Possible depth chart for 2026

B

bdroc

Well-known member
Assuming existing players return:

QB: Grunk, Smolik
RB: Wallace, Martin, Hayes
WR: Denmark, Howard, Outten
OT: Birch, Williams, Onoh, Goodman
IOL: Donkoh, Cousins, Shanahan, Ioane

DT: Kemajou, White, Blanding
DE: Granville, Coleman
LB: Rojas, Campbell, Wylie, Speca, Tasch, Arrington
CB: Tracy, Washington, Collins, Dixson
S: Lane, Mack, Belgrave Shorter

K: Barker
P: ???


The defense looks weaker than the offense (especially on DL)
Would a new coach spend $$$ to bring in a top QB? Would Grunk portal?
Will Rojas return?
Will any kids follow Franklin if he gets a new job?
Would a new coach bring anybody with him?
 
First, find a normal OC, then go to the portal and pay for...
1 QB
1 RB (a bruising FB type)
1 DE (pass rusher)
2 DTs (big guys)
2 LBs (lateral pursuit guys who can tackle)
 
We need to pull magic in the portal like Cignetti did. We absolutely should get a portal QB, D linemen and LBs. On offense get WRs in the portal. Maybe we need OLineman or we may have talent there and that issue is coaching.

Not sure how many will follow Franklin. Rojas hopefully stays but we can't overpay him and create issues but then again a competent coach could handle that unlike Franklin.
 
bdroc said:
Assuming existing players return:

QB: Grunk, Smolik
RB: Wallace, Martin, Hayes
WR: Denmark, Howard, Outten
OT: Birch, Williams, Onoh, Goodman
IOL: Donkoh, Cousins, Shanahan, Ioane

DT: Kemajou, White, Blanding
DE: Granville, Coleman
LB: Rojas, Campbell, Wylie, Speca, Tasch, Arrington
CB: Tracy, Washington, Collins, Dixson
S: Lane, Mack, Belgrave Shorter

K: Barker
P: ???


The defense looks weaker than the offense (especially on DL)
Would a new coach spend $$$ to bring in a top QB? Would Grunk portal?
Will Rojas return?
Will any kids follow Franklin if he gets a new job?
Would a new coach bring anybody with him?
Click to expand...
I'll put my 2 cents into this exercise, even though it seems like there will be a number of defections out of the program and likely a big number incoming from the portal with the new coach, unless it happens to be Terry Smith which to me seems unlikely. A timely hire of a new coach that can take the helm a week or two before the portal opens could keep a good many current projected starters at PSU, but that seems pretty shaky at this point.....

QB: Grunk, Smolik, and likely an experienced portal QB competing
RB: Wallace, Martin, Smith, Hayes, Coleman (it will be a surprise if all 5 return - maybe 2 or 3 return), Mickens, another true freshmen.
WR: Denmark, Howard, Outten, Samuel, Exinor, and very likely a top portal WR. Hope all of this year's true freshmen return after being dis-respected by being behing the 3 very average and unproductive portal WR's.....
TE: Reynolds, Rappleyea, Schlaffer, Olesh
OT: Brewer, Sexton, Goodman, Aliciene, and likely true freshmen Brown who seems all in with PSU
IOL: Cousins, Shanahan, Williams, Onoh, Birch (if he stays - has practiced strictly inside during the last 1+ years), Harbour, (loane and Donkoh to NFL?)

DT: White, Blanding, Wafle, Adirika, + an incoming portal DT.
DE: Granville, Coleman, Kemajou, Harvey, Jennings, Harris
LB: Rojas, Campbell, Wylie, Speca, Tatsch, Arrington (maybe Wylie transfers for a starting job)
CB: Tracy, Washington, Collins, Dixson, Woseley, Joseph (it will be a surprise to see all 3 of Tracy, Washington, and Collins return)
S: Lane, Mack, Belgrave Shorter, Toure, Thomas (likely lose one of Land, Mack, B-Shorter)

K: Barker
P: Incoming from portal
 
bdroc said:
Assuming existing players return:

QB: Grunk, Smolik
RB: Wallace, Martin, Hayes
WR: Denmark, Howard, Outten
OT: Birch, Williams, Onoh, Goodman
IOL: Donkoh, Cousins, Shanahan, Ioane

DT: Kemajou, White, Blanding
DE: Granville, Coleman
LB: Rojas, Campbell, Wylie, Speca, Tasch, Arrington
CB: Tracy, Washington, Collins, Dixson
S: Lane, Mack, Belgrave Shorter

K: Barker
P: ???


The defense looks weaker than the offense (especially on DL)
Would a new coach spend $$$ to bring in a top QB? Would Grunk portal?
Will Rojas return?
Will any kids follow Franklin if he gets a new job?
Would a new coach bring anybody with him?
Click to expand...
Knowles robbed us of our LBU status. LB is now a HUGE weakness. Don't look for talent until you install a HC and staff who will restore the toughness of the brand.
 
marylovesthelions said:
Knowles robbed us of our LBU status. LB is now a HUGE weakness. Don't look for talent until you install a HC and staff who will restore the toughness of the brand.
Click to expand...
I've been critical of Knowles but he wasn't here the last few years when we didn't recruit 4* LBs.
 
marylovesthelions said:
Our 4* LBs do not fit his 2 LB schemes. Rojas has 4.4 speed.
Click to expand...
Speed aside, effective LBs are intuitive, they read plays, shed blocks, and wrap up the ball carrier. Last year's UCLA walk-on LB Carson Schwesinger, now starting for Cleveland, was uncanny at being where he needed to be. Semi-kiddingly, the S2 Wonderlic test should be required of both LBs and QBs.
 
Frank Lee said:
Speed aside, effective LBs are intuitive, they read plays, shed blocks, and wrap up the ball carrier. Last year's UCLA walk-on LB Carson Schwesinger, now starting for Cleveland, was uncanny at being where he needed to be. Semi-kiddingly, the S2 Wonderlic test should be required of both LBs and QBs.
Click to expand...
In other words Frank, they need football players first and athletes 2nd. PSU needs to recruit players like Schwesinger. I really believe Tatsch is that type of player and needs PT. Practice reps aren't the same.
 
Yep, its time to play the possible future starters/stars. Maybe not as much this week at the shoe or against IU, but the games after them.

At WR:
Howard
Denmark
possibly Ganalez and Samuel

At LB:
Speca
Tatsch
Arrington
Smith

At RB, give some carries to the young RB's each game while also allowing Katron to set the PSU career yards record:
Martin
Wallace
Smith
Hayes
Coleman

Many of the young DE's and DT's have already gotten snaps this season, as have Woseley, Dixon and Joseph at CB.

The roster will be a free for all state when the new coach is named and the more game film on hand for the young players the better the new coach and his staff will be able to focus their resources on the the correct players.
 
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