Penn State comes off a strong finish to a 2014 season that featured its share of trials and tribulations. Coach James Franklin went 7-6 in his Happy Valley debut while working with a deeply flawed offense that featured inexperience at offensive line and wide receiver and little support for sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg. The results were forgettable as Penn State ranked among the worst offenses in the country.
Looking ahead to 2015, Penn State has reasons to be optimistic. A year wiser and with an injection of talent, the offensive line has nowhere to go but up. Several playmakers have a chance to make a great leap, and competition should be fierce for time behind starting running back Akeel Lynch. Bob Shoop’s defense should again be a strength behind the 1-2 punch of Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel.
Andrew P. Shay and Dustin Hockensmith took a look at the stories to watch when Penn State starts camp next week and gave their picks for breakout candidates and instant impact freshmen in a segment for the Keystone Sports Network this week. Check out audio of the show in this post and be sure to check back in to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for plenty more Penn State podcasts and analysis.