Penn State Football Practice Observations: The Work Continues

With less than three weeks until kickoff, Penn State is officially past the halfway point of fall camp.

And though temperatures are slowly dropping by the day, it was still warm on Monday morning when members of the media were granted a viewing of practice. And once again, I forgot my sunscreen.

Practice began with the usual warmup routine, but the vibe was lifted with “Heads Will Roll” playing over the speakers, causing quarterback Alex Manske and several offensive lineman to show off their moves.

Notably, running back Carson Hansen, wide receiver Brett Eskildsen were not wearing pads under their jerseys and departed the field after warmups. They were joined by offensive linemen Kuol Kuol II and Tyshon Huff, plus tight ends Cooper Alexander and Brian Kortovich. Following a Saturday scrimmage which was described by offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser as “physical” and “violent,” several of the team veterans were given a rest day, so it’s likely nothing to worry about for projected starters Hansen and Eskildsen.

On the other hand, safety Jeremiah Cooper returned to action on Monday after not participating in any previous practice viewings. He said last week he’s targeting a Week 1 return but could be delayed to Week 2.

I noticed scouts from the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs walking around during the practice, which featured lots of individual position work with very few competition periods as coaches worked out the kinks heading into the season.

The defensive line spent the early part of practice focusing on scheme — position coach Ikaika Malloe gave out playcalls and the linemen reacted, simulating different presnap alignments and stunts against an offensive line made of five overturned trash cans.

The linebackers were nearby, where Dan Connor remained heavily involved in the action despite being relegated from linebackers coach to assistant coach this offseason. He emphasized clubbing upward with their arms against a sled instead of trying to push it backward.

“The whole point is, I gotta lift my guy off the f–ing ground,” Connor said.

He referenced his time playing in the NFL from 2008-2013, explaining how “thud” contact during scrimmages in the pros often meant wrapping and lifting another player off the ground instead of just tagging them like in college — i.e., it’s more physical.

Over on the offensive field, offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser worked with converted quarterback Peyton Falzone, who’s in his early stages of practicing with the tight ends. They spent the day primarily working on blocking, which Falzone seemed to pick up quickly.

The only competitive period of practice was a brief seven-on-seven, when Falzone seemed smooth while running routes and managed to generate some separation. He found an open pocket in the end zone on one play but was overthrown, managing to barely get his fingers on the ball, which fell incomplete.

Another notable moment during this period was cornerback Josiah Zayas coming down with an interception in the end zone, though he looked out of bounds to me.

I thought Connor was going to win quote of the day, until the specialists came out from Holuba Hall and one of them tripped on the way to the field, prompting a dig from assistant special teams coach Rory Walling.

“You guys aren’t athletic enough to step over a cord?”