Penn State QB Drew Allar practices on August 20 in University Park, Pennsylvania. Photo by Hailey Stutzman | Onward State
Penn State’s preseason practice is coming to a close. Tuesday was the team’s final offseason practice session. The next session will be solely in preparation for the season opener at West Virginia on August 31. And with the season approaching, the Nittany Lions offered a little more than usual during Tuesday’s practice window.
That is, the quarterbacks and wide receivers actually made contact with reporters in attendance – one of the few such cases in this camp.
Drew Allar threw long balls to receivers sprinting down the field and also mixed in some short yardage plays to others, starting with the running backs. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is expected to get Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen more involved in the passing game, and some steps in that direction were shown Tuesday.
Allar handled most of the quarterback duties while backups Beau Pribula, Ethan Grunkemeyer and Jack Lambert traded throws alongside him. Allar threw long balls to a number of key targets, including likely top option Harrison Wallace III. Overall, Allar looked solid.
There were two NFL scouts keeping a close eye on Allar and Penn State’s wide receivers, from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers. While he may not be aware of it during games, Allar is sure to draw a number of scouts’ attention this season, his last before being drafted.
Scouts also likely visited the field, where Abdul Carter worked with defensive line coach Deion Barnes and the edge rushers. Carter was named a preseason All-American by the Associated Press and is expected to be one of the first defensive players selected in next spring’s draft, despite recently moving up from the linebacker position.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter is a little below average compared to fellow hulking defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, but he looks like a pass rusher who can do damage and bears a physical resemblance to Chop Robinson, a first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins.
While Carter is the most notable player to switch positions this offseason, he is not the only one. DaKaari Nelson, entering his second year with the Nittany Lions, has moved from safety to linebacker. He put in a lot of work with his new unit on Tuesday and should prove to be a backup behind Kobe King, Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas.
After practice, a number of coaches and players will be available to reporters. James Franklin will start things off before turning the floor over to Kotelnicki, defensive coordinator Tom Allen and special teams coordinator Justin Lustig. Players scheduled to speak Tuesday include Wallace, Dennis-Sutton, Rojas and guard Vega Ioane.
