Penn State head coach James Franklin said during the offseason that the Nittany Lions’ special teams unit is “in position now” to not just avoid losing games but to win games or expand the margin on victory.
“I think we‘ve got a chance to use special teams and our talents and our structure to make that a differentiator for us this year,” he said.
Through three games, Penn State’s shuffled several starters, displacing established veterans for newcomers who’ve shown more promise. And while those changes have produced notable results in some instances, they’ve also led to untimely mistakes.
For starters, Riley Thompson — who served as the Nittany Lions’ starting punter the last two seasons — was overtaken by Gabe Nwosu, previously Penn State’s kickoff specialist, this offseason.
Franklin justified the move by stating Nwosu’s “A ball” is as good as anyone’s, and he improved enough in accuracy to warrant the switch. Days after those comments, Nwosu kicked a booming 68-yard punt against Florida International, which drew one of the loudest crowd reactions of the game.
“I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a reaction in a stadium for a punt like that,” Franklin said.
Linebacker Dom DeLuca, who frequently appears on both kickoff and punt coverage teams, lit up when asked about Nwosu’s leg power.
“I felt like I was running forever down the field just waiting for the ball to come down, be able to see where the ball went,” DeLuca said. “And I mean, he’s a great kid. Hell of a leg.”
But Franklin also cited disappointment in Nwosu for sending two kickoffs out of bounds, an uncharacteristic showing in his third season with that role. As Franklin alluded to, mishaps like that could prove costly in tighter games against better competition.
Lustig said he’s pleased with where Nwosu is but also thinks “there’s a ton of room to grow throughout the season.” With a matchup against No. 6 Oregon looming, flipping the field with punts and avoiding giving up free yardage will be crucial in a game projected to be decided by a few points.
Lustig said Nwosu is learning to kick toward different sides of the field, which may seem insignificant, but it changes the way opponents return the kick and the blocking angles they take, which can benefit the Nittany Lions.
The team has also considered using Nwosu for longer field goals, despite Ryan Barker being the starter. Lustig said Nwosu can connect from “close to 70 yards” out, but he’d likely only be utilized in a game-winning or overtime situation.
Another major special teams move was substituting safety King Mack in for running back Nick Singleton at kick returner. Singleton had held the position since he was a freshman, but Mack has been the returner for all 16 kickoffs this year after transferring back from Alabama.
Mack is averaging 30.8 yards on four returns, including a long of 73 yards, which beats Singleton’s high from each of the last two seasons (51 and 66).
“He’s certainly an explosive dude,” Lustig said. “I think what you’re looking for in a kick returner is obviously speed and quickness, vision, right? Obvious things, but also you got to be fearless. I mean, you got to be a tough dude and, and he’s that.”
Even though cornerback Zion Tracy has returned to his starting role on defense after recovering from injury, he hasn’t returned any punts after seeing the majority of the team’s reps last season.
Instead, transfer wide receiver Devonte Ross leads the pack with six, while Syracuse transfer wide receiver Trebor Peña has two. Ross, who’s earned the lion’s share so far, is averaging 12.5 yards per return while Tracy averaged just 5.8 last season. He also has a long of 34 compared to Tracy’s 14.
“That was a major concern going into the off season, was building some quality depth at punt returner, and I believe we’ve done that,” Lustig said. “So yeah, it starts with having a guy that can make plays, and you got to be able to make the first guy miss.”
Lustig said one of the keys has been better blocking, which the team has harped on this offseason. To help hammer home the point, Lustig has shown tape of former Nittany Lions Abdul Carter and Kobe King starting on special teams in the NFL this season.
Overall, though there’ve been growing pains across the board, Penn State’s shuffling of starters is beginning to deliver on Franklin’s preseason claims.
