Coming off the first game of a season that boasts some of the highest expectations in program history, Penn State head coach James Franklin met with the media for the last time before his team’s Week 2 matchup against Florida International.
Franklin touched on two defenders dealing with injury, freshmen who saw action against Nevada and an interesting option on special teams. Here’s what he had to say.
Getting Healthy
Two players who notably didn’t take the field against the Wolf Pack were defensive end Zuriah Fisher and cornerback Zion Tracy. On Wednesday, both were seen back at practice, appearing fully healthy.
On Monday, Franklin said Fisher wanted to play, but the staff held him out for concerns about his readiness after missing practice time. After returning to the practice field this week, Franklin said “right now, he’s a go.”
“I would still think, even in this game, even if he wants to, we’ll probably only play him a limited amount of reps and ease him into it,” Franklin said.
For Tracy, who was expected to start as the nickel corner this season after seeing time in that role last year, Franklin said “he’s ready to go.”
“He’s practiced all week long, including Sunday. So we’re anticipating him ready to go,” Franklin said. “There’ll be two significant guys that will get back veterans and played a decent amount of football for us.”
In Tracy’s absence, redshirt freshman Kenneth Woseley Jr. got his first career start at nickel. Franklin said Woseley did a “nice job,” but seemed to indicate Tracy will return to the starting spot against the Panthers while Woseley rotates in.
Freshmen Phenoms
Franklin previously gave defensive ends Chaz Coleman and Yvan Kemajou the green light to burn their redshirts, though cornerback Jahmir Joseph also saw ample playing time in Week 1. When asked about the freshmen who played significant roles last Saturday, Franklin said he was satisfied with their output.
“Yeah, we’re excited about that whole group,” he said. “There’s a bunch of these young guys that we’re hoping continue to approach it the right way. (Joseph) is one of these guys that could see later in the season, maybe having a different conversation with how we’re using him.”
Franklin said Joseph didn’t pick up the scheme as quickly as fellow freshman Daryus Dixson did initially, but he’s been impressive physically and improved enough in recent weeks to see the field for a handful of drives.
“Doesn’t look like a freshman,” Franklin said. “You know, consistency, like all these guys, there’s still a little bit of an issue at times, but overall, we’ve been very, very pleased with him, and anticipate him playing at some point this year. We’ll see, we’ll see how this develops.”
Two-kicker system?
Gabe Nwosu, who’s served as the team’s primary kickoff specialist the last two seasons, overtook Riley Thompson for the starting punter role this offseason, and now he’s in the mix for added responsibilities.
On Wednesday, Franklin said the team may turn to Nwosu for longer field goals, while starting kicker Ryan Barker handles short-to-medium range boots. It’s a strategy he’s employed before at Penn State, with Jake Pinegar and Jordan Stout in 2021.
“He’s a legitimate guy in all three aspects right now, so we’ve been very pleased with him,” Franklin said. “Hopefully you won’t see him again Saturday, but if he does, we’re expecting to do what he did in camp all year, which is obviously, great distance, location and hang time.”
