Penn State took the field on Saturday for its annual Blue-White game, an event that turned out to be much more of a practice than a scrimmage. Nevertheless, the most extended look at the latest iteration of Nittany Lion football still came with a few tentative observations. A full summer and training camp to go will sort out plenty of wrinkles and questions, so take much of what you may have seen on Saturday with a grain of salt. That being said, here are five observations from Saturday’s event.
Know It When You See It: Western Kentucky receiver transfer Mitchell Tinsley has been the talk of camp as much as anyone this spring and while he only had two catches over the course of Saturday’s practice he certainly looked the part. It can be a bit cliché to say somebody just looks like a football player, but Tinsley has all the hallmarks of a guy who could have a huge season for Penn State. His short touchdown catch and run displayed all of those things, with solid hands, a nice burst and a strong route. He’ll have to do it on the biggest stage of his career, but Tinsley seems fit to wear No. 5 in the wake of Jahan Dotson. Having the likes of Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith around doesn’t hurt either.
Some Nice Zip: It seems unlikely that presumed backup quarterback Christian Veilleux is going to upset Sean Clifford for the starting role but he certainly looked improved over the glimpses fans saw last year. Veilleux had a few nice throws on Saturday and while 7-on-7 play isn’t always the best judge of quality, you can either throw a pass into the hands or into the ground. Veilleux choose the hands. Even if — all things being equal — he isn’t going to see significant time in 2022-23, Penn State once again having a solid option behind its starter is a good sign.
Glimpses: Everyone wanted to see freshman QB Drew Allar on Saturday and while he had a bit of a rough afternoon, he also showed glimpses of why he could be the guy sometime soon. He stands in the pocket strong, throws a tight spiral and everything seems to come naturally to him. The speed of the game and reading defenses will evolve over time and having Sean Clifford around absolves him of having to develop quickly on the fly. At the end of the day one bad practice does not define your future and Allar has thrown plenty of great balls over the course of his playing career. There’s no reason to think he won’t do the same at Penn State one day.
He’s The Guy: Penn State has had its fair share of running back spoils over the years and it has always been a bit of a juggling act managing that. Now with the room more settled it ought to be Keyvone Lee’s time to shine, if it hadn’t been already. Lee will need help in the trenches in front of him, but a few nice runs and physical plays were a good reminder that Lee ought to be running back No. 1 until further notice. There’s too much talent in that room not to let other guys get carries, but if Penn State wants a bounce back year on the ground, Lee should be the one to taken that burden on. Lee ended the day with eight carries for 32 yards.
Guess We’ll See: Penn State feels good at tackle and center but the rest of the guard spots seem a bit open at this point. It’s hard to mince words when it comes to Penn State’s offensive line the last few years and seeing it believing at this point — even James Franklin mentioned the this group has to put its money where its mouth is. Problem on Saturday: depth issues on the offensive line were the origin of much of the day’s change in usual SOP. So if you were hoping to be reassured about Penn State up front you’ll have to wait until the season. Then again, that’s been the story for a few years now.
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Sutherland making the move to linebacker seems like Jesse Luketa-style change that will greatly benefit everyone involved. Expect a big year from him.
