What James Franklin Said at Penn State Football Media Day

The Nittany Lions coach discussed Drew Allar's progress, installing a new offense, and the team's deepest position.

Penn State football coach James Franklin answers a reporter's question during a press conference at Media Day in Beaver Stadium. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Penn State coach James Franklin returned to the Beaver Stadium media room Saturday for the program's annual Media Day. Franklin spoke for about 30 minutes, answering questions about the wide receivers (again), his team's defensive depth and quarterback Drew Allar.

Here's what he had to say.

RELATED: What we learned about the Nittany Lions at Media Day

OPENING STATEMENT: We are going into day three of practice. The first two days have been good. Specifically, day two was better than day one, and [Saturday], obviously, is the first day for pads for us, and some hitting so that obviously changes some things. Having the three new coordinators been really good, been a ton of work put in from the time that they got on board with the staff, getting everybody on the same page and with the players. But that's been good, that's been good, ton of carryover for things that we've done in the past, but also a lot of new wrinkles and things like that.

QUESTION: With the House [vs. NCAA] settlement, how is that going to impact you guys from a scholarship perspective, numbers wise? Do you have to reevaluate how many you're going to give
every year and that sort of thing you talk about for next year?

FRANKLIN: To be honest with you, I think everybody is working on kind of plans based on what
we know, but not everything has been settled. I think the other thing, is every school and
every program is going to handle a little bit differently, what they think is best, because I
think everybody understands there's no more limiting number of scholarships. They're
limiting roster sizes, is how they're handling it, so every school will have the flexibility within
that to do what they think is best, but there's still some things that we're still waiting to get
resolved in details, but we have some time.

QUESTION: How has Julian Fleming looked so far in these few practices? How far do the wide
receivers have to go to get them to where you want them to be?

FRANKLIN: [Fleming has] been solid. He's been, I think they have all been good at times. It's still obviously a small number of practices and number of plays to truly evaluate. I thought our entire staff, as well as team, felt like the wide receivers took a big jump in day two compared to day one. And I know a lot of the coaches and players, Jaylen Reed, actually spoke to the team after practice about it. So I thought that was a real positive. But it's just kind of a small pool right now to really base that off of. I'll have a better idea a week from now.

But so far, solid, and obviously there's still some steps that need to be taken there for that entire room. Obviously, that's been a big question mark for the media and some of the fans. I think the coaching staff and I think the players have, I would say a good amount of confidence in what that room has the ability to do and the amount of work that they have put in with Beau [Pribula] and Drew [Allar] all summer.

QUESTION: When you just look at your defensive end room and you get past Abdul [Carter] and Dani [Dennis-Sutton], who are some of the guys behind them that you are excited about and can maybe take a step forward for you and you're counting on?

FRANKLIN: First of all, I wouldn't even say behind them. [Amin] Vanover is a guy that I don't think
enough people are talking about. We have a ton of confidence in Amin. And I think the other guy that, and I get why but a lot of people aren't talking about, is Smith Vilbert. Smith Vilbert is a guy that we have a lot of confidence in as an organization and as a program. He's missed, obviously, a lot of football, so you guys haven't had a chance to see him the way we have. But you talk about big, strong, physical experienced mature.

So that gives us really three defensive ends that have played a ton of football in my mind in
terms of games and practice with Vanover, Dani and Vilbert. And then you've got Carter, who is new to the position, but still has played a ton of football. And then we've got Mason Robinson who is going into year two in the program, that we are going to need to take a significant step for us. Then after that, there's a bunch of guys, whether it's [Joseph] Mupoyi, whether it's [Mylachi] Williams, whether it's [Jordan] Mayer, whether it is [Max} Granville. There's other guys kind of in the mix there. But I would say for us, you've got Vanover, Carter, Dani, Vilbert, Mupoyi and Mason Robinson, probably the six guys that we know the most about right now, if that makes sense.

Penn State defensive end Amin Vanover celebrates after the Nittany Lions made a stop on fourth down. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

RELATED: Two Penn State defensive players no longer with the program

QUESTION: Do you see more progress in the guys from spring practice to camp, physically or mentally?

FRANKLIN: I think it's probably both. ... guy that [stood out] right away to me, when we went out in the field on the first day was Ta'Mere [Robinson]. Ta'Mere looked different. He really looked good. You noticed that right away. I think everybody kind of had noticed [Tony] Rojas already, obviously. The numbers that have been reported and just looking at him, he obviously looks different, as well.
Another guy that a lot of people aren't talking about, but we’re excited about that is really kind of changed his body as well is [Eagan] Boyer. I want to say Boyer has put on 35, 40 pounds, and is really doing some nice things. But I would say that's probably the biggest change in terms of physical appearance.

Then in terms of mentally, obviously there's a big jump at the quarterback position. [Ethan Grunkemeyer] is really doing some nice things. We think he's got a very, very bright future and has really taken a step. I think Jaxon Smolik [who is recovering from injury] has been really impressive in terms of what he's been able to do mentally. Maximizing what he's been able to do right now, that's been impressive, as well. But I think it's just a combination. Some guys have a lot of room for growth mentally. Some guys have a lot of room for growth physically. But there's a few examples.

QUESTION: How many guys do you plan on playing at corner? Who is standing out right now as
potential starters of that position?

FRANLKIN: [Position coach] Terry [Smith] is the model. Terry is the model in terms of recruiting and then in terms of development. You would say, typically, when you have a year where you essentially lost two corners to the NFL that you would feel like that was a big question mark going into the season and feel like that was an area where maybe you had some concerns. But we actually feel like that position from top to bottom could be better this year athletically.

Now again, don't misinterpret what I'm saying. They still have to do it on game day, and obviously when you have lost the amount of production that we lost at that position, we understand that. But in terms of, I'd say seven guys that went through spring ball and went through summer and now are in training camp, we feel really good about those seven guys, and specifically, six guys, three deep on either side. Right now, it's hard to really say. Cam Miller has got the most experience here at Penn State. You guys know how we feel about AC, Audavion Collins, what he's been able to do all offseason. Been a ton of conversation; he may be the most improved guy on our roster since the end of the season.

[Jalen] Kimber has come in and really developed and changed his body in our strength and conditioning program and has played a lot of football in a very good conference. You know [A.J.] Harris, there's just a lot of guys that we feel good about. [Zion] Tracy, who, you know, we got a ton of confidence in and [Elliot] Washington [II] who we have a ton of confidence in. All those guys have, for the most part either played, whether it's played here or played at other places. So Terry just does a really good job in terms of rebuilding and retooling that position. And I don't think it's a position that as coaches, you know, we have a ton of concerns about.

QUESITON: You're are putting in a new offense with Coach [Andy] Kotelnicki. Walk us through what the process of installing an offense looks like? Where are you on that timeline? Are you happy where you're at on that timeline?

FRANKLIN: I think you guys heard me say this before. We are really not in a position in year 11 in the
program to start all over. We have not done that. So I think you guys heard me say this before. So in terms of all three coordinators were hired based on what they had done well in their careers but also, what are you able to do and how comfortable are you, honestly comfortable, keeping the same, and what needs to change. I would say on offense, there's probably more change than on defense and special teams. But probably not as much as you guys would think.

So I think Andy has done a really good job of that. That takes a ton of confidence. That takes a ton of intelligence. I think it also takes enough experience that you feel like you're able to do that. Again, that's so that we don't have 50 players learning a completely new system. We have, you know, kind of a blend, a combination of one coordinator and then the things that need to change. So I think we are in a good spot there. I think some of the rule changes over the last couple years that allow you to have essentially OTAs in the offseason where you are actually able to coach, that's helped. Because I think in the old days, when you hired a new coordinator and you could do no coaching in football when other sports could, those transitions, those changes, are more significant. It's less significant now because you get spring ball. You get summer OTAs and we have been able to get a ton done. I think we are in a pretty good spot, and most importantly, I think the players are confident with what we are doing and how we are doing it.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar talks with reporters during football media day in Holuba Hall. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

QUESTION: From the end of last season to now, how do you assess the growth Drew [Allar] has
underwent? Both on the field and also in the Lasch Building working with Andy and working with Danny [O’Brien]?

FRANKLIN: I would really say the whole group, Drew, Beau [Pribula], Grunk, [Jaxon] Smolik, I've been
as impressed with Smolik's growth and how he's handled this situation as anybody. I think the dialogue is really good. I typically sit in the quarterback meetings and I think the dialogue and discussions are really good. I think Andy, with 19 years of experience as a play-caller, and really being able to float, which is really what he wanted to do coming here, to be able to float as an offensive
coordinator, almost like a lot of the NFL organizations do, and then have someone like Danny, even before the rule changes, as a GA, Andy was able to get comfortable with Danny. I think that helped, as well.

But the dialogue in that room has been really good. I think the players got a ton of respect for Danny as a former player that's walked in their shoes. I think we have a system now that is going to put not only our best players in position to be successful but I think Andy's background as a former line coach, I think helps, too. Because typically on offense, everything you're doing is about how do you make things as challenging on the defense as possible, obviously. But also, how do you limit the
complication of things for your O-line and for your quarterback. You want to try to keep things as simple for those two positions as you possibly can in two positions that are not very simplistic.

I think he's done a really good job of that. Sometimes I think coaches say that because that's Coaching 101 interview process and things like that. But the execution of that, I think Andy has done a really good job. Again, experience matters; 19 years as a play-caller that you learn not only things that have worked but things that you would do differently. That experience really counts. Drew obviously has been able to lean into Danny and has been able to lean into Andy, but I also think some of the things systematically that we are going to do, and I would say even some of these things we are going to do, you guys are going to look at and say, ‘I don't know if that's something I would imagine Drew doing’ but by him doing just enough of it, it opens up and creates opportunities for other things in our offense and makes us difficult to defend. I think it's really good. I think it's been really good.

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