Penn State quarterbacks, offense and injuries in focus; 1-on-1 with Lions safety Jaylen Reed

Intro [Music] welcome back into the lions 247 podcast I am Tyler Donahue got a lot coming your way on this episode it is our second show of this week in case you missed episode one this week we went over an hour with Tyler calvaruso our resident recruiting expert not only did we take a look at five potential flip candidates that Penn State could still add to their 2025 recruiting class you know guys who are currently in other recruiting classes that Penn State hasn't given up efforts with that was a fun conversation but before that we tapped into Tyler's knowledge of covering this freshman class for the last couple years during their recruiting processes and we had a really extensive progress report on both sides of the ball regarding a bunch of first year nitty Lions so if you skip that episode for whatever reason I'd encourage you to check that out if you really want to follow the narrative uh through this Penn State pre in Camp and stay updated on what we're hearing and what we're seeing go check out that episode on this particular episode later on you're going to hear from one of the team leaders in senior safety Jaylen Reid he and I recently sat down for a one-on-one discussion you probably heard our one-on-one discussion on this podcast with Devon J Thomas defensive tackle a couple weeks ago this time around you'll hear from Jaylen Reid uh in his second year as of starting safety but we begin with the latest from Penn State preseason camp and they do that bring on board Daniel Gallen from Li's 247.com Daniel how's it going today it's going good Tyler it's 16 days now and Preseason Countdown every time I I open the site I see your latest installment of the countdown and it's really sinking in how how close we are to being in Morgantown in a couple weeks yeah two weeks from tomorrow Friday this Penn State Squad will make its way south and get ready to play West Virginia on that Saturday afternoon Daniel Mark Brennan will be there providing live coverage that's when we'll get underway with our postgame podcast and you know the drill by now if you've been listening to the show for a while but we are still in let's learn about these nitty Lions mode and that's because it's still mid August and and while we think we know a lot of the primary pieces that will be out there a come kickoff on August 31st there are still risers we're hearing about young players making a name for themselves in some key positional battles and we're going to W work our way through a bunch of topics I want to be fully transparent here to our listeners and and our viewers uh we have not seen Penn State football practice since we last had kind of a preseason catchup that was last Friday episode um we haven't been out there since Thursday evening we do anticipate being on the practice field this upcoming Tuesday August 20th uh for another look at the nendy Lions but that's a significant stretch during preseason camp we'll acknowledge that uh anytime that Penn State says hey come on in our doors are open media is welcome you know that we will be live on location and we will be well represented at lines 247 but we can only cover what's available to us so I do want to present that on top of that though we do have conversations with people in the facility on a regular basis and more recently we heard from James Franklin we heard from offensive coordinator Andy codal Nikki we heard from a few veteran players including both the top two quarterbacks on this team and Drew Aller and Bo prula and Daniel so we have a lot of different ways we're gonna navigate this show and and guys we're gonna touch on but I think we should probably begin on the fact that the physicality of this Camp is something that's been talked about a bit not really unique to hear that that a camp is physical on the football field as the team's getting ready but just from coaches on down through the players sounds like there's maybe a heightened component to that in 2024 they had a scrimmage last Saturday a controlled scrimmage so they're they're putting these guys in certain scenarios and situations and four-minute drills and two-minute drills and goal line situations uh so not a full on regular football scrimmage but our understanding is the defense had the edge that afternoon on Saturday this is a team that will scrimmage in Beaver Stadium soon and I know James Franklin every year says that's a huge step to get over into the stadium and to get these guys doing some full contact work he says it starts to to to see the cream of the crop show up in those kind of situations on an annual basis and Daniel as we talk about that physicality we're also learning about bumps and bruises and unfortunately we're going to go while with seeing one of those freshman receivers yeah James Franklin uh told us that Peter Gonzalez the The Freshman Injuries wide receiver from Pittsburgh who we saw go through the process of of earning an offer last summer and and what that meant to him and how he went about it he has a long-term injury uh so he's going to to miss some time um James Franklin hasn't really ruled anyone out for the season yet he's definitely left that door open uh a little bit for for guys to come back like we've heard with Keon Wy and and Zariah fiser um but you know I Bo fora was asked about Peter Gonzalez and and losing him and he said that through the the first early part of camp that Gonzalez had been really impressive that he's a big body um he's someone you can throw the ball up to he's physical you know didn't have blazing speed but had good play speed and could get open and and hold his own so you know for Peter Gonzalez this is tough he had the pretty major injury earlier in his high school career which you know necessitated that uh process that we saw play out last summer in terms of how he earned his offer and now he's going to miss another long chunk of time but he he's someone with with you know NFL high level uh football Bloodlines um I think that he's mentally built for this kind of thing and knows what he's in for but it it is unfortunate to have a young player with some promise who Penn State potentially could have used this year at a position of need kind of uh have to now watch for a while we learned this Tuesday night and speaking with James Franklin about the long-term nature of this injury for Peter Gonzalez we do not know the the specific nature of the injury for him but you know we're just I think five or six days at that point removed from hearing from James Franklin that he's been steady Edy among those freshman receivers a lot of good things about tyer Denmark desiah Brown working his way back from his own injury but Peter Gonzalez has been the guy and we kind of paired him up with Anthony specka in this conversation with Tyler calvaruso on Tuesday during our freshman progress report is that mentally and physically those guys from Pittsburgh Central Catholic really came to campus in May ready to roll in a lot of different ways and Peter gonzal was you know credited in that regard by James Franklin as recently as you know five or six days ago so this is a step back backwards unfortunately for him two out of three years where you've got a significant injury it was a serious knee injury for him early in 2022 he ended up costing him a portion of that junior year ended up really impacting who he could be uh that that junior year I know by the end of the season he felt like he was back to to who he was but it took until that senior campaign I think when we really saw him you know be a breakout kind of prospect 47 catches 1081 yards 12 touchdowns last fall he left Central Catholic as that program's alltime receiv leader with 2200 plus yards and uh you know I think the the the good thing is he can lean on what he's already been through he's seen himself pick himself back up off the field after an injury and put in the arduous effort that is required trust the medical professionals and get to a point where you're back to where you want to be and even Beyond it the hard part is you probably felt like Peter Gonzalez day by day as he was here on campus was putting that part that chapter of his career in the rearview mirror and so you could understand why this week could be really tough this week might not be the week to say Peter get back out there and and go chomp at the bit and and go chase your return this week might need to be the week where you spend a little time feeling sorry for yourself you get people you know the right people in your ear talking you up a little bit and so we wish Peter Gonzalez well he's a guy who's been on this podcast standup kind of kid um and really doesn't come across as a kid I think that's really been the scouting report on him for a while is he has a real mature professional makeup to him but we're not going to get a chance to see him at Penn State this particular year for for the next little while at least and really the long while it sounds like so Focus now on tyer Denmark jaiah Brown among those freshmen and remember last year you only brought in one freshman Carmelo Taylor he's not with the program anymore so among the four players you've signed out of high school the last two recruiting Cycles right now you're only working with two of them on the practice field not ideal but nothing Peter Gonzalez can do about that and we hope we're seeing him in action again pretty soon and unfortunately it's the time of year where we have other injury you know updates to pass along and James Franklin was the bearer of bad news when it came to that on on Tuesday evening Daniel because he mentioned and these are more short-term things we we'll categorize them as bumps and bruises but khil Dinkins who's trying to claim that number two tight end job as a red shirt Junior and then both of those competitors for the running back three spot cam Wallace a red shirt freshman and true freshman Quinton Martin according to James Franklin they've been dealing with bumps and bruises so it's been hard to get on read on what that competition looks like Beyond Singleton and Allen your takeaways from from those particular updates I think when you look at the tight end spot it definitely opens the door for more reps to go around between the other tight ends in that room Jerry cross Andrew Raper Joey schlafer Luke Reynolds but I think there Raper and Reynolds are the two to really watch given the the feedback that we've heard and um also kind of our own expectations uh coming into the year for for that position um I Cil dingin is someone who can do a lot of different things and I think that when healthy he'll definitely have a role in this offense even if raple and Reynolds really come along but I think with those two guys given their recruiting pedigree where they are physically and know we'll talk about Luke Reynolds a little bit later in the podcast but I think that those two guys are in position to have make contributions and maybe throw off the the succession that Penn State has has had a little bit where seems like it's really gone year by year uh in terms of guys that were one class behind uh Bren Str stepping up and then dinkin is was one class behind uh Warren and Johnson him getting the chance to step up um it seems like raple and Reynolds could really Leap Frog um their their place in line as for running back we talked we heard that qu from James wranglin that Quinton Martin was a little banged up in the spring missed some time and I think that that was valuable for cam Wallace to put his best foot forward and we heard some good things about him and from him about how that went and what he was able to to do in that competition for the number three job I think given what we've heard from Andy codal Nikki and these players I think that it won't necessarily be as kind of clearcut behind uh Nick Singleton and KRON Allen as it was last year where Trey pots was pretty much just there for cameos and in certain situations I think with the skill set that cam Wallace and Quinton Martin both have I think that we could see them on the field in uh maybe more unique situations um in more creative ways even though we did see Trey pots out there for some trick plays last year um but I think that that's it's interesting behind them to have both of those guys missing time Corey Smith is the other scholarship back in that room he lost London Montgomery to the transfer portal he's at East Carolina now so that is something to watch we've talked about it that especially in 2022 Penn State has been really fortunate with the health of Nick Singleton and KRON Allen especially given the the death concerns at various points over the past two years so you want these guys to be healthy you want them to be ready so not only can they contribute in the offense however Andy cotal Nikki wants them to but so that you have that insurance you have that depth behind your you know two stars at the top yeah Raper and his potential gain from thinking setback is very difficult to ignore considering what we've G gathered about what he's looked like as a retro freshman and then you mentioned Corey Smith there briefly uh some some volume for him all of a sudden in and in the middle of preseason camp against some of the big boys on the squad working with maybe some of the the teammates that he won't get a chance to work with when the season comes and he's relegated to more of a scout team role as we expect and heard a great line from jaywan cider back in June about Corey Smith he was one of the summer enroles Quinton Martin of course was a January en rolly competed in Spring practices and winter workouts he said quote I said listen you ain't competing for a job right now you've got to learn what the job is so I don't know where Corey Smith is in that process of learning what the job is but he's been a guy we've kind of filed away momentarily it would seem he's getting a little bit more work than than maybe everybody bargained for but such is the nature of the position at running back and we know they're not going to wear KRON Allen and Nick Singleton down to the ground before they get the kickoff um so some some updates there we'll keep Gathering Intel as we can and and we'll get a chance to be on the practice field Tuesday and again watching some of practice and so if guys are absent we'll note that in our notebook and if they're out there and competing that'll be a good step forward for the uh for team Health overall as I mentioned at the top of the show offensive coordinator Andy codel Nikki joined us after practice on on Tuesday that was practice number 11 by the way for them during preseason camp cotal Nikki has been someone we've had a chance to hear from quite a bit lately it feels like we had him in the press conference setting at media day earlier this month in late June we we got him as part of a media Day event over at hubba Hall and of course you know he came out the gates with a great opening press conference last winter but Daniel uh he he was asked about the state of the offense and as was James Franklin James Franklin actually took it in a really different direction that we'll get to in a moment um cot Micki kept things pretty much in check he didn't really go too far on the limb saying he's been pleased uh he thinks it's evident that the offense is at a different point now than it started at camp and then when it started in the year he said they're seeing that natural development guys are working through their mistakes and then correcting them um they're never going to be perfect but he feels like it's a it's a group overall that's been coachable and willing to grow I think what we keep going back to though with codal Nikki are a couple things the explosive plays and then getting the ball in the hands of your Playmakers and starting with those explosive plays he was asked a really good question I thought about Bal The Balancing Act you've got to conduct as an offensive coordinator when you're trying to have such a leap in explosive plays and we know that's really necessary for the nety Lions to take the next step for college football playoff contention but at the same time this was an offense that was among the nation's best at ball security not giving away possessions not putting their defense in a bad spot on their own territory and So Co Nikki was asked about how do you ramp up the explosive plays without then ramping up the turnovers because maybe you're putting the ball more at risk and my biggest takea away from his answer Daniel was that he said don't always have to be thrown at Deep to get explosive plays a lot of designed imaginations here I think that we've discussed on the show that we heard about Andy cotal Niki at Kansas where the ball may be traveling from quarterback to to to Target five six yards maybe 10 yards but then you're getting 40 yard plays out of it and we've identified slot players like a kadence Saunders maybe a tyer Denmark emerging versatile weapons like Nick Singleton lining up in different spaces maybe a Quinton Martin showing off those receiving skills and when you're talking about the short area passing game leading to big plays down the field in the screen game and this is something that just didn't surface last year downfield close to the line of scrimmage what have you but I came away being like yeah Cotto Mickey made a really good point right there and and I think when people think of explosive plays they want to see here we go Chuck it deep right with with Drew Aller just launching it to a receiver in stride 40 yards down the field but let's remember that they brought in a guy who's considered a rising offensive Mastermind and his job is to play chess and it sounds like he feels like he has the pieces where it doesn't require bombs when you talk about the the ball not having to travel that far when you think Explosive plays about the jet motion and and some of the stuff that we've heard that could benefit some of these players that Ball's traveling what half a yard forward from from Drew Aller to the receiver uh but both Drew Aller and Bo Pula echoed that all referred to them as hidden explosive plays prula framed it as you have your downfield passes but then you have your intermediate plays that turn into explosives and then you have the plays where you're even more patient which involves getting the ball to one of the running backs and then they can break something off and and go um I think Andy codal Nikki put out his definition of what explosive plays are I I believe I saw it was 12 plus on the ground 15 plus through the a a and Drew Aller said that you get the ball to Nick Singleton or KRON Allen five yards down the field where they're one-on-one with a Mike linebacker that's a 12 yard gain there given how those guys play so I think that it's that was good framing from cotal Nikki I I do think that if you want to win in college football and Penn State wants to advance into the the highest level of the game you are going to need to hit on some of those downfield passes uh that's something that we've heard different things about and some of the feedback we got on the wide receivers on Tuesday I I think is is positive in that regard but there are different ways to get this done and I think with Andy codal Nikki he's going to figure out the the best way to get it done with what he has in front of them and it might not necessarily look like a bunch of deep bombs but you might look at a box score after the game or hear coton Nikki and Franklin's feedback in here yeah we had X explosive plays even if it didn't necessarily quite feel like that over the course of the game yeah and make no mistake this offense needs Offense needs to go vertical to go vertical it has the tools to go vertical it's got one of the most impressive quarterback prospects that we've seen in the recent Cycles uh you know being the trigger man and we're gonna get into that and that's a deep conversation these days with Drew Aller and and we'll talk about brula momentarily but just finishing up on on the codal Nikki conversation and we have this well documented over at Li 47.com in fact we had it well documented a couple nights ago on Tuesday directly coming off the practice field so if you're not following our VIP coverage I know you love the podcast and you get a nice hour of Intel you can get 247 pun intended Penn State Intel over at our site 30% off VIP right now taking you all the way through preseason camp all the way through this season and then all the way through next year into next year's preseason camp if you're signing up for a year pass at this point but getting back to codal Micki uh he said I'm just going to go to his quote because I think this gets message cross great and I think it's going to be music to a lot of ears out there he said quote if we have an Elite Speed player put him in position to utilize his Elite Speed if we have a great change of direction or physical receiver put him in a position to do that if you have a tight end and he's better at blocking versus receiver put those guys in those positions I know it sounds cliche like duh coach I play Madden in the new college football video game so I know how to do that but actually getting these players to execute those things and more importantly as coaches reflecting and really having the evidence and confidence and saying this is what that player does really well that's everything so I mean Cod is again he's he's hammering home a point that just felt like it was totally disconnected with the Penn State offense last year about playing to the strengths of your personnel to set yourself up on a weekly basis and a matchup basis quarter by quarter adjusting series by series adjusting and feeding it to who you need to feed it to we've heard from some assistant coaches but Annie codal Micki himself he's going to be the guy who calls the plays here I just I love the Simplicity that he's seemingly applying to the process and he's challenging guys they they they want to make sure guys prove they are the players who will flourish in those kind of positions it's not just about Amari Evans you know maybe 50% of the time he's gonna get it done on a downfield pass they want high high potential guys who also have a a relatively High floor I think they don't want to take gambles in the middle of games and so they're trying to get a good feel for that it's also why Andy cot Micki said particularly the receivers are on a really fluid spot for what positions they'll play I think they're really trying to see what are the what are the strengths and weaknesses of these guys putting them through this challenge right now and then you've really got to cater to the strengths of your best players and what do you think that might look like in your opinion Daniel having our head kind of wrapped around the Personnel here at Penn State obviously wanting to peel back the curtain a bit more as this month goes on but we're two weeks away from kickoff so what does that mean to you short term against West Virginia I think it means that we can just see you from a volume perspective more players on the field more players involved you think about we were talking about the number three running back last year and you know depending how games are going we did not see much of trts here and there you think about the past two years at wide receiver uh where it was pretty much the three guys that started the game um were the guys that Penn State rolled with uh and you didn't see much deviation from that um aside from from here and there so I think that you'll see different packages different players involved uh players used in in different situations I I think that's kind of where my mind is going right now at this point in Camp and with what we're hearing from codal Nikki and and from some some of how the players are describing it um we'll see it's one of those things where when you're in the the heat of battle uh the best laid plans can go Ary and I think that I'm really curious to see what how Andy codal Nikki counter punches I know that you've you've brought it up before like what happens if Penn State goes three and out on those first two drives in Morgantown where's kind of the the psyche of the offense where's the psyche of the fan base all that stuff now how does Andy Cal Nikki adjust to that um but I think that in terms of having a plan going into things figuring out how to use all these different receivers uh you all these different playmakers that they have on offense I am really intrigued and confident that cotal Nikki can work some stuff out but from where we are right now I I think that for me it just means seeing players on the field that maybe we haven't seen too much of and guys on the field in specific situations in specific spots cot Micki is The Mastermind of whatever Drew Aller this offense looks like and we know that Nick Singleton KRON Allen probably the most accomplished members of this offense Tyler Warren is a guy who could be maybe the top tight end Prospect in the NFL draft next year but let's face it Daniel the face of this offense for all intents and purposes nationally is Drew Aller seconde starting quarterback he's now a junior he's now three years removed from that remarkable rise up the recruiting rankings which he finished as the number one quarterback in 247 Sports assessment for that 2022 class 25 touchdowns two interceptions very pretty statline along the way we've already covered it in detail we did post game podcast after those matchups we know what the warts looked like on his first season as a starting quarterback you went right up to him after practice along with a few other reporters uh because we he was available to us on Tuesday night and got a chance to pick his brain a little bit uh before I toss to you I'll just say in asking and hearing from Andy codal Nikki on on Drew it wasn't about arm strength it wasn't about those maybe heightened rushing abilities that we've heard a little bit about from Team facilities it was saying that it's been a really strong dialogue between Drew Aller Danny O'Brien the quarterback's coach Andy cotal Nikki and James Franklin the head coach who sits in on a bunch of those quarterback meetings he he he noted the Curiosity that Drew Aller has for the sport and says that he has a sense of being a coach on the field now can he be a commander on the field when they get out there and play West Virginia I think that's the question that a lot of people are wondering for number 15 what were your top takeaways from your time spent with I think the one thing that really stood out to me and I think stands out when you look at the how last year went in some of those big spots was Aller talked about him and the offense learning how to bounce back quicker against the defense he said that that was something that as a first year starter in college football last year that maybe he didn't do the best job of uh he did say that he let himself dwell on things a little bit and we saw in some of those big games last year it really did feel like things snowballed a little bit uh Ohio State and Michigan are really really stand out um and so I I think that Aller is you working on navigating when things don't go right in practice and that was a his very last question of his availability someone asked him how do you manage when this defense which we've heard a lot of really really good things about and I think we all have high expectations for how do you manage when this defense gets the better of you and that's where Aller took his answer he he said that sometimes the defensive line can make things a living hell that was his direct quote uh for the offensive line and and for the quarterbacks we know how much talent they have in in the trenches on that side of the ball and so he said that he's working through bouncing back quicker flushing things and moving on um and that the entire offense is trying trying to take that same mentality everything is going to flow from Drew Aller uh I think that if he is dwelling on something that affects everyone that affects the offensive line the wide receivers running backs tight ends everyone if they see him move on quickly I think you refer to it as washing um moving on and going to that next play I think that everyone else will come along with him so I think that that's something that is going to be interesting the monitor uh it's going to be something that will'll be tough to measure um other than hearing directly from them but going back to what we talked about earlier West Virginia could present some challenges it'll be a hostile environment um so we could see some of this pretty early from Drew Aller um but that was the the number one thing that stood out to me and he bundled that in with being consistent every day um you know not letting the defense get the better of them or if they're having a good day uh you know stacking it coming out the next day and building off of it instead of two steps forward one step back that sort of thing I'm curious on this Daniel Quarterback room we've heard a lot of you know read between the lines and some just outright statements that have really for us juxtaposed maybe what the offensive room what the quarterback room was last year with Mike yuch as the guy kind of setting the temperature versus what it might be like now with Andy codal Nikki at the helm did you have any takeaways in regard from what you heard heard from Drew it is interesting that you talk about Mike Mike yich setting the temperature because Drew Aller did the the classic thermostat not the not the thermometer uh line that that's how he's approaching things this year um that the quarterbacks want to be the thermostat they want to be the ones setting the temperature for the rest of the team they don't just want to be gauging things or reacting to what's happening and I think that some of that comes from Andy codal Nikki I think that given how we've heard codal Nikki uh describe himself and how he goes about things it's clear that he's a much different person than Mike yuch was vastly and I think that that is something that can trickle down to your room uh in terms of how they handle things because when you're a coach your players reflect who you are we talk about it all the time where if a Coach seems tight then a team comes out tight if you a team takes on the personality of their coach and so you know hearing Aller talk there I think he's always been a very you know confident well spoken person um but he seemed a little bit more relaxed with his confidence um he was making sure to go out of his way to shout out different players his answers were really thorough I thought he was really honest with us he was really insightful and so I think that some of that has to do with having Andy cotal Nikki there and Aller kind of reflecting the coaching that he is getting well you know where Drew first underwent his informal media training right lion 247 podcast that's right he had three three uh three spots with us before he came to campus he got significantly better each time I think a lot of people remember his first time on this podcast when he was finishing up his junior year we were asking him a lot of questions and uh yeah he's a natural with it now Boer is another guy who joined us a bunch before he got to campus on this podcast he's also someone that would love to step up and claim his piece of this Penn State offense he's a red shirt Junior red shirt sophomore at this point of course he took the red shirt as a freshman when Drew all was serving as Sean Clifford's primary backup and maybe kind of under the radar last year he accounted for nine touchdowns without a turnover when he did get involved of course he only threw for about 105 yards along the way on on 10 completions we just don't really know what that looks like quite yet especially in a game format so you spoke with or I know you had a chance to to go through that today finally and and and from bu's conversations on Tuesday and so I'm curious what you made of that I haven't had a chance to really review your notes myself yet I think you did it maybe it within an hour or so of us sitting down and record the podcast I know he's motivated I know that Andy cotel Nikki thinks that he is truly one of the special weapons they have on offense and he says that he plans to use the special weapons on offense I don't know what it looks like Beyond quarterback for him maybe it's strictly quarterback uh this year but what is he saying that that kind of pequs your interest at this point Pila seemed really really confident really really sure of himself in describing how he's going to fit in Andy coton Nikki's offense and what cotal Nikki's offense is going to do for him he said that he's having his best Camp um he said part of it is that he's in year three he should be having his best Camp he knows what college football is he knows what he's in for but he said that he feels explosive he feels comfortable in the offense um and he kind of extrapolated that out from the passing perspective he said that this is the best that he's seeing the field he's really comfortable in the pocket which I think is something that a lot of people are interested in I think it's something that we're interested in because like you said we haven't really seen him as a thrower or need to be a thrower uh in in what we saw from him last year so I think that hearing that he's comfortable in the pocket he said that if he wants to tuck and run it's waiting until the last minute uh to do that to get out and so I think that it sounds like he's just taking on a more of a complete quarterback uh and having a more holistic approach to the position um how he's used I think is going to be a big storyline we heard so much about that Pula package last year and didn't see it in the biggest spots and didn't really see it overall and Andy really got to see it uh about two weeks after Mike y was fired by the time we really saw it you Michigan State started getting some real real run with with it but yeah you're right that was more of a tease than anything that was tangible definitely and so we know codal Nikki has had success and has experience with Jason bean and Jaylen Daniels using multiple quarterbacks at wer over the course of a game so we'll see what that actually looks like but I I came away from listening to perula talk uh just kind of taken with that confidence and really impressed with with how he's approaching things he seems very sure of himself sure where he stands on this team and in the quarterback room really complimentary of the offensive line really complimentary of Ethan grun um it was just kind of it was nice to to hear from him and kind of see where he's at right now and and Bo's a guy that if he Harrison Wallace Liam Clifford chooses to he could stay in the game till he's 90 years old being a coach I mean he he's he's come across that way since he was about 15 16 years old uh I I know that's even more so now that he's been inside a program like that he's been a a real strong asset for this quarterback room and again really has done what he could with a lot of opportunities and when you're checking in and and and you're up by 25 you're not really going to get a chance to to Showcase what you can do downfield in the passing game and uh so we'll see it was a little bit of a scrambled situation late in the season when he was involved um now you got a whole offseason of game plan how he fits in uh at the receiver spot Daniel we'll work our way through a few more story lines here on the podcast before we get to Jaylen Reed the senior safety for a one-on-one conversation uh but Harrison Wallace and Liam Clifford were both directly brought up by James Franklin and and he went there when he was asked about the state of the offense he said he felt like the biggest thing to in answering that question is that Liam Clifford and Harrison Wallace have stepped up at the receiver spot they've been consistent um and when James Franklin is talking like that I think that means we're gonna see a lot of both of them that's not surprising with Harrison Wallace at this point he is viewed as this team's number one receiver by seemingly most people um and he was viewed by many people that way last year an injury kind of derailed that and then kandre Lambert Smith was the wide receiver one for much of the Season uh but right now I think that Liam Clifford he was the first guy listed back in Late July when I wrote about six under the radar Penn State players because everyone's been telling us he's gonna play a bunch and I just don't think people have really believed it for whatever reason but you know Sean Clifford's younger brother now red shirt Jr you can see him in the slot you're gonna see him outside you're gonna see him as a blocker and you're gonna see him quite a bit at least at the start of the Season he's going to get the chance to earn a Long Leash I think and so with those two names Daniel you know we're not hearing about Julian flaming a bunch there's not a ton of Buzz about him at the moment we're hearing that he's exhibiting that that possession receiver traits a guy who's gonna be really valuable in contested catches you know I think you're talking about a chain mover again I'm I'm really thinking Mitch Tinsley in that regard um you know then there's other pieces that are out there but what do you make of of James Franklin really putting it out there firmly that these two receivers have separated themselves and by the way speaking with Cam Miller cornerback um about those particular receiver room he brought those two guys as well without hearing what James Franklin said he said those two guys are the ones who are bringing the most competition to the defensive backs on a daily basis we know that there is a lot of interest in Julian Fleming so I will add that Bo purbo lumped Fleming in with Trey Wallace and Liam Clifford as players who are raising the bar in that wide receiver room I think that in terms of the the feedback that we've gotten and maybe reading between the lines a little bit Fleming has raised the bar in terms of preparation approach those sorts of things and then I think Harrison Wallace and Liam Clifford have really showed up on the practice field boa said that they've quote 100% stepped up and the way that Drew Aller was describing the areas where they've improved I think is things that Penn State fans are going to be really really interested in there's a focus on these wide receivers being more physical uh Aller said that they they have a fast start uh period at the beginning of practice to that really sets the tone for the day and I think Aller said it might have been Monday I don't know if it was Tuesday's practice it was Red Zone one-on-ones with the wide receivers and the defensive backs and Hower said the wide receivers just came out ready to go and had a really really strong showing against this defensive backfield and we we know kind of what is in that defensive backfield and so Aller said that there's a focus on being very physical making those contested catches pra says that it changes things for you as a quarterback when you throw it to a guy and you can be confident that he's going to bring down the contested catch that he's going to grab that that 5050 ball Aller said that he'd been throwing the ball to Trey Wallace in tight windows and Wallace made a play where he had KJ Winston I think draped all over him and Aller was able to fit the ball in and Wallace was able to haul it in for a difficult catch I think that these are the things that are going to help this offense move forward and this wide receiver group uh raise itself a little bit uh Fila also said I think one of the the magic words he said that they're getting separation I know that that was uh something last year especially down the stretch that that really came up when talking about the wide receivers so it was a very allaround good feedback I I think that Harrison Wallace and Liam Clifford are really the names right now those are the ones that are getting brought up um Aller and uh prula have have talked about other guys improving I think prula talk mentioned Omari Evans Tyler Johnson Anthony Ivy those are also some of his classmates from from 2022 uh Aller was complimentary to Fleming Kaden Saunders and I think Omari as well um so you know they're seeing things from this wide receiver group that as quarterbacks is making them more confident again when the lights come on in in Morgantown we'll see and then we can really judge but I think that these particular points that are being brought up are really interesting and I think are pretty good reasons for optimism when you think about this group and we know there has been hesitation from this coaching staff Luke Reynolds update and from the players I think on down to to to to talk too much about this receiver group because they know the deal it's like a couple years ago with the offensive line no one would talk to you about the offensive line it was like just go watch him no one would talk to you about him until like late October that year so we we'll see it is good to hear some of these things and hopefully we'll see a bit more on the practice field as well and and and just quickly noting with that receiver group last time we saw them in a game none of them not not a single receiver had a catch until the fourth quarter but last time we saw them play West Virginia they had 300 plus combined yards in that room alone and the guy who was the leading receptions that night seven of them Harrison Wallace has been really pointed to as the alpha among this current receiver core that is now two weeks away from facing West Virginia again Daniel give us a quick update on Luke Reynolds people can take a deeper dive for sure over at line 247.com I know you've got a good story up on Wednesday this week about what the former five-star tight end has been able to accomplish so far on campus but tell our listeners some of the uh top points the headline things that that we have heard about Luke Reynolds lately I think the biggest headline thing that we've heard about Reynolds came from Jame James Franklin on Tuesday night where Franklin said that he's going to play Franklin also said that that he's going to be a good player at Penn State which given that track record at tight end I I think is pretty High Praise uh but Franklin said that Reynolds is going to play it's to be determined whether it's four games and then he comes back for the postseason or if he's a green light from the jump and we see him burn that red shirt uh Franklin said that they haven't really made any of those decisions yet but the one thing with Reynolds that came up in June when I talked to Ty how uh at a media availability was just that physical transformation for Luke Reynolds He's listed at 241 on the roster right now I think 247 Sports had him at like in the 220s and then when he got but when he got to campus how said that he was 24 or 216 so that's a lot of weight and the players I think have really taken notice Drew Aller said I don't know how much he's put on but it has to be you know 20 pounds of muscle I think Andrew rfer was like yeah he's up to near 245 he's he's done this he's done the work and with that they're seeing him be more physical I think raple said that you're seeing him you put his nose in it a little bit more that he's not afraid to to get physical with Defenders which If You're Gonna Play tight end at Penn State you have to be able to do now top Franklin said the same thing after practice of he'll stick his face in it you know stick he'll stick his face into the mess and he's talked about it before when when you're transitioning from wide receiver like role in high school to where all of a sudden you're line up across from Deni Den a sudden life can suck for a while but if you buy in you can battle your way through it definitely and so it seems Reynolds is doing that Aller said that he considers tight end to be the the most difficult uh the most difficult position to know um on this roster other than um other than quarterback because you have to be in the Run game you have to be in the pass game he talked about the different tags that the offense has uh for the tight end position um so I I came away over these past couple weeks I I think that the quotes in that story which you should read online 247.com they date back to June and Tha How've got stuff from media day uh talking to guys we've got stuff from our our past couple of availabilities and it felt like a good time to put it all together get a bit of a progress report on this five star the number one tight end in the country per 20 47 Sports in that class and kind of see how his teammates are feeling about him right now and again going back to you know dinkin if this is an extended Alonzo Ford update absence for him or if it's just something that's been an issue in August you know what's the trickle down effect on someone like Luke Reynolds and Franklin said his weight has plateaued a little bit lately and they're going to try to work on that but yeah when you jump from 215 to 240 245 range all of a sudden you are in some kind of contention to deal with big 10 Defenders as a freshman um and and Daniel we'll work our way over to the offensive line in a second I just wanted to I might as well promote another story that we have up on Alonzo Ford because we wrote a story about him on Monday I think I may have mentioned this on the Tuesday podcast but Ford is somebody who transferred in 2023 after 25 starts through his first couple College Seasons at Old Dominion your your old friend Ricky Ronnie former offensive coordinator here is the head coach down there makes the move up here last May gets on the field in August and then by the end of that that first week of preseason camp he's done with a lower body injury he's out there on a scooter he's in a walking boot eventually he's just an observer on the sidelines um and he didn't get the practice at all again until this August and I'll tell you what for James Franklin to say what he said about Alonzo Ford now this was after we wrote an article and I'd encourage you to check out the original article he wrote Because it's a lot of conversation with Ford himself for the first time since he got to campus about what his Journey's looked like he's gone from about 290 at Old Dominion to where he is now playing in the 320 range and James Franklin said he has been a pleasant surprise he used that quote pleasant surprise phrase three times in the same answer to describe what Alonzo Ford has been for them through the first you know two and a half weeks of camp now of this point Daniel and he mentioned him really impressing and flashing in the Run game um he said he thinks as his as his gets used to his new body and as he gets you know works his way back from the the injury absence he's going to get more impressive as a pass rusher but it sounds like he is a piece that they will a be able to implement and maybe obvious rundowns maybe when when you're in a goal line situation short yarded situation and then building off that James Franklin went so far as to say when he really gets all the way back he's going to be in contention to be a starter here at Penn State I didn't read that to mean August 31st or maybe even October 12th or whatever but I I think that that means maybe later in the year he'll be a startable kind of player not that he'll start and then moving forward he's he's a guy who carries eligibility for 2025 too so this was a really really encouraging update from James Franklin so I just wanted to mention that and and I want to go over the offensive line because what we got from James Franklin was how many guys do you plan to use by Design week one against West Virginia not just because someone gets hurt or someone's playing bad but like what is the game plan number he talked about eight offensive linemen by Design he said you're probably gonna have at least three offensive tackles they're gonna have at least three offensive guards and he talked about multiple centers being in play and so we know Cooper cousins can fill Center or guard James Franklin confirmed this week that that he is going to be someone who is playable at both those positions that's another guy we discussed a bunch on the last episode um but you bring in some of the interesting competitions going on we know that there's two tackles to really focus on on left side Drew Shelton Javin Williams been getting the sense that Drew Shelton has really made his case to you know take on that role like we saw him finished last year when Olu fashanu was done and then we also have talked about Nolan ruchie and Anthony Dono on the right side JB Nelson's been kind of this floating piece where he could be at tackle he could be at guard and then vengo Yan uh and S Wormley and Nick Dawkins and I'm pretty sure I've gotten the n n names already so what did you make of James Franklin's comments and it's something that I feel like you and I have discussed all offseason Phil troutline won't hesitate to rotate guys and if they feel it gives them the best chance to beat West Virginia stay fresh play the guy strengths they're GNA do that over the course of four quarters on August 31st yeah I'm really interested to see how that shakes out and I think that the Offensive line one thing that's nice about offensive line and position battles that it really takes care of itself on the field I I think that we saw that as Kaden Wallace as an example of that last year where when you get out on the field and you're the better player you're going to stay out there um at at those offensive line spots but it's interesting I I asked Drew Aller about it and he said that the most important thing is that he doesn't notice it and right now he feels like he doesn't notice when there's different moving parts coming in and out I didn't get the chance to follow up with him about the idea of multiple centers playing in a game that's the one thing that in how James Franklin was was laying things out that stood out to me a little bit because we haven't seen that over these past couple years that again by Design we're not saying if you're up 38 to 17 in the fourth quarter put Cooper cousins at Center we're saying going into the game this is your plan and he talked about multiple centers and you're right that is different yeah in in my years on the beat it was the mik Miranda show then it was the juice scrug show and a little Miranda and Scruggs I think flipped near the end of that year but then last year it was Hunter nor at and I think that in terms of how an offensive line functions I think that that's what you want is that you want someone that you plug into the middle and everything goes from there definitely kind of the connective tissue of that offensive line so that really caught my attention didn't get the chance to ask Aller about it that and how that would change things but I do think that if we see a rotation at guard or rotation at tackle rotations at multiple guards multiple tackle spots wouldn't really surprise me against West Virginia bro Rula said that the leadership within the offensive line room is probably the strongest at any position group on the team I think that given you have Nick Dawkins in that room makes sense uh and pilo said that he's mostly running with the second team and he's really impressed with that group and it feels like it's still performing at a really really high level which would make sense if you're talking about playing this many guys and and having this many rotations so I I think that we are still interested to see how this offensive line plays and it is still a little bit of a question mark when you think about replacing two tackles and replacing your Center that it's easy to look at the collection of talent that's there and feel really confident in it which I think that you know we there is some level of confidence that we have in them but it's different when you get to Saturdays when you're in the heat of it um what that actually looks like so I think that the offensive line you feel optimistic about it but you still really got to see it because things can really go sideways if it isn't there I think the biggest shift generally is just kicker competition there is a benefit of the doubt that's in place with that room now which was completely non-existent for several years but Phil trat wine has built one up and um the players in there in that room you know they have the talent it's just what will it look like and you can have all the talent in the world but if it's not cohesive as you said all of a sudden Drew Aller is getting smacked through the turf and scary situations can happen let's finish here uh we did get an update on the place kicker competition from James Franklin I'll tell you what every time we've seen these guys and and it's been a couple times in August they've been really impressive I mean last time we were on the field uh last last Thursday it was a week ago I counted them for being a collective 11 of 11 and it was kind of sprinkling outside the the field was a little wet they were being rushed through some of this stuff the Bonsai drills as they call them and I didn't see a single Miss and that included several from Beyond 40 but James Franklin kind of said something that we heard from uh from coach lustig Justin lustig the first year special teams coordinator in the late spring it seems like Chase Meyer maybe still tracking behind the other two he's the guy who came in from Tulsa last winter he was a starter for Tulsa last season before that he was actually a kickoff specialist at the univiversity of Pennsylvania he's a junior um everyone's doing well I think everyone's kind of matching or exceeding their expectations but right now Sanders sahak and R and Ryan Barker have separated themselves just a bit it sounds like from Meyer in the data that they've collected through the first couple weeks and additionally James Franklin noted that that maybe more strength from a couple of those guys in sahak and Barker and their ability to drive the football um and by the way we have heard from Franklin before say that past experience will be a factor game experience will be a factor in who they maybe send out could be a really wild situation if Sanders sahak were to go out there again and it and and and maybe able to conquer his demons right I mean he had the chance to be the starting play kicker for the entire season potentially last year if he goes out and starts off good instead he he had two misses against West Virginia before halftime and then they come back out with Alex falcons as their play sicker and he never gave that job up all the way through the Peach Bowl so sayak has a chance here to maybe atone for some of that kind of reset himself here he's a former number one overall kicker recruit but don't sleep on Ryan Barker as we've been telling you all offseason a guy who walked on an instate Prospect came to campus last year has really done a nice job to turn heads Daniel anything to add along the way uh Before We Say Goodbye and turn turn over to Jaylen Reed I think in terms of the the place kickers Franklin framed it as they have Ryan Barker field goal three guys they feel like they can win with and then we saw a little bit of of what these guys are going through Penn State put up a video on social media of Ryan Barker attempting a field goal with Franklin right there blowing a whistle a bunch of guys crowded around him a lot of noise in the background and he hits it uh that's what Penn State is doing to try to figure out what they have in these kickers I think Franklin said going into the stadium is big for those guys too um so we we'll see um it's really interesting to have a three-man race at at that spot at at this point but we've seen it in the past Penn State can find rolls for for different guys and you know we'll find out August 31st Daniel good stuff as always a bunch of your coverage to be found at Lions 247.com you and I and Mark and Grace Brennan will get back together on the Penn State practice field on Tuesday and after that we'll hear from James Franklin again we'll get a chance to hear from coaches and players as well we get on a podcast again together next week thanks man enjoy your weekend thanks Tyler good stuff from Daniel as always we're gonna shift gears now and talk to Jaylen Reed a current Penn State standout we get into it with safety Jaylen Reed Jaylen good to see you yeah good to see you too I'm curious you were such a Lynch pin with that penate defense last year a lot of people called it Elite lost some starters your defensive coordinator Manny Diaz now the head coach at Duke why do you feel optimistic that you can match the standard or maybe even surpass the standard that you guys set last year um the main reason I would say you know I feel like we have a lot more depth than last year I feel like last year we had Elite defense it was elite players on the defense you know we had guys like chop Robinson diesa Isaac kayin King you know guys like that that had a huge impact but I feel like this year it's just a lot more depth and a lot more players that has been unseen I feel like we have a lot to prove so I feel like if everybody just keep that chip on the shoulder we probably can surprise surprise surpass last year and do better I do want to ask about some of those other pieces but for you specifically I believe you were honorable mention selection conference wide last year um I think you tweeted something else about that on the day that those came out do you feel like you were maybe a little overlooked be undervalued externally looking at that Penn State defense last year and how much do you see this as an opportunity to be a bit of a breakout for you as a senior no for sure I definitely feel like I was overlooked you know but that's how I always go about things you know I'm appreciative of being honorable mention you know but I feel like my level of play was definitely up there with some of them other guys that they chose but I'm definitely always appreciative but this year is another opportunity for me to prove myself again especially on the higher level especially with the uh college football playoff extending so I feel like especially we do do what we supposed to do and we get a chance to go to the college football playoffs my uh my talents will really show in them big moments and them big games and everybody won't have nothing to say then we're used to seeing you uh back deep at the safety position but we've heard a lot this offseason that in this new defensive formation with the lion position that fit defensive back you're going to be playing a lot at the second level getting you in space using that physicality why do you think thus far you've been such a strong fit for that new role in the defense um I just I feel like basically my versatility you know and then at that position you know it has to be like a usually in the past we had like a nickel back like dayquon Hardy you know but coach Tom Allen likes to run that on first down first second down you know and I went to time Allen you know I told him I can do that so we can bring Zaki weatley on the field so it can add another playmaker you know even though I'm still going to be playing both safeties like I'm probably going to start at the Deep safety but more towards the season I'm going to end up at the line position just so we can have all of our Playmakers on the field so we can all uh eat together you mentioned Zaki weatley um you came in with him he's now a red shirt junor started his career at cornerback and he's been kind of the Buzzy name in the defensive backfield this off season what has he done to take that next step forward um the main thing with Zaki you know I feel like the growth in Zaki mentally has taken a huge step you know on and off the field you know and his leadership qualities you know I feel like he's starting to understand that he's stepping into that role where it could be his breakout year and it's that and it's that time for Zachy you I feel like he's doing a great job this offseason preparing for that and I feel like it's going to be a big year for him you started alongside KJ Winston last year when he's sophomore he's popping up on some of those early first round mock projections what makes him special and what do you think we'll see from him taking the next step forward as a junior um first off with KJ you know if you just look at KJ you know he already gives off first round if you just look at his height and his weight you know he's six about 63 210 you know that's a that's a project safety you know and then just the great things that he do on and off the field I feel like he to me being around him every day his leadership qualities take him a long way and and it and it compares to him on the field you know he's always a vocal leader on the field even as a young player and he plays with great work and he's always flying around to the ball so I feel like he's a great player you know he's going to do great things in his career and I feel like this year definitely in my eyes would be his last year we have heard there's going to be an emphasis on getting you three safeties on the field together Zaki yourself and KJ what does that do for this defense um like I said earlier you know I feel like it goes back to bringing the versatility and bringing having the best 11 on the field at all times you know when you have the best 11 especially with uh us adding the four teams now in the Big 10 with the West Coast uh Pack 12 style of play you know they're going to try to bring their style of play into the Big 10 you know I feel like they're going to try to throw the ball and I feel like us at another safety or another defensive back is going to help us in the long run especially in the passing game so I feel like us three in the back end I feel like he going to do great things this year I want to ask about another defensive back guy who's not getting nearly as many headlines as the three of you Colin dinkin joined the program as a walk-on he's a red shirt sophomore I've heard that he's really making a case for himself at the line position as well what has stood out about him and and how much does he need to be on folks radar because I don't think many know about Colin they know was older brother khil to tight end but maybe not Colin um Colin you know he has an interesting story you know he came in as a walk on you know he was a walk on you know and now he has switched to safety not just the line he's a full-time safety so in our defense you know you have to learn all three safeties like me KJ and zachi we all know all three and I feel like Colin has do a great job just learning and taking in everything from each one of us you know he comes in after uh studies study extra watch film extra after practice he getting extra reps with us just asking and being and being a sponge and just learning everything and I feel like it translated everything this spring you know he he had a great spring he he showed a lot of flashes and I feel like he come into this fall he has opportunity to play this year a lot also in the secondary you added two top transfer players Jaylen Kimber coming from Florida AJ Harris coming from Georgia what was the impression they made during spring practices and how much are they set to make a big impact in their first year um I I'll start with AJ you know AJ just the style of his play he reminds me and it probably remind y'all it he will remind you a lot of kayin King he he flashes just like kayen you know real aggressive real uh flashy type of player he always got swag confidence you know he came in early uh like I said he was really a sponge you know he really tried to learn a lot and people don't notice that he's really the young even though he's a transfer he just played his freshman season you know guys like that that come in and be a sponge and he already got the talent it adds great things to our defense you know and a guy like J Jaylen Kimber you know he's older he been around a pro been around two programs you know he just bring a lot of leadership qualities and a lot of uh experience to the room so I feel like that would help us earlier you talked about the importance of getting your best 11 on the field together Abdul Carter's been part of that best 11 for a couple years now he's doing it at a different spot his move from linebacker to Edge rusher how have you seen that maybe create new opportunities for this defense and for Abdul himself um I feel like it it it helps us create more Splash plays a lot you know know Abdul is a great player you know he makes a lot of his plays off blitzing and when he just uh being himself and uh freelancing into the ball you know when he just playing playing free you know and I feel like uh Dean is going to be a great job for that because you know all he has to do is just rush up field and that's his that's his best quality of his game and I feel like he's going to have a huge impact there you know he done it for two years and all he had to do is put on another year and it's going to be good for him you guys clearly love playing for Manny Diaz it showed on the field it showed him the way you talked about him now that you've kind of settled in with Tom Allen here for last seven months or so what is your evaluation of the former Indiana head coach and what he has meant to this defensive unit um I feel like they're different in their I mean they're similar in their ways but they're different at the same time you know cuz Tom Allen he's a little bit older he does things in a little more oldfashioned and old school way but it has the same qualities as coach Manny you know they're still trying to get the same job done job done at the same time you know I feel like coach Tom Allen he the difference between him and Manny he Tom Allen really breaks down everything it helps you understand it understand everything like in the ins and outs of the plays and I feel like he does a great job of building relationship with his players so you know the first thing he did when he got here he set a meeting with everybody literally the whole defense even the Walk-Ons you know and I feel like things like that is a great thing that's going to help us because last year we already we already have the talent we already have the players you know is going to do his things cuz the players got to go out there and play you know and I feel like just having a coach like that that we can trust and build on just build on the pass that we have built here for the defense I feel it's going to be great who was a Penn State defend defender or maybe Defenders that I haven't brought up in this interview that you think need to be out there and are really primed for a big year um I feel like a Devon Collins you know he's a cornerback you know um this offseason he has done a great job I feel like this spring he has done a great job me personally I feel like he was probably the best corner out there I mean best corner out there this spring that played and showed a lot of flashes you know even in his 40 time he ran a 4 to8 you know that's a great thing for him he's very fast very athletic very sticky in coverage I feel like he's going to have a big year for big year for us and I feel like his name need to be brought up more let's finish with this what is the mission for those few weeks that you get in August on the field together before you actually take on an opponent the mission you know really for the defense you know you just rebuilding the bond again with the new coach you know and just rebuilding the defense and make sure in the standard is still the same thing as last year thank you Jaylen for sure thanks again to Jaylen Reed for giving us his time and his thoughts on this Penn State Defense and his upcoming senior season a guy that I think a lot of folks around the country are going to become more familiar with game by game here in 2024 before him of course we had Daniel Gallen my colleague at lines 247.com breaking down the latest of what we're hearing from the Penn State practice field we're back with multiple episodes next week we're gonna have fun we're gonna have Bud Elliott on if you're familiar with his work within our 247 and CBS platform he's a national analyst he's one of the co-hosts of the cover three show which is a fantastic listen for anyone who appreciates College football he's going to hop on board with us in our next episode and help us break down this new look big 10 landscape we're getting close to seeing these new conference competitors in action he's going to share his thoughts on who he sees as the legitimate Championship contenders the legitimate playoff possibilities from this conference and we'll pick his brain on a lot of things Penn State as well whatever we're hearing on the recruiting Trail and from the Penn State practice field we will bring your way in that next episode as way as well for now stepping aside on behalf of Daniel gallon and everyone else over at lines 247.com I'm Tyler donw this has been the lines 247 podcast