Penn State is building a deeper roster in 2015 as the program reloads after three years of NCAA sanctions. The total scholarship count is back in the 80s and the two-deep is in a good place, but young players still make up an inordinate percentage of the roster. And so it’s no wonder that coach James Franklin expects at least four true freshmen to see the field in 2015.
In addition to the four true freshmen — Saquon Barkley, Juwan Johnson, Brandon Polk and John Reid — the Nittany Lions also have plenty of redshirt players (DeAndre Thompkins, Mark Allen, Koa Farmer) and transfers (Paris Palmer, Kevin Reihner) in positions to contribute. Penn State will have more than its fair share of new faces playing key roles in 2015.
Andrew P. Shay and Dustin Hockensmith broke down the team’s top newcomers and projected where they would fit into the depth chart this season in a segment for the Keystone Sports Network. Check out audio of the show in this post and be sure to check back in to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for plenty more Penn State podcasts and analysis.