P.S. I know U., 2008 - Part 1, Offense

This is a new feature I wanted to do, since the season is coming up so fast. I’ve decided to go over the two and three-deep this week for the offense, defense and special teams. Then on Friday, we’ll look at the coaching staff. This won’t be full of messy stats (even though I do love them, oh so much), but it also won’t be straight opinion. This is just to get everyone in the loop when it comes to the key figures for 2008. Hope you enjoy P.S. I know U., 2008.

I’ll describe each player in one of three ways - Great, Good, Decent. Great indicates that player is a sure starter, and should get all-conference or all-america. Good means that player is a solid starter, someone the team can rely on to do the job. Decent goes to many of the backups who will see time in the rotations. I figure there isn’t a player on the two or three deep that is below decent, or PSU is in real trouble.

Offense - Part 1, Backs and Wide Receivers

:: Rushers :: Evan Royster, Brent Carter, Stefon Green, Brandon Beachum, Dan Lawlor (FB), Larry Federoff (FB)

No. 22. Evan Royster [TB, RS Soph., 6-1/212] - Great. Don’t think I’m jumping the gun on this kid. He’ll be running behind the best offensive line in the Big Ten this season, and has a great supporting cast. He reminds me of Larry Johnson. He’s a smooth runner, but will punch you in the face if he has to get the extra yardage. And as we saw against Wisconsin, Purdue and Texas A&M, he can break a game wide open on any play. Fortunately for Royster, he doesn’t have to wait until his senior season to show off, as did LJ. 2007: 82 car, 513 yds, 5 tds.

No. 32. Brent Carter [TB, RS Soph., 6-2/211] - Good. I was really impressed by Carter’s running ability against Michigan State. In fact, I’ll go so far to say that if PSU let him run more on that last drive, the team would have scored. Although Carter isn’t an every-down tailback, he’s more than capable to carry the load when needed. He’ll be a valuable asset to PSU this year. 2007: 11 car, 43 yds.

No. 21. Stephfon Green [TB, RS Fr., 5-10/189] - Decent. Fans are going to get on my case about this one, but I’m hesitant to say Green is the be-all-end-all at the position. We haven’t seen him play against real competition, but I’ll admit I’m excited about him. He’s a speedster who can out run almost anyone. More than likely, he’ll be utilized as a multi-purpose player, not unlike Derrick Williams in 2005. No stats in 2007, but had 12 car, 87 yds, 1 td in the B/W Game this April.

No. 25 Brandon Beachum [RB, GS (gray-shirt) Fr., 6-0/212] - Decent. Ok, so I went four-deep on the running backs. From what I’ve heard, Beachum is more of a power/third-down running back. And while PSU is generally getting away from the power-back style, there’s always room for a guy who can pound out four yards every time he gets the ball. I’ve only seen HS clips of Beachum, and he fits the mold of Tony Hunt. No stats in 2007, but had 7 car, 55 yds, 2 rec, 12 yds in the B/W Game.

No. 33. Dan Lawlor [FB, RS Sr., 6-2/244] - Good. Lawlor wasn’t exactly flashy on the field, but he dished out some wicked blocks for Rodney Kinlaw and Evan Royster. PSU has drifted away from the power-I, but you can’t underestimate the value of a good fullback. Lawlor’s also got a brain, as he was Academic All-Big Ten in 2007. 2007: 9 car, 37 yds, 1 td.

No. 44. Larry Federoff [FB, RS Jr., 5-11/237] - Decent. We don’t know a whole lot about Larry, except that he transferred from Edinboro University. He has been reported to have really good lower-body strength, which should bode well if he gets playing time as a blocking back. 2007: 2 car, 2 yds.

:: Wide Receivers :: Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood, Brett Brackett, James McDonald, Kevin Cousins, Derek Moye, Graham Zug

No. 2. Derrick Williams [WR, Sr., 6-0/194] - Great. I won’t go into the “Big 3” (Williams, Butler and Norwood) so much, since pretty much everyone knows them thoroughly. But I have big hopes that Williams will return to his 2005 form. At the tail end of last season, the coaches moved him back to the slot, and he had 260 yards and a touchdown grab over the last four games. 2007: 55 rec, 529 yds, 3 tds.

No. 3. Deon Butler [WR, RS Sr., 5-10/168] - Great. He’ll most likely lead the team in yards for the fourth straight season. Butler has been PSU’s biggest deep threat since 2005, and as long as the staff gets him free, he’ll perform as well as always. 2007: 47 rec, 633 yds, 4 tds.

No. 24. Jordan Norwood [WR, Sr., 5-11/177] - Great. Norwood made his mark by catching anything that came near him in 2005, and has been one of the most consistent members in the receiving corps. His numbers have never been amazing, but defenses have a hard time figuring him out. 2007: 40 rec, 484 yds, 5 tds.

No. 83. Brett Brackett [WR, RS Soph., 6-6/235] - Decent. After the Big 3 receivers, PSU fans seem to be at a loss. Now that Terrell Golden (unfortunately) and Chris Bell (fortunately) are gone, it will be up to guys like Brackett to step up. It’s been a while since a PSU receiver has been this tall. He’s a former three-star quarterback out of New Jersey, who came to PSU alongside Pat Devlin. He made the switch to WR last spring. The offensive staff has been raving about Brackett’s hands, and his ability to get open near the goal line. I see a lot of post patterns from the slot position for this guy. 2007: 1 rec, 16 yds.

No. 8. James McDonald [WR, RS Jr., 6-2/198] - Decent. This year’s recipient of the Red Worrell Award, given to the player who made the biggest contribution to spring ball, James is hoping to get more reps this fall. He was one of those “fast guys” from the 2005 recruiting class, but sort of fell by the wayside once the Big 3 emerged. McDonald fits the mold of a great WR, with his height and speed advantages. I’d be surprised if PSU didn’t find a way to get him catches this season. 2007: 1 rec, 10 yds.

No. 9. Kevin Cousins [WR, RS Jr., 6-3/205] - Decent. Cousins was a former sprinter turned WR, another “fast guy” from 2005. Unlike the Big 3, however, Cousins has amazing size to go along with the speed. He’s been battling injuries for a while, but has a solid shot at the backup spot behind Butler. Look for both Cousins and McDonald to shine in 2009. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

No. 6. Derek Moye [WR, RS Fr., 6-5/196] - Decent. I’m tempted to list Moye as Good, but we haven’t seen what he can do. He towers over opposing cornerbacks, and has the added benefit of speed. He’s not lightening on grass, but he has a good top speed. If PSU has one WR that looks to be the future of the passing game, it’s Moye. The staff said they want to get him on the field this fall no matter what it takes. We’ve heard that one before from them, but somehow, I believe it with Moye. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

No. 5. Graham Zug [WR, RS Soph., 6-2/196] - Decent. For some reason, I remember seeing Zug on the field a lot last year. Maybe it was because he was the only white receiver (sorry PR people, but it’s true) out there. He’s seemingly shown enough talent to get live snaps. He showed a bit in the B/W Game this year, but like so many others from that game, you can’t get a real feel for Zug from that scrimmage. He seems like a career backup, but good enough to play every game. 2007: 1 rec, 8 yds.

But who will get them the ball?

:: Quarterbacks :: Daryll Clark, Pat Devlin, Paul Cianciolo

No. 17. Daryll Clark [QB, Sr., 6-2/231] - Good. He may not be Michael Robinson, but he might be just as good overall. Clark has--from what little passing we’ve seen him do--a better arm than M-Rob, but isn’t quite as fast. His mobility has lofted him to the presumptive starter position, but it’s a tight battle right now. Clark, right now, is a senior, but he’s working things out with the NCAA clearinghouse, where he might be given another year of eligibility. 2007: 66%, 31 yds.; 12 car, 78 yds, 2 tds.

No. 7. Pat Devlin [QB, RS Soph., 6-4/222] - Of course, when I said Clark had the best mobility of the QBs, that didn’t mean Devlin can’t scoot if he has to. Well, I guess when all we have to compare to is Anthony Morelli, a bag of cement has good mobility. Devlin has a great arm, and the coaches have been gushing over him. I’d personally like to see him get a good deal of significant playing time this season, because unlike Clark, Devlin has three full seasons of eligibility remaining. Imagine what PSU could do with a steady QB for that long. 2007: 0-2, 0 yds.

No. 15. Paul Cianciolo [QB, RS Sr., 6-4/219] - Decent. Many of us remember Paul from his 43-yard screen pass to Tony Hunt in 2006 against No. 4 Michigan. After that, though, there’s not much. Cianciolo is a typical PSU guy, who goes to class (Academic All-Big Ten 2007), and patiently waits his turn to play. He may not get the chance to start in 2008, but he offers invaluable stability at the position behind Clark and Devlin. Paul also played baseball for PSU, serving as a pretty good reliever and earning one save. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

Coming Tomorrow: Offense - Part 2, Tight Ends and Linemen