Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State expecting to benefit from greater depth

Published Jul. 31, 2015 7:53 p.m. ET

foxsports

CHICAGO -- James Franklin always comes across as a positive guy, but he was practically bouncing around the hallways at Big Ten Media Days.

What had the Penn State head coach so excited?

The prospect not only of getting back to football but having something much closer to a full squad to play with in 2015.

He explained why that matters after NCAA sanctions sapped the numbers of his first Penn State team last year.

Not only did his starting lineups suffer, so did the entire team as a result of not being able to have regular practice sessions.

"I think that's what people sometimes overlook," Franklin said. "They think about the game -- and the game is important -- but it's also preparing your guys and getting enough reps in practice so it has a trickle-down effect to everybody.

"If your second team offensive line cannot block your second team defensive line, you can't develop the backup quarterback. You can't develop the wide receivers. You can't develop the corners."

The Nittany Lions could still practice full-go, but Franklin found it necessary to cut down on reps. Even if that was just a couple fewer reps per drill, he pointed out those add up from day to day to week to week. That was something his predecessor, Bill O'Brien, also had to deal with after sanctions were first handed down in 2012.

"When you have to reduce practice reps to keep people healthy, it just has an effect," Franklin said. "You're talking about that effect over three years. So being able to go back to more of a traditional model and the way we're going to practice -- and I'm not talking about the banging. It's not necessarily about the banging. It's just about the reps.

"We talk about mental reps and the importance of mental reps and how much you can get out of it, but there's nothing like experience. So standing and watching is one thing. Being out on the field and actually doing it in practice and in games and building up that muscle memory as well as the fundamentals and techniques and footwork necessary to be successful is critical. And we're a program that believes in the player development, mentally, physically, emotionally. And then also in recruiting as well. So we're excited about where we're going."