College Football
Penn State football is coming into this upcoming season with a lot of unanswered questions at some positions. On the other hand, roster shakeups hit Penn State football this week. Some for the better and some not-so-good.
As these changes have taken place, coach James Franklin and his staff try to keep their minds on the main prize, a College Football Playoff berth.
The Roster Changes
Over the course of the past week and a half, Penn State reinstated former linebacker Manny Bowen back on the roster. The reinstatement came as a surprise to some fans. However, James Franklin took to the media last weekend to say that it was the best possible route for Manny Bowen to have considering he graduates in December.
Along with that announcement came the confirmation from James Franklin that redshirt freshman defensive end Brailyn Franklin is no longer with the team. Brailyn Franklin was a member of the 2017 recruiting class for James Franklin at Penn State. Brailyn Franklin spent last season on the sideline as a true freshman along with 17 others who received redshirt status. It’s unclear of his next move, Brailyn Franklin who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 200-pounds, committed to Penn State just before his Senior season. He’s from Haymarket, Virginia and enrolled last June.
Additionally, Penn State really doesn’t lose much ground at defensive end considering it’s one of their deepest position on the team.
On The Recruiting Trail
On August 2, three-star offensive lineman Zachary Franks committed to coach James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions football team. As of yesterday August 10th, he flipped his commitment choice to the Northwestern Wildcats.
Zachary Franks hails from Baltimore, Maryland and attends Gilman school. Zachary Franks stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 284-pounds. He ranks as the 16th best player in the state of Maryland. With Franks decision to flip, Penn State now currently has three offensive lineman committed to the class of 2019. Roster shakeups hit Penn State football.
In Conclusion
With the addition of Manny Bowen back on the roster, it adds veteran leadership alongside veteran linebacker Koa Farmer. Although James Franklin and staff never released why Bowen got dismissed from the team in the first place, James Franklin made it clear that the coaching staff never made it easy for Bowen to return. Furthermore, with the subtraction of Zachary Franks, the overall recruitment class stands at 13th overall in the nation. It was previously ranked 11th.
You can follow Tom on twitter @TJ22_psu and are welcome to talk sports of any kind.
