Meet the Penn State Freshman Capturing Everyone's Attention in Training Camp

Offensive lineman Cooper Cousins has impressed since January. "He's going to be hard to keep off the field," James Franklin said.

Penn State coach James Franklin talks with a few players at the program's Pro Day in Holuba Hall. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

James Franklin gets the question every training camp: Which Penn State football freshmen have impressed him to the point that they might play in their first seasons? Franklin often obliges, framing freshman progress with terms like "flash" and "buzzing."

However, Franklin seemed to go even further when describing one player from Penn State's 2024 recruiting class. That's Cooper Cousins, the offensive lineman from Erie, Pennsylvania, who enrolled in January and has been turning heads since.

"I don’t like to talk in ways that are going to create crazy expectations," Franklin told reporters in State College after a recent practice, "but I could not be more impressed with him."

Cousins was one of the prized recruits of Penn State's 2024 class, a three-time all-state interior lineman from Erie McDowell High who was a consensus 4-star prospect. Since enrolling in time for winter workouts, Cousins has found his stride in the program. He started at right guard for the first-team offense in the spring Blue-White Game, as two-year starter Sal Wormley caught a breather, and has continued to carve a depth-chart role since.

The 6-6, 315-pound freshman grabbed the attention of Penn State strength coach Chuck Losey — "He's a dude for us in all senses of the word," Losey said — and legitimately is vying for a role in Penn State's two-deep on the offensive line. That's extremely difficult for a true freshman but, as Franklin said, "He's going to be hard to keep off the field."

"A lot of guys say they want to play as true freshmen but they're not willing to do necessarily what it takes," Franklin said. "And [Cousins] is either in the class or in the [Lasch] building and asking a ton of questions. He's super aggressive. He's not intimated or afraid of anybody."

Franklin also pointed to Cousins' work ethic. Several times, the head coach has left a film session just before 10 p.m. to find Cousins on the practice field working on pass-blocking drills.

"It's kind of weird, to be honest with you," Franklin said. "He is as driven and as committed as any young player I've been around and specifically on the offensive line, because it's hard to play those grown-man positions, offensive line and defensive line, as a true freshman."

Another freshman who appears ready for a green light this season is Tyseer Denmark. The receiver, who played at Philadelphia's Imhotep Charter, enrolled after spring drills and has had to learn quickly. But Denmark, a top-10 Pennsylvania recruit in the 2024 class, joins a Penn State position group in search of playmakers. So far, he's demonstrating that he could be one.

"Tyseer’s really flashed and has done some really nice things," Franklin said of Denmark, who also is taking punt-return reps. "There's an adjustment period, but there's a pretty significant buzz in the program about him."

Penn State opens the 2024 season at West Virginia on Aug. 31. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on FOX.

More Penn State Football

Penn State earns a top-10 preseason ranking in the AP Top 25 college football poll

Penn State's new ticketing contract could be "massive," report says

LaVar Arrington wants to "disrupt" how Penn State views NIL

Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.