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James Franklin excited about potential at defensive end
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A year after leading the B1G in tackles for loss and sacks, James Franklin expects to see more of the same from Penn State defensive line this fall. He has high expectations at defensive end.
On Wednesday, Franklin said that Penn State’s defensive end group “has a chance to be special, top to bottom,” according to Ben Jones of StateCollege.com. That statement leaves people curious about how talented this year’s group can be.
Penn State returns leading sack-getter Yetur Gross-Matos, who registered eight sacks and totaled 20 tackles for loss last season. Shaka Toney, Jason Oweh and Shane Simmons return, as well.
Last fall, the Nittany Lions racked up 47 sacks and 107 stops for loss, leading the conference in both categories. They did an excellent job putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and it should be a strength again this season. And with an offense that is losing Trace McSorley, Miles Sanders, Juwan Johnson and some key offensive lineman, Penn State needs to excel on the defensive side of the football.
We should be able to catch a glimpse into what Franklin sees on April 13 when Penn State holds its annual spring game. It might not be a finished product, but it’ll provide fans with a good first look at one of the Lions’ better position groups this year.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB