STATE COLLEGE – Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein still says former Wyomissing blue chipper J’ven Williams “has a long way to go.”
But the man who has the most say in how much Williams will play this season said Thursday that the Nittany Lions need to put him on the field.
“J’ven played well enough in practice to get time,” Penn State coach James Franklin said, unprompted. “You would like to get him some legitimate representatives, as long as things continue as they are now. J’ven did well enough and we need to give him experience.”
The 6-5, 304-pound Williams received the most practice reps at left tackle during spring practice because former Downingtown West star Drew Shelton was absent after undergoing surgery for a back injury. upper body.
Trautwein has said multiple times since Williams arrived on campus that he has had to work on protecting his pass because he has little experience in the ground-oriented Wing-T offense that Wyomissing runs.
“He did a lot of reps in the spring, probably 500 or 600,” Trautwein said. “Probably 350 of them were professionals. He faced some really good D-ends like Dani Dennis-Sutton and Abdul Carter, perhaps some of the best in the Big Ten.
“He got better with all those reps. That really pushed him to take the next step. I would say he still has a long way to go to get to where he wants to be.”
Williams was rated as a five-star prospect by On3 and 247Sports and a top-25 prospect in the country overall. He played in three games last season behind All-American Olu Fashanu, who is now in the NFL with the New York Jets, and maintained four seasons of eligibility.
Shelton split time between the two tackle positions before starting at left tackle against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl loss in place of Fashanu, who opted out. Franklin said Shelton was recently fully cleared to resume all activities.
“He’s super mature,” Franklin said. “He’s been a great coach and mentor to some of the younger players. He’s really in a good position. He probably needs to gain a few pounds. He is very conscientious and very intelligent.
“This summer and training camp will be important for him. I think he’s going to have a really good year for us.”
No matter how much game action Williams sees this season, Penn State coaches believe he can reach his potential.
“He’s super athletic,” Trautwein said. “He has beautiful feet, he just needs to work on the little things. There isn’t a guy in my room (offensive line) who can throw the shot put 20 yards (like Williams did in high school). I threw 43 feet. He is much more powerful than me.
“I’m trying to get him to use that power. If it happens and it should, he’ll be a bona fide guy.”
Big spring for Schlaffer: Former Exeter star Joey Schlaffer impressed Penn State tight ends coach Ty Howle with his performance during spring practice.
After being redshirted last season, Schlaffer came into his own during winter conditioning and added considerable bulk to his 6-5 frame.
“Joey had a really good spring for us,” Howle said. “He had a lot of reps. He really stepped up to the plate by going against (defensive backs) Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac (who are now in the NFL) and those guys on the scout team.
“He added weight and strength. I think he’s 242 now. That was really important for him coming out of high school and getting him ready to play. He’s a smart guy. He can learn multiple positions (tight end).
Tyler Warren and Khalil Dinkins will be Penn State’s top two tight ends when training camp begins in August. Schlaffer will compete with Andrew Rappleyea and Jerry Cross for time behind Warren and Dinkins.
White Out Update: Many Penn State fans are dismayed about when the annual White Out Game will take place at Beaver Stadium in the fall.
FOX, CBS and NBC share broadcast rights to Big Ten games. FOX reportedly wants to schedule the Ohio State vs. Penn State game on Nov. 2 for its Big Noon broadcast, although no announcement has been made.
The Illinois game (Sept. 28) and the UCLA game (Oct. 5) are also possibilities.
Franklin was asked Thursday when he thinks the White Out game will be.
“Great question,” he said. “If I could tell you, I would. If we want to provide the opponent, the time of day, the experience that our fan base wants and expects, there is a lot of pushing and pulling, compromises and working with the conference and with TV partners to try to find a win-win solution. for everybody.
“I have a good idea what the trend is, but I don’t know yet. The worst thing I can do is tell you one thing and then it changes. Or, by telling you this, it affects the chance of it happening.”
The last White Out game against Ohio State was in 2018 when the Buckeyes beat the Lions 27-26. Since then, they have been against Michigan (2019), Auburn (2021), Minnesota (2022) and Iowa (2023).
The 2020 game against Ohio State was played at night, but in front of only family and friends because of the pandemic.
