Ollie Ogbu and Brett Brackett voted 2010 Penn State captains

At his first game week press conference today, Joe Paterno revealed Penn State's 2010 team captains, seniors Ollie Ogbu and Brett Brackett. They aren't exactly surprise picks, but it is interesting that just two players this year were given this honor, as opposed to the usual three, four, or even five (2008) captains we've seen in recent years.

Ollie Ogbu:

"I have looked up to so many great captains, like Sean Lee, Daryll Clark, Josh Gaines and Terrell Golden, so to be a captain myself, it feels really special," Ogbu said. "It is a big honor to be voted a captain by my teammates."

Ogbu's always had one of the best attitudes on the team. He's also been a significant contributor to the team on the field for his entire career. I like pick #1.

Thursday Quesiton: 2010 Surprise Breakout Offensive Player

Will Kevin Newsome (12) surprise the Nittany Nation this fall, with a breakout season?

Last week, it was our picks for the breakout defensive player for 2010. This week, we flip over to the offensive side of the ball. From quarterback to wide receiver to the return game, we'll take a look at a few players that could catch you off guard this season, with a truly surprising breakout campaign.

So, let's get to it: What's your surprise breakout offensive player for 2010?

Galen

This may come as a shocker but I’m going to go with Kevin Newsome as my breakout offensive player for 2010. It’s all set up for Kevin, Penn State will feature a strong running game behind a record-setting running back. If Newsome can be adequate to above average the offense will soar. Teams will undoubtedly stack the line to stop the run and challenge PSU to beat them through the air. If Kevin can burn a couple defenses early it will make defensive coordinators think twice. Not to mention there isn’t a Penn State fan that doesn’t think Kevin has wheels, he’ll burn a couple defenses that let him get outside the pocket. I was skeptical about Michael Robinson and Darryl Clark when they stepped into the starting QB role for the first time and I was wrong about them. I’ve been outspoken about Newsome as well so who’s to say I’m not wrong about him, and let’s face it the universe hates me so he’ll probably have a great year just to make me look bad.

Mike

I really do think that Kevin Newsome qualifies for a surprise breakout candidate this year; that's why he's my pick. No one is expecting the kid from Portsmouth, VA to excel on the field of play this fall. Far too many fans and pundits are calling for him to be benched, before he's even thrown a meaningful pass. That's ridiculous. This is all not to say that Paul Jones or Robert Bolden, or even Matt McGloin aren't good, or have the chance to someday get there. But considering the offensive situation for 2010, why wouldn't Newsome have a chance to be a younger Mike Robinson?

The offense will need a running quarterback. The wide receivers are dynamic enough to make mediocre passes look fantastic. The offensive line is good enough to get by with said running QB. There are at least three good running backs, and another who is up for the Doak Walker and Maxwell awards. Kevin Newsome has the most experience of any QB, not matter how little that actually may be. He has been running these plays for a year and eight months, and has speed to burn. Yes, there's a new No. 12 in town, and he is my pick for 2010's surprise breakout player on offense.

Will Brett Brackett (83) have a breakout senior season?

Ryan

I know going it may not seem like too big of a risk to say a senior is going to be a breakout player, but Brett Brackett to me has all the makings of finally coming into his own this year at the receiver position. He was slated to start in the slot before the Curtis Drake injury, but it seemed a formality that Drake would be getting a bunch of snaps in his stead. Brackett is a HUGE target, and whoever the starting quarterback is, they are certainly going to find comfort in throwing to the 6'6 232 pounder. I expect Brackett to be the primary red-zone threat, as well as a frequent target on third downs. Brackett is also slotted to be the starting holder, so he hopefully will be able to help Colin Wagner in the kicking game as well. And who knows, if this passing game turns out to be as bad as a lot of people think it is going to be, maybe Brackett goes back to his high school days and starts taking snaps under center for old time's sake.

Tim

I'm going to go out on a limb here: Devon Smith. Let's not forget that the little speedster saw some meaningful PT early last season before a concussion and off-field issues got him buried under the depth chart. I still remember him running a beautiful route to get wide open for a 20+ yard catch against Akron and having a couple of nice runs out of the reverse. I fully expect to see him returning kickoffs this season but now with the lovable Drake out 6-8 weeks, don't be surprised if you see Smith being utilized the way the coaching staff had intended to use Drake (i.e. reverses, screens, etc.). Not only is he a blur, but his shortness (5'8") could make him difficult to spot by opposing defenders if he has enough tall blockers in front of him.

Of course, there's a chance I could be dead wrong on this prediction and Brett Brackett ends up filling the void for Drake's duties but I have a gut feeling about Devon breaking out this year. Oh, and you can't talk about Mr. Smith without this obligatory video:

Who is your surprise breakout offensive player for 2010?

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11th Hour Depth Charting: Kent State Edition

The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

Gerald Hodges is out for at least the next month, if not more, creating a big hole in the linebacker position.

-Remember, this isn't the "official" depth chart that Penn State releases each week. What would be the point of reprinting that here? I mention this because you'll notice that Michael Mauti is listed as the second team linebacker at all three positions. I put him there because Penn State seems to use a system now that resembles the defensive line rotation that's worked for years. I don't think this will be permanent at the linebacker position, but until they find the best lineup, expect this to be the case. Khairi Fortt and Mike Yancich are the other two next in line to come off the bench.
-Gerald Hodges will miss several weeks with a broken bone in his leg. Some estimates are four weeks, some up to eight weeks or the season. This is a big loss. Hodges was supposedly going to start the Alabama game instead of Bani Gbadyu.
-Johnnie Troutman is the starting left guard. At his presser this week, Joe Paterno said Troutman was doing better than DeOn'tae Pannell.
-Silas Redd is now the official third running back. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get five to seven carries tomorrow.
-I'm not moving Joe Suhey out of the first fullback spot, but Mike Zordich has been getting much more time, especially carrying the ball, than I thought. This could end up similar to the Brian Milne/John Whitman duo in the mid-1990s.
-Devon Smith is now the starting slot receiver.
-Early in the season, we thought Brett Brackett would be a slot receiver, but has since been used in the split end role.

Preseason Depth Chart and 2010 Roster Updates

Updated 8/17, 2:00 p.m.

Less than three weeks until kickoff, folks.

With that, I thought a quick update to the roster and depth chart was in order.

I'll do a fall camp update later this week.

Roster

Here are some new weights for some players since preseason practice began: Silas Redd [5-10, 202], Stephfon Green [5-10, 200], Jack Crawford [6-5, 268 to 272], Stephon Morris [5-8 1/2, 186], D'Anton Lynn [6-1, 204], Christian Kuntz [6-5, 215], Sean Stanley [6-1, 243 to 246], Devon Still [6-5, 295], Brandon Ware [6-3, 330], Chima Okoli [6-4, 296], Paul Jones [6-3, 235], Curtis Drake [5-11, 180], Justin Brown [6-3, 213] and Garry Gilliam [6-6, 265].

Update: P Russell Nye and RB Shaine Thompson are no longer with the team. Thompson was declared academically ineligible, but will remain in college and earn his degree. No word on why Nye left, probably no room on the roster. Good luck to them both.

Check out the latest updated version of Penn State's 2010 football roster.

Depth Chart

Projecting a depth chart is fun, but really tough to get right unless you're watching practice every day. But if you read enough of everything, you'll get most of it right.

Here are some notes on it:

Curtis Drake is out for a long time, 6-8 weeks. Don't be shocked if he takes a redshirt season. It does look like Brett Brackett will take over the R receiver position, which to me looks like the slot. But there are some out there saying that true frosh Alex Kenney is gaining traction with the coaching staff, and could see some time behind Brackett.

Brandon Beachum is on this depth chart, even though ACL recoveries don't usually get a green light by the doctors until after a full year has passed. But for now, it looks like Beachum wants to get back on the field, right now.

Sophomore receiver Justin Brown (19) should see a ton of time this fall, on both offense and special teams.

A nice corps of receivers are developing behind the "Big 2" of Derek Moye and Graham Zug. But the loss of The Drake still stings a big. I'm very excited to see Shawney Kersey and Justin Brown have a bigger role this year.

At tight end, with the emergence of Garry Gilliam as a potential candidate to "co-start" with Andrew Sczcerba, I'm not expecting Kevin Haplea to make the depth chart this year. That's not saying he's not good enough. But as long as Mark Wedderburn is around, I don't see the staff wasting a season of eligibility on Haplea in 2010.

The linebackers are a muddled mess right now, but in a good way, I swear. There are just waaayyy too many great players at this position. The starters are set, and I'm comfortable with them. But I do expect Mike Mauti to get back into the swing of things by the Big Ten opener. The other guy I'm really looking forward to seeing is Gerald Hodges, but who isn't? Basically, that entire second string could start for any BCS automatic qualifier, and be considered a strength of the defense. They're all that good.

Let's hope the special teams are settling down a bit. I like the idea of Brown fielding punts. And if Anthony Fera is really, finally keeping his head about him, I like him to take over punting duties. Then again, who knows anything definite about Penn State's special teams?

So here we go, what I think is a logical projection of the 2010 Penn State football depth chart going into the season:

OFF	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
QB	#12 Kevin Newsome	#11 Matt McGloin	#10 Paul Jones; #1 Robert Bolden
RB	#22 Evan Royster	#21 Stephfon Green	#3 Brandon Beachum; #26 Curtis Dukes
FB	#37 Joe Suhey	#9 Mike Zordich	#33 Andre Dupree
X	#6 Derek Moye	#19 Justin Brown	#8 Brandon Moesby-Felder
Z	#5 Graham Zug	#20 Devon Smith	#4 Shawney Kersey
R	#83 Brett Brackett	#18 Alex Kenney	--
TE	#80 Andrew Szczerba	#89 Garry Gilliam	#13 Mark Wedderburn
LT	#67 Quinn Barham	#78 Mike Farrell	#58 Adam Gress
LG	#50 De'OnTae Pannell	#54 Matt Stankiewitch	#74 Johnnie Troutman
C	#68 Doug Klopacz	#53 Ty Howle
RG	#61 Stefen Wisniewski	#64 John Urschel	#77 Lou Eliades
RT	#77 Lou Eliades	#52 Chimaeze Okoli	#75 Eric Shrive
LS	#53 Jon Rohrbaugh	--	--
K	#36 Collin Wagner	#30 Anthony Fera	#28 David Soldner
KR	#2 Chaz Powell	#8 Brandon Moseby-Felder	--
KR	#21 Stephfon Green	#20 Devon Smith	--
Hold	#83 Brett Brackett	--	--
DEF	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
DE	#81 Jack Crawford	#44 Kevion Katham	#90 Sean Stanley
DT	#71 Devon Still	#47 Jordan Hill	#75 Evan Hailes
DT	#85 Ollie Ogbu	#72 James Terry	#99 Brandon Ware
DE	#56 Eric Latimore	#59 Pete Massaro	#84 Kyle Baublitz
OLB	#15 Bani Gbadyu	#42 Mike Mauti	#51 James Van Fleet
MLB	#48 Chris Colasanti	#33 Mike Yancich	#40 Glenn Carson
OLB	#34 Nate Stupar	#6 Gerald Hodges	#11 Khairi Fortt; #40 Glen Carson
CB	#12 Stephfon Morris	#2 Chaz Powell	#5 Derrick Thomas
Hero	#1 Nick Sukay	#23 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong	#27 Jacob Fagnano
FS	#28 Drew Astorino	#13 Andrew Dailey	#10 Malcolm Willis
CB	#8 D'Anton Lynn	#4 Evan Lewis	#14 Mike Wallace
PS	#95 Russell Nye	#30 Anthony Fera	#5 Graham Zug
PR	#19 Justin Brown	#5 Graham Zug	#8 Brandon Moseby-Felder

I'm sure I won't have to ask for your own thoughts on that chart, so just let'em rip. (remember: no anonymous comments, please) But this seems pretty safe, considering there's so much uncertainty.

I think that's it for now. Start correcting me...

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11th Hour Depth Charting: Alabama Edition

Will the steady Bani Gbadyu hold on
to the starting "Sam" OLB spot, with the uber-athletic
Gerald Hodges pushing from behind?

The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

-Barring some catastrophic meltdown tomorrow, Rob Bolden will be Penn State's quarterback for the foreseeable future. Also, Kevin Newsome and Matt McGloin are now apparently the No. 2 and No. 3 QBs, respectively. We'll know more to project the remainder of the season, after this weekend wraps up.

-Glenn Carson is now the No. 3 fullback, behind Mike Zordich. Penn State now has so many great linebackers, even the really frickin' good ones are being pushed to other positions. And who says we're not "Linebacker U"?

-Unless Penn State changed it for this week, there are now dual punt returners--Devon Smith and Justin Brown.

-At left guard, rumors have it that DeOn'tae Pannell and Johnnie Troutman were splitting time this week. But that's what we've heard before. So take that for what it's worth.

-There was a bit of a stir this week, when on the Thursday night radio show, Ron Vanderlinden hinted/suggested/leaned towards the idea that Gerald Hodges would supplant Bani Gbadyu at the "Sam" outside linebacker spot. With all the rotating of linebackers last week, does it even make a difference who starts?

-Michael Mauti was shifting from the "Backer" to the "Fritz" often last week. I figured in my game review that the following would be the order coming off the bench: Mauti, Gerald Hodges (could end up being Gbadyu, if Hodges starts), then Khairi Fortt or Mike Yancich. I was surprised Fortt played; thought he would redshirt.

11th Hour Depth Charting: Temple Edition

The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

11th Hour Depth Charting: Youngstown State Edition

Garry Gilliam (89) will be the No. 1 tight end this week.

The latest depth chart for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

-QB Robert Bolden has now been named the starting quarterback, with Newsome and McGloin as the backups.
-TE Andrew Szczerba will be out indefinitely, so Garry Gilliam gets the nod as starting tight end. Kevin Haplea has moved to the No. 2 spot, with Mark Wedderburn the reserve.
-The offensive line hasn't changed since mid-August.
-K/P Anthony Fera is now handling kickoff duties, as well as being named starting punter.
-CB Shelton McCullough returned to the team this summer, so moved into the reserve DB spot previously held by Evan Lewis, who is now listed as a WR on the roster.
-CB/WR Chaz Powell will remain on the defensive depth chart, since Paterno said he could end up back there, depending on the injuries on offense; but for now, he will mostly play WR.

If anything else comes up between now and kickoff, we'll change it here.

Also, here is the most up-to-date roster, which hasn't changed since last week.

11th Hour Depth Charting: Penn State at Iowa

Chima Okoli gets the nod this week at right tackle
against Adrian Clayborn, Karl Klug
and Broderick Binns.
Good luck, kid...

BIG changes in tonight's edition, as three important defensive players, along with ACL victim Lou Eliades are missing from this week's chart.

The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

-Remember, this isn't the "official" depth chart that Penn State releases each week. I add changes based on what we've seen, not always what is said or released by Penn State.

-Sean Stanley, Derrick Thomas and Brandon Ware are not on this week's depth chart, as it was reported by Ron Musselman tonight that they will miss this game, though no reason was given.

-With Chima Okoli stepping in at RT, Adam Gress is suddenly a play away becoming a first-team tackle.

-Shawney Kersey is back with the team, apparently. But he's likely to miss time (if he plays at all) for a while. The whole not-coming-to-practice thing doesn't go over well with JoePa.

-Not only has Brett Brackett locked up the slot receiver spot, Justin Brown has officially earned the starting role at split end. After his performance the first four games, he deserves it. Graham Zug was ousted from his starting role on the official depth chart.

-Michael Mauti is the new starting Fritz OLB, replacing Nate Stupar. But that doesn't mean much, because both are likely to play equally. These are the two best play-making linebackers on the team.

-Pete Massaro is listed by Penn State as an "OR" starter with Eric Lattimore. But I'm guessing he will get the start again this week.

Linkbacker-U now has reason to look forward to college football

More Erin Andrews! What can be bad?

Fear no longer sports fans, as the most coveted free agent in the business decided to resign, and not go anywhere else. No, not LeBron James. ESPN's Erin Andrews. And not only will she be a sideline reporter, but she's going to actually be serving a role that us college football fans will actually find useful for something other than her...you know...

"The blond beauty - whose previous contract with ESPN expired July 1 - will join the network's new College GameDay lineup as a part-time host and feature reporter and will continue as a sideline reporter."

That's right Penn State football fans. We actually have something to look forward to this season. An extra hour of College Gameday will air from 9-10 A.M. on ESPNU, with Erin Andrews hosting. Wouldn't count on actually being able to see her in Happy Valley anytime soon, however.

Sharing is Caring for PSU Recruit Shawn Oakman

I never thought I would actually say this, but the Nittany Lion basketball team just caught a break. Shocking, I know. Coach DeChellis, you can thank the football coaching stafff, as the team is allowing recruit Shawn Oakman, a 6'8 250 lb beast, play basketball as well.

"They [the Penn State football coaches] encouraged it. They fully support it," Oakman said in a phone interview from a team camp at Albright College in Reading. "So, that will be good.''

This doesn't come as an unprecedented move for the football squad, as quarterback Paul Cianciolo pitched for the baseball team and wide receiver Jordan Norwood had a short stingt with the basketball squad.

At 6'8 250 pounds, Oakman still doesn't quite violate Ed's "6'8 and under" rule that he seemingly must enforce, but he does provide a potentially legitimate inside presence that the Lions so desperately need.

Oh Where Oh Where will the Big Ten Championship Be?


Surprise! The Big Ten is trying to install a conference championship game. What, you didn't hear? Well a few questions remain before this can be installed. How the divisions line up, when the game will take place, and Adam Rittenberg just threw a new one at us today....WHERE?

Big Ten football is all about "three yards and a cloud of dust, strong defense, and COLD weather (though I don't have to tell you that if you were at the Michigan State game in 2008...brrr)

But does that necessarily mean the Big Ten Championship has to be in a similar cold weather city? Rittenberg brings up a good point, the SEC plays its regular season games in the heat of the south, they decide to play their championship game in the climate-controlled Georgia Dome.

Could the Big Ten follow suit with an indoor facility, perhaps Lucas Oil Stadium (Colts) or Ford field (Lions) as Rittenberg suggests?

You know it's a slow day in college football when Brett Brackett is making national headlines

So as I was scrolling through some sites today trying to dodge stories about LeBron James and Brett Favre, I came across the college football section on Yahoo and low and behold, a Brett Brackett story is among the top headlines.

AP writer Genaro Armas reports that Brackett, now a senior, seems to be primed for a breakout year for Penn State.

With the talent and depth of this year's receiving class and lack of experienced talent or depth at the quarterback position, I'm not too optimistic of his chances to "breakout". Now he did play quarterback in high school...so if he lines up under center than we may have something.

Death of a Legend (Part II)

I've been a Yankee fan since I was seven years old (ironically that also happened to be the 1996 season). And I grew up with George Steinbrenner. Not the Steinbrenner who hired and fired Billy Martin five times (though that would have actually made a good hour long ESPN special) but the Steinbrenner who stuck with Joe Torre for 12 seasons and continued to resign the core players that left their best efforts on the field to help the Yankees to victories and championships. Jeter. Pettitte. Posada. Rivera. If Steinbrenner wasn't willing to invest in his own team, which several other owners fail to do, then perhaps none of these four will be donning the pinstripes today. Say what you want about The Boss, and I can't speak personally having never met him, but his will to win was second to none, and he will be sorely missed.

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Outback Bowl '11: Inside Penn State

Penn State had some low expectations coming into the 2010 season. And the Nittany Lions managed to meet every one of them, and some. The quarterback situation was scary, the offensive line even scarier. The defense had to replace three NFL linebackers and the defensive player of the year at tackle. The schedule wasn't kind, either, with the defending national champs, Rose Bowl champs, Orange Bowl champs, and some other teams that turned out to be much better than many predicted.

But with all the downs, came the many ups this season. Finding one too many very good quarterbacks. An improving offensive line. Some damn good receivers. Silas Redd. Michael Mauti. And a team capable of beating almost any opponent, if not for the gross inexperience on the side of blue and white.

Now Penn State returns to another post-season exhibition against the SEC. The last two times out between the Nittany Lions and the most powerful conference in college football resulted in victories for the slow-pokes from snowy Pennsylvania. We'll see if they can do it once again.

In this post, we'll take a quick look at the team overall, then have a game-by-game rundown.

Blue-White Countdown 2010: Wide Receivers

Previous entries...
1: Special Teams
2: Defensive Backs
3: Linebackers
4: Defensive Line
5: Offensive Line
6: Tight EndsGraham Zug (5) has earned a cult-like following among fans.

We continue our countdown to the 2010 Blue-White Game. Penn State football is up and running, the weather is warming, and that itch you're feeling won't be fixed by a doctor, but rather a sunny day in Beaver Stadium with 80,000 fans. As we close in on the Blue-White weekend, I'll go through all the major positions, trying to give the most reasoned explanation of who we could see come out big, and why. In today's edition, the wide receivers get a look.

Background

From 2000 through 2004, Penn State had exactly one big-play threat wide receiver--Bryant Johnson in 2002. But ask most fans suffering through those "Dark Years," which positions contributed most to the poor on-field product, and they will surely point to the pass catchers. The Nittany Lions simply couldn't stretch the field on offense, allowing defenses to pile up in the box. It wasn't a fun time for the Penn State passing game.

Then, along came a kid from Greenbelt, Maryland named Derrick Williams. He was no ordinary recruit; he was the No. 1 recruit in college football for 2005. His commitment to the Nittany Lions in December 2004 gave new life to a program struggling to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

That fall, Penn State fielded what could have been dubbed the fastest group of wide receivers ever to wear the blue and white. Forty wins, three bowl wins, and two Big Ten titles later, the class of 2005 had gone on, leaving a huge hole on the outside of the offense.

Last season, new talent had to step into that void, and did so in surprisingly easy fashion. Derek Moye, Graham Zug and Chaz Powell helped quarterback Daryll Clark become the first Penn State player to pass for more than 3,000 yards in a season. All three return for 2010, but that doesn't mean the wide receiver positions are going to remain the same as 2009. With a new quarterback and new tight ends, this spring will be crucial to the development of the Nittany Lions' pass attack this fall.

Receivers

Derek Moye (6) became Penn State's go-to guy last season, catching 48 passes for 785 yards and six touchdowns.

Last season, we saw the emergence of Moye and Zug as Penn State's two main receivers. They combined for 1,385 yards and 13 touchdowns.

That might not seem like much, but when combined with Andrew Quarless' 536 from the tight end spot, Powell's 336 as an all-purpose-style receiver, and nearly 400 yards from the running backs catching passes, the Nittany Lions had plenty of fire power through the air.

This spring, expect Moye and Zug to be held out of any serious competition. Powell has been moved to the defensive backfield. And the tight ends probably won't get nearly as many balls thrown their way as in 2009.

So, where does that leave Penn State? Well, not as bare in the cupboard as you'd think.

Aside from Moye and Zug, four returning receivers caught at least one pass last season--Curtis Drake, Devon Smith, Justin Brown and Brett Brackett. From the early reports out of spring practice, it looks like Brackett could be used as a flex-tight end in certain situations. But for this exercise, we'll include him in the wide receiver corps.

No.	Name	Pos.	Elig	Ht/Wt	High School	Coach
4	Shawney Kersey	WR	rFR	6-1/187	Woodbury, N.J./Woodbury	Zack Valentine
5	Graham Zug	WR	rSR	6-2/183	Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central	Mike Williams
6	Derek Moye	WR	JR	6-5/198	Rochester, Pa./Rochester	Gene Matsook
7	Curtis Drake	WR	SO	5-11/168	Philadelphia, Pa./West Philadelphia Catholic	Brian Fluck
8	Brandon Moseby-Felder	WR	rFR	6-2/170	Fort Washington, Md./Oxon Hill	Kevin Wolfolk
14	A.J. Price	WR	rFR	6-4/177	Reston, Va./South Lakes	John Ellenberger
17	Christian Kuntz	WR	rFR	6-4/207	Camp Hill, Pa./Trinity	Jeff Boger
19	Justin Brown	WR	SO	6-3/208	Wilmington, Del./Concord	George Kosanovich
20	Devon Smith	WR	SO	5-7/153	White Plains, Md./Westlake	Dom Zaccarelli
25	Andrew Goodman	WR	rSO	6-0/183	Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington	Ron Cohen
26	J.D. Mason	WR	rSO	6-4/208	Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola	Jeff Vroman
27	Tariq Tongue	WR	rFR	5-8/164	Flushing, N.Y./Holy Cross	Tom Pugh
81	Ryan Scherer	WR	rSO	5-8/168	Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake	Dave Dlugosz
83	Brett Brackett	WR	rSR	6-6/232	Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence	Rob Radice

Receivers are like defensive backs and offensive linemen; you can never have enough on the roster. Including the six already mentioned, Penn State could have as many as ten wide receivers in serious contention for playing time in the fall. Four of them--Shawney Kersey, Brandon Moseby-Felder, A.J. Price and Christian Kuntz--are all redshirt freshmen, all of them looking for a chance to impress the coaches enough to land a spot in the regular receiver rotation. Spring practice and the Blue-White Game is where careers can be made. This season is no different, especially for these four young men.

A.J. Price (14) is just one of the young talented receivers trying to break into the rotation this spring.

Kersey and Moseby-Felder gained some early traction with the coaches, when in winter workouts prior to the Capital One Bowl, the two were said to have worked extraordinarily hard to help the team prepare. That is absolutely no slight to Kuntz or Price, as there have been no negative comments from the staff about them. It's just that the former two have been particularly praised going into the spring. Some reports have indicated that Moseby-Felder might not have been redshirted at all last season, had it not been for an injury during his senior year of high school.

The more experienced backups, including Drake, Brown and Smith, will all fight this spring for the vacancy left when Powell moved to defense. With Zug having played in the slot before, Brown won't have to worry about being left out. Drake and Smith are definitely more suited to play the slot position.

Brown is one of the players I'm particularly excited to see get more playing time. Not only did he show flashes on offense, but he saw even more in-game action on special teams as a punt returner. At 6-foot-3, and more than 200 pounds, he has prototypical NFL size, with speed to match. Paired up with Moye, Brown could give Penn State another huge boost down the sideline or to the post.

Smith played early last season, but managed to land himself in Joe Paterno's doghouse after the second or third game. He's one of the fastest players on the team, running several end-around plays and kickoff returns last season. If he can get his off-field issues settled, it will be difficult to keep him on the sideline. Smith was injured last week, but it's supposedly only a slight ankle sprain that shouldn't keep him out too long.

Then there's Drake. A former high school quarterback, the true sophomore earned increasingly more playing time as last season went on, eventually catching everyone's attention against Michigan State. On a fake end-around, Drake tossed one into the end zone for a touchdown. If that play was any indication of how the staff might want to use Drake this season, we could have another Derrick Williams on our hands. The coaches like to pull out a few tricks for the Blue-White Game crowd. I imagine this will be one of the players to do so.

Two final names, Brackett and running back Stephon Green, should be mentioned before we close. Brackett is entering his final spring session, but hasn't been able to capture a starting role for the Nittany Lions. He's seen plenty of action over his career, but with the de-emphasizing of tight ends this season, I won't be shocked to see his number of plays increase significantly. Green has been mentioned as a possibility to split out from the backfield. The coaches really want to keep him on the field as much as possible this season; catching passes might be the way to do it.

Next: Running Backs

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11th Hour Depth Charting: Illinois at Penn State



Yet another true freshman could start
for Penn State this season, as Khairi Fortt has been
taking snaps with the first team this week in practice.

 The injury bug has hit hard this season, with some very big names off the projected starters list this week.

The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

-Remember, this isn't the "official" depth chart that Penn State releases each week. I add changes based on what we've seen, not always what is said or released by Penn State.

-Sean Stanley and Derrick Thomas are still off the depth chart, and we may not even see these two the rest of the season. Let's hope that doesn't happen.

-Jack Crawford, Jordan Hill, Michael Mauti, and Bani Gbadyu are all out with minor injuries, but could play. The least likely to play are Crawford and Hill. No matter how underwhelming Crawford has been this year, it will still hurt if he can't go this weekend. Hill is getting over an ankle injury from the Iowa game, but may sit out this week.

-Khairi Fortt and Nate Stupar have taken over the starting OLB spots in our depth chart this week, but they could end up rotating out with Mauti and Gbadyu, depending on how those two guys are feeling.

-Glenn Carson moved into the second team "Backer" spot, as Mike Yancich has been splitting time between OLB and ILB with the injuries to Stupar and Mauti.

-DeOn'Tae Pannell was taking snaps this week behind Chima Okoli at right guard. Remember that Pannell was the starting right guard for a few games last season, until he was manhandled by Iowa's Adrian Clayborn and Broderick Binns.

-No surprise that true freshman Kevin Haplea will get the start at tight end this week. Former defensive walk-on Jonathan Stewart, and TE Mark Wedderburn will be the backups.

11th Hour Depth Charting: Penn State at Ohio State

Another week with little change. It becomes more clear why Penn State has been able to play so well the last three games--stability! The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

11th Hour Depth Charting: Michigan at Penn State

The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

11th Hour Depth Charting: Penn State at Indiana (updated)

Will we get "The Scranton Slinger,"
or "McSix" this week?
(Photo: Mike/LBU)

Another week with little change. The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

Offense
-No major changes. Matt McGloin is still the starter.

Defense
-Michael Mauti is out this week with that shoulder injury (dislocation). Nate Stupar should fill in nicely, but there will still be a big leadership void on defense.

Sp. Teams
-Anthony Fera's appendix nearly exploded all over his innards. The surgery will set him back at least the rest of the regular season, if not longer. True frosh Alex Butterworth takes over.

Update: Apologies for not mentioning Sean Stanley or Silas Redd. I believe Redd won't be punished by the team. There's no reason to. He wasn't drunk, and how many of us have done what he did? Sean Stanley, on the other hand, is up in the air. I'm leaving him as the main backup to Pete Massaro on the weak side, but if he doesn't play, it wouldn't shock me. The defensive line is very weak and thin this year, so him playing may happen. Still, Stanley's situation is much different than Redd's, because Stanley was out drinking the night before the Ohio State game. No matter if he got caught or not, what does that say about his commitment to the team? Nothing good, that's what.

The depth chart:

Eleventh Hour Depth Charting: 2010 Blue-White Game

Not sure if this is the way I want to do it during the actual regular season, but here goes. Penn State's spring depth chart isn't exactly what it looked like when the team first suited up in March. The defensive backfield, offensive line, and linebackers have seen more shuffling than cruise ship deck full of senior citizens. The offensive front five have been the most frequently changed over the last five weeks, as we've seemingly been told of a new starting lineup every few days.

I tried to sift through all the haze. There is no guarantee that this is rock solid, but neither is 99 percent of the stuff you've read on the internets this spring. So, here is what I've been able to carve out as the most probable starting depth chart for the 2010 Blue-White Game.

! Keep in mind that this is the SPRING SCRIMMAGE, not a real game. The coaches have planned to experiment, shift, test, and tinker with the lineups as the game goes along. This depth chart is designed specifically with this scrimmage format in mind. Enjoy...

OFF	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
QB	#12 Kevin Newsome, So	#11 Matt McGloin, rSo	#10 Paul Jones, Fr; #16 Shane McGregor, rSo; #19 Garrett Venuto, rFr
RB	#22 Evan Royster, Jr -OR- #21 Stephfon Green, So	#25 Silas Redd, Fr -OR- #26 Curtis Dukes, rFr	#30 Kykeem Brodie, So; #23 Shaine Thompson, rJr; #24 Derek Day, rSo; #29 Kevin Kowalishen, rSo
FB	#37 Joe Suhey, Jr	#30 Josh Matzkin, rSr	#33 Andre Dupree, Fr; #35 Pat Zerbe, rFr
WR	#6 Derek Moye, Jr	#19 Justin Brown, So	#14 AJ Price, rFr
WR	#7 Curtis Drake, So	#8 Brandon Moesby-Felder	#83 Brett Brackett, rSr
WR	#5 Graham Zug, rSr	#4 Shawney Kersey	#20 Devon Smith, So
TE	#80 Andrew Szczerba, rJr	#89 Garry Gilliam, rFr	#13 Mark Wedderburn, rSr
LT	#67 Quinn Barham, rJr	#78 Mike Farrell, So	#58 Adam Gress, rFr
LG	#50 De'OnTae Pannell, rJr	#74 Johnnie Troutman, rJr	#75 Eric Shrive, rFr
C	#68 Doug Klopacz, rSr	#54 Matt Stankiewitch, rSo	#53 Ty Howle, rFr; Mark Arcidiacono, rFr
RG	#61 Stefen Wisniewski, Sr	#64 John Urschel, rFr	#77 Lou Eliades, rSr
RT	#77 Lou Eliades, Sr	#66 Chimaeze Okoli, rJr	#75 Eric Shrive, rFr
LS	#53 Jon Rohrbaugh, rSo	--	--
K	#36 Collin Wagner, Jr	#28 David Soldner, rSo	--
KR	(no KOs in BWG)	--	--
KR	--	--	--
Hold	#83 Brett Brackett, Jr	--	--
DEF	First Team	Second Team	Reserves
DE	#81 Jack Crawford, Jr	#44 Kevion Katham, Jr	#90 Sean Stanley, So
DT	#71 Devon Still, rJr	#47 Jordan Hill, So	#75 Evan Hailes
DT	#85 Ollie Ogbu, Sr	#99 Brandon Ware, So	#72 James Terry, rSo
DE	#56 Eric Latimore, Sr	#59 Pete Massaro, rSr	#84 Kyle Baublitz, Fr
OLB	#15 Bani Gbadyu, rSr	#51 James Van Fleet, rSo	#32 Dakota Royer, Fr
MLB	#48 Chris Colasanti, Sr	#33 Mike Yancich, rSo	#9 Mike Zordich, rSo
OLB	#34 Nate Stupar, Jr	#6 Gerald Hodges, So	#11 Khairi Fortt, Fr; #40 Glen Carson, Fr
CB	#12 Stephfon Morris, So	#2 Chaz Powell, rSr	#5 Derrick Thomas, rFr
Hero	#10 Nick Sukay, Jr	#13 Andrew Dailey, Jr	#27 Jacob Fagnano, rSo
FS	#13 Andrew Dailey, Jr	#2 Chaz Powell, rSr	#23 Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, rFr
CB	#8 D'Anton Lynn, Jr	#14 Mike Wallace, rFr	#10 Malcolm Willis, rFr; #4 Evan Lewis, rFr
PS	???	--	--
PR	(No PR in BWG)	--	--

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11th Hour Depth Charting: Michigan St at Penn St

Some important injuries this week, though not nearly as destructive as other points this season.

RG John Urschel could start,
depending on Doug Klopacz's status.
 (Photo: Mike/LBU)

The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

-The players marked with an asterisk (*) are only projected to either start or not start, based on how the injury situation plays out at each position.
-The offensive line depends on whether or not Doug Klopacz is ready to go. If not, then Stefen Wisniewski will move to center, as he did against Indiana, while John Urschel will move up to start at RG.
-Michael Mauti could end up playing, but I'll go with Nate Stupar as the starter again this week.
-It's senior day, so Bani Gbadyu will start. But that doesn't mean he'll stay there the full game. Watch for Gerald Hodges to come in early.

11th Hour Depth Charting: Penn State at Minnesota

Gerald Hodges is expected to play this week,
but to what degree is still up in the air.
Hodges was injured on the first kickoff at Alabama.
(Photo: Mike/LBU)

It's a tough one this week, with so many players supposedly returning from injury. Some of them, like Michael Mauti, Bani Gbadyu, and Jordan Hill, are locks to either start or play significant time on Saturday. But then there are guys like Gerald Hodges, Jack Crawford, and even Brandon Beachum (actually listed as "possible" on the PSU injury report), who I'm not really sure are going to go this week, unless they are desperately needed.

The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...

Outback Bowl '11: Penn State Depth Chart

Updated

Michael Mauti is emerging as the
next great leader at Linebacker U.
(Photo: Mike/LBU)

Not many changes for the Outback Bowl. Michael Mauti returns to full strength, which should be a real boost for the defense.

No commentary this week, due to the fact that there isn't anything do analyze. Mark Wedderburn and Kevin Newsome are no longer on the chart, as they have stayed home, and will likely leave the team this off-season.

Here is this week's bowl depth chart.

11th Hour Depth Charting: Northwestern at Penn State

There actually isn't much change this week, which could be a good thing for a team that could use a little stability. The latest depth chart (from what we can tell) for this week's game, with some complementary notes...