Coleman also seems strong enough and already understands leverage to at times manhandle larger OT's. Will be interesting to see if he can perform similarly, or nearly as well, against the better OT's he'll face in B10 games. Looking ahead, after a year in the PSU S&C program he should be even more physical....
Kemajou didn't even play. Coleman clearly ahead of him and seems just about even with Harvey.
Honestly, I was really excited about his verbal/signing because of his size and athleticism (he was also a very good bball player) . I figured he would be a major contributor but not in his Freshman year because he is so new to the DE position. His play is a much needed bonus. As you said, he will make some mistakes but I'll take it with his upward trajectory.
Yeah, he was a high upside guy but no idea he'd be this far along. And he wasn't an early take likely, by nearly anyone. Late bloomer? The position switch kept him under the radar? I don't know but we stole a good one out of Ohio and that feels great.
The thing I saw with him was that his short area quickness and acceleration seems much better than his top speed. He's probably got a good 40 for a 250 lb DE. But it is his acceleration and suddenness that jump out on film along with good awareness and recognition.
I recall Saquon had a similar story. He was a three-star who accepted a 'ship from Rutgers. PSU offered, and he eventually became a four-star. And then when he got into camp, the staff immediately saw that he was a phenom. Chaz' lack of play in HS obviously led to him being overlooked. But we've seen a lot of 3 star kids become superstars at PSU.
I think Franklin and staff identify them better than just about anyone. They find the gem and offer as early as just about anyone. The problem is when they really blow up before signing day like Justin Fields. Then the $$S programs come in.
CJF has his issues but identifying talent is one of his strong points.
Agreed. Someone had some kind of study that quantified player development from star ranking through the NFL. IIRC, PSU had the best (or one of the best) ratios for star ranking to NFL success of any college team. The staff has done more with less, which is a slight on recruiting but a win on development. Of course, those stats can be used to get better recruits.
After he gave his verbal to Penn State and was being noticed, I heard OSU put the full court press on to get him to flip. He was true to the early attention and offer from PSU and stuck to his commitment. Glad he's with PSU.
For sure. Him & the staff are excellent talent evaluators!
They identified Spell l believe as a freshman and now he is the #1 running back in the class of 27