The opportunity for true freshmen to see the field has never been higher than over Penn State’s final three regular season games. That’s amplified in a game at Purdue, a team that hasn’t won since its season opener.
“You’ll start to see some guys available and play,” James Franklin said on Monday of a group of freshmen who could play and still retain their redshirt status.
“Some will be ready to go right now because they’ve only played one game,” Franklin said. “Some we’ll probably wait till the next game to use.”
Offensive lineman Cooper Cousins, tight end Luke Reynolds and safety Dejuan Lane have already burned their redshirts, but the rest of the freshman class appears on track to maintain an extra year of eligibility. Which first-year players does Franklin project to see increased roles at the end of the regular season and potentially into the postseason?
RB Corey Smith
The overlooked freshman running back in a class that included highly touted four-star Quinton Martin Jr., Corey Smith burst onto the season in his collegiate debut against Washington. Smith rushed five times for 95 yards, including a 79-yard carry, on Saturday. With only one game played, Smith can appear in each of the remaining three games and retain his redshirt.
Smith’s role could especially increase if starter Nick Singleton, who exited with an injury in the third quarter against the Huskies, is unavailable or limited. He also could be an option in place of Martin, who has already appeared in two games and could be sidelined in an effort to preserve his redshirt.
DE Max Granville
Despite being just 17, defensive end Max Granville has earned rave reviews over a season that he was originally supposed to play at the high school level. Granville developed so quickly that Franklin had considered giving Granville the green light to burn his redshirt “if we needed him to win.”
Alas, Granville’s impact wasn’t necessary, and he now enters the final stretch of the regular season with just one game appearance and a clear path to retaining his redshirt.
DE Jaylen Harvey
Similar to Smith, Jaylen Harvey has almost been overlooked in a freshmen class that includes an electrifying defensive end in Granville. On Oct. 23, Franklin named Harvey as one of four freshmen, along with Granville, Smith and Martin, who had been “coming on.” Harvey has only appeared in one game this season.
WR Tyseer Denmark
Since his arrival on campus, wide receiver Tyseer Denmark has generated “a lot of excitement, and there still is,” Franklin said this past Wednesday. Denmark has only appeared in one game and could provide a boost at a position that’s been inconsistent throughout the year.
DT Xavier Gilliam
At 6-foot-2 and 302 pounds, Xavier Gilliam sure looks the part of a defensive tackle capable of playing at the Big Ten level. Gilliam has generated “excitement” from both Franklin and strength and conditioning coach Chuck Losey since the offseason, and now the time has come for him to play without having to burn his redshirt.
Gilliam’s role could provide a major boost to a defensive line that will be without veteran Hakeem Beamon, who departed from the program this past week.
LB Anthony Speca
When starting linebacker Dominic DeLuca missed the USC game with an injury, Anthony Speca was given a temporary green light to burn his redshirt if it was needed. It wasn’t, and Speca has only played in two games. Franklin said he’s still “trying” to redshirt Speca, although “it may not play itself out like that,” especially due to recent injuries to veteran backup Tyler Elsdon.
Speca burst onto the scene in collegiate debut against Kent State on Sept. 21, a game in which he led the team with five tackles.
CB Kenny Woseley Jr.
Penn State has a pair of freshman cornerbacks who will likely see playing time over the remainder of the regular season. The system that cornerbacks coach Terry Smith has put in place is to rotate Kenny Woseley Jr. and Jon Mitchell for the rest of the year, as a means of maintaining both of their redshirts.
Woseley played in the fourth quarter against Washington, his second game appearance, meaning he will likely sit at Purdue.
CB Jon Mitchell
Following the system, Mitchell should expect to play against the Boilermakers, if the score allows him to. Mitchell joined the Nittany Lions as the team’s highest-rated defensive recruit out of high school.
“This will be Jon’s game now. Jon can play the rest of the year,” Franklin said. “And then not this game, but the next game, Kenny will be in a similar situation.”
DB Antoine Belgrave-Shorter
In a bit of a different situation than Woseley and Mitchell, Antoine Belgrave-Shorter has practiced at both cornerback and safety this season, and it’s likely that he would play the latter if his name is called on Saturday. With thin depth at safety, Belgrave-Shorter’s position switch is, for now, only “temporary,” Smith said on Sept. 26.
OL Eagan Boyer
Aside from Cousins, Eagan Boyer is the other freshman offensive linemen who has stood out to Franklin and Losey. Boyer has only appeared in one game this season, and Losey said on Sept. 11 “he’s doing everything he needs to be a big time player for us down the road.”
OL Donnie Harbour
The lone player on Franklin’s list of freshmen to watch who has yet to make his debut is offensive lineman Donnie Harbour. The 6-foot-3, 323-pound Harbour sure has the size, but it’s unclear where he could line up and how well he could perform.
