J’ven Williams have also handled reps at left tackle throughout spring practices. Both saw limited game action last fall while preserving redshirt status, and the 6-5, 304-pound Williams was considered a five-star talent in 247Sports’ 2023 recruit ratings. Onoh has also spent time on the right side while quickly bulking up to 6-5, 323 pounds.
Meanwhile, another second-year tackle commands attention on the right side. Anthony Donkoh also took a redshirt last season but finished his freshman campaign with extended Peach Bowl action in relief of Wallace. He excelled with more than 40 snaps against Ole Miss, marking his first game appearance (in college or high school) at tackle. The 6-5, 328-pound Donkoh largely focused on guard in 2023 before adapting well to late reps outside.
There’s a lot to like about Donkoh’s trajectory, and some around the program have already compared his traits to Fashanu. Still, competition comes in the form of at least Nolan Rucci, a redshirt junior and former five-star recruit who transferred in from Wisconsin this winter. Like Donkoh, Rucci got a bunch of bowl work as a backup but he saw only seven total 2023 regular-season snaps on offense with the Badgers.
Rucci’s college game experience to this point has occurred at left tackle, but the right side was his focus upon January enrollment and through much of spring camp. He acknowledged last week that he’s been handling practice reps on both sides more recently, providing this competitive landscape with another layer of intrigue. Standing 6-8, Rucci is up to 315 pounds after arriving in Happy Valley at approximately 300.
Penn State has high expectations for what it can accomplish with new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and a veteran backfield of Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, but inconsistent play from one or both tackle positions would be a setback. We’re excited to see these linemen battle with an impressive group of PSU edge rushers on Saturday.
— Tyler Donohue
________________
London Montgomery has progress to make in Year 2. (Photo: Grace Brennan-FOS/247)
Penn Statealready knows what it has in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Most of the college football world knows who the Nittany Lions’ top two running backs are, too. But with Trey Potts off to try his hand at the next level, Penn State faces an important but under the radar competition for the No. 3 running back spot.
Redshirt freshmen Cam Wallace and London Montgomery were the first two running backs during position coach Ja’Juan Seider‘s tenure at Penn State to retain their eligibility during their first year on campus. With Singleton and Allen staying relatively healthy and Potts supplementing the offense, Penn State didn’t need them.
Now, Wallace and Montgomery are in a mix that also features early enrollee Quinton Martin. And the Blue-White Game will provide an opportunity for all three running backs to get onto the field and show what they can do. With Singleton and Allen has established quantities, that trio, plus walk-ons Tyler Holzworth, Amiel Davis and DK Kency, should get some work.
Wallace has generated plenty of buzz during this offseason. He’s boosted his weight since arriving on campus on the smaller side, and he said earlier this offseason that he was able to retain his speed and explosiveness in the process. He has the potential to be a home run hitter for Penn state.
Montgomery, meanwhile, arrived on campus ready to go after missing his senior season because of a knee injury, but coach James Franklin has said he hasn’t changed his body as much as he needs to in order to get on the field.
Martin is the highly touted in-state recruit with a versatile skill set who could be an intriguing weapon for first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, if he’s ready. At 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, Martin also has a bit of a different body type than some of the other running backs on the roster. What that yields on the field will be worth monitoring.
This is a competition that could certainly stretch through the summer, and it’s going to be an interesting one.
