Takeaways from Penn State Football Media Day

On the Lions' dueling quarterbacks, a transformed Kaytron Allen and an early training camp surprise.

STATE COLLEGE | Ja'Juan Seider, in his sixth season as Penn State's running backs coach, took on some self-described additional duties Sunday at the program's football media day. Seider walked through the Beaver Stadium tunnel ahead of Drew Allar, serving as the quarterback's "bodyguard." "Careful, everybody," Seider joked.

Allar certainly was a focus of media day, since he's the leading contender to take over as Penn State's starting quarterback. But plenty else happened Sunday in State College, where the Lions are preparing for their Sept. 2 season-opener against West Virginia. However, the quarterbacks certainly matter, so we'll start with them.

Some takeaways from Penn State football media day.

Yes, the quarterback competition continues

Franklin has been clear that he won't publicly name a starting quarterback between Allar and Beau Pribula until later in camp. He's welded to the competition concept, which makes sense. Why disconnect Pribula before the season even begins?

Though Allar clearly is the offense's focus, Pribula is engaging the competition. Head coach James Franklin and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich praised both quarterbacks' rising confidence in their reads and accuracy, while first-year receiver Dante Cephas said each throws a special ball. Meanwhile, offensive tackle Olu Fashanu has noticed their intangibles.

"They're natural leaders," Fashanu said. "When Sean [Clifford] left last year, everyone thought there would be a void in terms of being a vocal leader. But both of them are leaders in their own ways. I'm extremely excited for them this year."

One thing to watch: specific packages for Pribula to get him game reps, especially in the first two weeks. The coaches really like Pribula's athleticism, and Franklin has said that he wants to "take advantage of his skill set." So even if/when Allar wins the starting spot, Pribula could make an impact on the offense.

The new Kaytron Allen

The running back arrived at Penn State last season as a 230-pound freshman who admittedly lived up to his nickname "Fatman." He lost about 25 pounds, however, playing the season at a svelte 205, running for 867 yards and averaging 5.2 per carry. Now, Allen has transformed his body once again. 

He's 5-11, 225 with thick legs and a barrelled upper body. He redefined his frame by committing to a weight-training program to which he needed time to adjust. Allen already was difficult to bring down; he lost just 15 yards on 167 carries last season and bulldozed his way to 10 touchdowns. Now, he looks and feels quite different than last year.

"I feel much better, I feel faster and more explosive, for sure," he said.

The situation at wide receiver

After a downpour sent Penn State inside during Sunday's practice, the quarterbacks lined up to throw fades and back-shoulder passes into the end zone. The drill highlighted how Penn State's receiving corps won't hold many size advantages this season.

The lead group of KeAndre Lambert-Smith (6-1), Tre Wallace (6-1) and Omari Evans (6-0) will rely on speed more than size. Newcomer Dante Cephas is listed at 6 feet, while fellow transfer Malik McClain is an outlier at 6-4. He and Malick Meiga (6-4) are the only potential contributors taller than 6-1.

Franklin still is looking to define a two-deep at the position, citing eight receivers in the competition. There's speed and talent here, notably with Evans and Lambert-Smith, but the body types are very similar across the room.

"There's probably eight guys that are legitimately in that competition, and it kind of goes day-to-day," Franklin said.

One season-ending injury

Defensive end Smith Vilbert is out for the season with an injury, a program spokesperson confirmed. The Athletic's Audrey Snyder first reported the news Sunday.

Vilbert, a redshirt senior, showed promise in 2021, when he played in 12 games and set Penn State's bowl record for sacks (three against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl). But last year Vilbert did not play during the regular season for undisclosed reasons, ultimately seeing game action in the Rose Bowl. Penn State is well positioned at defensive end with Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac and Dani Dennis-Sutton.

A training camp 'surprise'

Freshman Jaxon Smolik enrolled in January, an important decision that gave the Lions three quarterbacks for spring drills. Smolik evidently has parlayed that experience into a strong start to training camp, generating good vibes about their No. 3 quarterback.

"I'd say Smolik has been kind of the surprise at camp so far, specifically in the quarterback room," Franklin said. "... He's not where Drew and Beau are in terms of being able to answer questions in a meeting, but he's just got a natural feel for the position on the field."

Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich was just as complimentary of Smolik, citing his ability to see the field and understand spatial concepts. "I'm really tickled pink with where he is right now," Yurcich said.

Welcoming Oregon and Washington

In his first media setting since Oregon and Washington joined the Big Ten, Franklin welcomed the conference's 17th and 18th teams while sounding a bit wistful about where the game is headed. He also called it a "huge win" for USC and UCLA in one respect.

"I do think obviously with what you see that's going on in college football right now, it's not shocking that these things are kind of happening," Franklin said. "It's somewhat sad in some ways, not that these people are being added to our conference because I think obviously there's a lot of strategy that goes into that. But you know, I do think there's some challenges that come along with it, and it's just very different for most of the people in this room, it's very different than the college football that we all grew up with — not really college football, college athletics — where at least for most of the year it was pretty regional. I do think it's a huge win for USC and UCLA from a travel perspective. I think it's a huge win for them."

More on Penn State

Penn State Football on SI.com

How New England's Bill Belichick could help shape Penn State's 2023 season 

James Franklin's 10th training camp at Penn State could be his most fascinating

Penn State's next NIL promotion: An open practice for fans

Olu Fashanu, Penn State's 'elite' offensive tackle, takes the next step

Expectations are high for Penn State in 2023. But are they realistic?

Talking defense with Penn State's Manny Diaz

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 Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.