Penn State Football: News and Notes From a Nittany Lions Summer

How are the Nittany Lions progressing this summer? A look at Penn State's offseason workouts.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar talks with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki during the Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

These are the long weeks for Penn State football, the last of the summer training program before players get a brief break ahead of training camp. Coaches get some instruction time with the players, who mostly are working in their own condensed groups. How's that going?

Penn State's coaching staff recently discussed the team's summer progress and looked ahead toward training camp, which begins in early August. Here's what they've noticed.

How complicated is Andy Kotelncki's offense?

Penn State's new offensive coordinator runs a creative offense that relies on sleight-of-hand to open space and, ostensibly, big plays. But how difficult is it to run? Andy Kotelnicki explains.

"Football in general is about the illusion, right? But really, simplicity typically wins," Kotelnicki said. "But multiplicity, that's a different thing. So multiplicity fits into the complexity piece. ... There's a lot of different tools to be played with there. That's what we're going to be about, for sure."

The tight end room is more than Tyler Warren

Penn State has a potential All-American in tight end Tyler Warren, for whom Kotelnicki has big plans. But the coordinator has been impressed with the rest of the room, which looks to replace the production Theo Johnson brought last season. Asked about redshirt freshman Andrew Rappleyea in particular, Kotelnicki highlighted the room.

"That room in general is really pretty impressive," Kotelnicki said. "There's a lot of internal competition there. Obviously everyone talks about Tyler Warren but [Andrew Rappleyea], Khalil Dinkins and Luke Reynolds had great springs. But Rap specifically, his competitiveness really sticks out to me. We're doing winter workouts, we're doing summer drills, whatever it is, you see him wanting to compete."

Penn State tight end Tyler Warren runs after a catch against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half of the Peach Bowl. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Drew Shelton readies for his return

Penn State had three offensive linemen drafted, including first-rounder Olu Fashanu, in its best output since 1996. Now the Nittany Lions need three new starters, notably a left tackle. Drew Shelton's the guy, though he missed spring drills with an injury. Having been cleared to resume workouts, Shelton should be set for training camp, an important period for him to assume the starting role.

"I think he’s in a really good position," head coach James Franklin said. "He probably needs to put on a few pounds, but beside that he’s a super-mature kid, very conscientious, very intelligent and obviously he’s played well when he’s been in there. We’re expecting him to have a good year, but this summer is going to be important for him."

A 'five-star' cornerback arrives

Penn State recruited two polished SEC cornerbacks from the NCAA Transfer Portal: A.J. Harris from Georgia and Jalen Kimber from Florida (and Georgia before that). Harris was a high-profile, 5-star recruit in high school and could be a defensive star. But cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, who called Harris a "five-star athlete" with a "five-star mentality," doesn't want him to become a "rollercoaster guy."

"Those rollercoaster guys, when they hit the top, we all love that guy," Smith said. "But the guy that's at the bottom scares us so much, we don't even want to play him. So once you find consistency, we know how to utilize you, right? If you're a consistent, good man-cover guy but you struggle maybe in zone and we know you're in a game, we're going to play man or vice versa, whatever your strengths are. ... But [Harris] has done a tremendous job and he had a great spring. He finished really, really strong. You know, our room is real strong. So there's going to be tremendous competition. And I'm just looking forward to those guys battling it out."

Julian Fleming closes the gap

Penn State's transfer receiver has won plaudits for quickly assuming a leadership role at the position. But how is he faring on the field, particularly considering that he struggled with injuries at Ohio State?

"I'm impressed with him," strength coach Losey said. "He's a big-body guy. He didn't time well [in team runs] when he first got here. That's not a knock on him by any means, because he has such a big body. But when you compare his initial baseline testings to the rest of our wideouts and the way they move at that position, he was definitely a step slower. He's closed the gap. He's done a great job. You know, speed is a huge thing for him that we addressed early, and he's in a really good spot right now."

Quinton Martin is "trending"

Quinton Martin Jr., the freshman running back who scored two touchdowns in the Blue-White Game, might not carry a huge workload in his first season. However, Martin could carve an offensive role, maybe even find a spot in the return game, and make an impact behind Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. But there's an offseason caveat.

"Our concentration has been on putting lean mass on him, but obviously with any type of skill position like that, with the amount of movement he does and the agility that’s required at that position, you’ve got to make sure he maintains his fluidity," Losey said. "... His progress has been great. I’m really happy with where he is. He's trending."

More Penn State Football

The hits and misses of Penn State's June recruiting run

Abdul Carter named a preseason All-American

Is this a "make-or-break" season for the Nittany Lions?

AllPennState 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.