Unlucky Leader gives her offensive line prediction and other Penn State notes

I have no fancy rap references for you today. I’m sorry to disappoint.

Read my breaking news story on the offensive line here from today’s Big Ten conference calls. My guess for the spring game lineup? Nelson-Bates-Gaia-Dowrey-Beh. Take that for what you will.

At defensive tackle, a rebuilding area, Franklin said he fancied redshirt junior Parker Cothren and redshirt freshman Robert Windsor at the one technique or nose, adding Windsor is explosive, strong and young. Franklin said redshirt sophomore Antoine White could be a good pick at  the three technique, as could redshirt junior Curtis Cothran. Incoming junior college guys like Tyrell Chavis will also bring some needed maturity at that spot, Franklin said.

In his conference call, redshirt junior defensive end Garrett Sickels, the only returning starter on the D-line after all his compatriots departed for the NFL, said it’s been a change to go from the youngest on the line to the leader.

“The good thing about it is that everyone that we have back, we’re all pretty close, and we’re all in the same grade, really,” Sickels said. “We all have a really tight camaraderie, and we all know what’s expected of us.”

Sickels added that White is quick and shifty, poised to show his stuff now that Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel are NFL bound. And on possibly lining up with redshirt sophomore defensive end Torrence Brown, Sickels said Brown “is a guy that doesn’t make any mistakes,” and has experience as well.

Back to Franklin, he said of the rising recruiting expenses that Penn State is a bit isolated and thus it costs a bit more to travel to and from campus. He said the school just wants to do everything it can to attract the best fits for the program, adding, “To be honest with you, the way things are documented now are a little bit different than the way they’ve been in the past. We’re much more detailed in keeping track of those financials. So I think it’s probably a little bit more specific. I think Penn State has realized, as well as our football program and [that has] studied other programs in the Big Ten as well as nationally, the things you need to do to be successful.”

Spinning off the isolated Penn State thing, satellite camps! Franklin commented on the death of them after practice Wednesday, saying, “From the beginning, if the rule was going to be legal in the Big Ten ... I felt like we needed to do everything in our power within the rules to give Penn State the best chance to be successful.

“The rule now is not legal. So now everybody’s back on a level playing field. So I’m OK either way.”

Franklin said on the positive side, he’s happy to spend more time on campus with his players and his family. But on the other hand, he’s certainly happy to have signed the incoming kicker and punter out of a Georgia satellite camp.

And on if the Big Ten East would be more balanced with high turnover at places like Ohio State and Michigan State, Franklin said, “I don’t think there’ll be a significant drop off. I think this will continue to be one of the more competitive conferences in college football, specifically the east side of the conference.”

I think that’s all I’ve got for y’all now. I’ll have a spring game preview in Saturday’s paper, as well as stories Sunday and Monday from the spring game. So hold on to yer britches. Email. Tweet. Find your Wu-Tang name. I’m Unlucky Leader ;)