Which PSU Players Benefit Most From a ‘Normal’ Spring?

Winter Workouts are in Full Swing and Official Spring Practice Starts Two Weeks From Today. Assuming Plans Proceed Without Any Hiccups (No Jinx) Here’s a Handful of Nittany Lions Who Might Make the Most of This Return to Routine

While news of failed NFL coordinators turned toothless offensive analysts (seriously, who cares?) made headlines last week, a pretty darn important nugget somehow slipped through the cracks:

SPRING FOOTBALL IS BACK!

On Feb. 23, Sean Fitz of 247 Sports/Fight On State and Ryan Snyder of Rivals/BWI both reported that Penn State’s 2021 spring practice schedule is set to commence on March 15 and (knock on wood) will consist of the usual 15 organized sessions. As of this time, it’s uncertain whether the traditional Blue-White game will be one of those 15 practices, but considering BTN is starved for content I’d bravely wager this site’s entire revenue since inception – yep, all $24 of it – that Penn State has some sort of formal offense vs. defense scrimmage. 

Any takers?

As you ponder whether to nibble at that high-stakes cheese, we stepped back and took a big picture view of the Penn State roster to see which players might benefit MOST from a somewhat normal spring football calendar.

NICK TARBURTON 

Fine, go ahead and get excited about newbie DE Arnold Ebiketie from Temple, but don’t forget about Nick Tarburton. 

A 4-star, Top 300 recruit out of Perkasie, Tarburton modestly rebounded from a lost 2019 (he didn’t play that year due to injury) by appearing in seven games last season. Stuck as a third-stringer, Tarburton only played 34 snaps in 2020. Most of those opportunities occurred during the non-competitive phases of the Iowa and Michigan State games, although Tarburton did sneak in for two plays against Michigan with the score tied 7-7 and made the most of the cameo – notching a solo tackle vs. the run and pulling off a nice inside pass rush move to smack now-departed QB Joe Milton.

According to PFF, Tarburton pressured opposing QBs 3 times on 14 passing plays. Beyond stats, which there aren’t many, the main source of optimism attached to Tarburton stems from the praise of teammates, like Rasheed Walker, who line up across him at practice. 

At 252 pounds, Tarburton might be better suited to handle the every-down rigors of Big Ten football than the undersized Ebiketie. Spring-as-usual Practice affords Tarburton a golden chance to claim ownership of the up-for-grabs starting DE spot opposite of Adisa Isaac.   

JOHN(NY) DIXON

Is it us, or does it seems like John(ny) Dixon’s arrival from South Carolina should have been a bigger deal? 

Apologies for going all Collinsworth on ya, but ‘Here’s a Guy’ who flourished in a defensive scheme that asks a ton of its cornerbacks, saw a bunch of aerial traffic come his way since teams stayed away from soon-to-be millionaire Jaycee Horn, and proved he’s fast enough/physical enough to keep up with the best receivers in college football. So why hasn’t plucking Dixon from the Portal received more hype?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Whatever the reason, a full, 15-practice campaign in March-April and an undisturbed fall camp perfectly positions Dixon to wrestle away the Nickel back role from Daequan Hardy. Quite frankly, Hardy was a liability in pass coverage last year. According to PFF, Keaton Ellis was the only Penn State corner who graded out worse than Hardy when targeted…and to be fair, Ellis played much of 2020 injured. 

ENZO JENNINGS

An early enrollee way back in January 2020, Jennings’ expected ‘head start’ was nullified when COVID concerns canceled spring ball and reduced fall practice to a stop-start-stop-start mess. In fact, Jennings only saw action in one game last season – the final breaths of Penn State’s lopsided stomping of Illinois.  

Still, with Lamont Wade’s departure and Jaquan Brisker destined for the NFL after the 2021 season, Jennings could leapfrog several veterans on the depth chart (Jonathan Sutherland, Ji’Ayir Brown and Tyler Rudolph) if he crushes this 15-practice spring audition. Even if Jennings doesn’t start this season, a strong showing this March/April coupled with solid, promising appearances in spot duty during the 2021 season could be enough to keep James Franklin from flirting with Transfer Portal safeties next off-season.    

CURTIS JACOBS

The better he played, the less snaps he received. Such was the Curious Case of Curtis Jacobs in 2020. 

The lone true freshman defender to appear in more than four games last year, Jacobs’ workload dropped substantially – seemingly without reason – after his season-high 17 snaps vs. Iowa. In that forgettable blowout loss, Jacobs graded out better than any other Penn State defender and showed glimpses of future greatness. This is Jacobs’ first play vs. Iowa…a TFL where he sets the edge and avoids a cut block, forcing the Hawkeyes runner to scoot back inside and trip over Jacobs’ defeated fat man:

So what was Jacobs’ reward for performing well while starter Brandon Smith nursed an injury for a few series vs. Iowa? Crumbs. Two measly snaps the next week in Ann Arbor. Two measly snaps off NJ Turnpike Exit 9 the week after. Incredibly well rested, Jacobs finally got his jersey dirty again when Michigan State came to town, registering 4 solo tackles in 15 total plays. 

Hopefully, this semi-return to normalcy provides PSU DC Brent Pry enough practices to get Jacobs and Smith – arguably Penn State’s best linebackers – on the field together at the same time.

ANTHONY WHIGAN

Thankfully for Whigan, Harvard transfer Eric Wilson chose wisely and decided to finish his Ivy League undergraduate degree this semester instead of immediately enrolling at Penn State. That gives Whigan – a Top 10 JUCO recruit two years ago – a short window this spring to make substantial strides and at least solidify a backup role at either of the guard positions. Keep in mind, Wilson was a 2nd Team All-Ivy League selection in 2019, meaning it’s been 16 months (and counting) since he participated in a real football practice.

DANIEL GEORGE

Mike Yurcich’s hiring marks Daniel George’s third chance to make a first impression. 

After posting a modest 9-catch, 100-yard campaign in the final year of the Rahne Era, many predicted George to become a key cog in Kirk Ciarrocca’s 2020 passing attack. Well, that didn’t quite happen. George saw less targets and hauled in less passes last year as true freshmen Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith stole snaps away from the presumed preseason starting receiver. 

Despite that setback, George is still 6-foot-2 and possesses a skillset that Yurcich might fall in love with and want to fully utilize this season. As unlikely as that seems, a full spring practice schedule at least provides George the proper stage to spark Yurcich’s interest/imagination.   

SEAN CLIFFORD

Look, Sean Clifford’s 2020 season was bad…with a big, big BUT. 

But how can Clifford, or any QB, thrive when COVID cancels spring practice and the new offense is installed via Zoom? 

Normal 2021 Spring Practice eliminates the BUT and eradicates any excuse for a repeat performance from Penn State’s fifth-year starting quarterback. Yes, it’s another new system to learn, but there’s ample time and proper resources to learn it. Considering Penn State’s first ‘Free Space’ on the schedule doesn’t come until Week 4 vs. Villanova, the importance of these initial 15 practices is dramatically heightened. Beyond just installing a new offense, Yurcich must also instill (re-instill?) confidence in Clifford since, for better or worse, he’s the starter Week 1.