P.S. I know U., 2008 – Part 2, Offense (cont’d)

I’ll go over the two and three-deep this week for the Penn State 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.

As I did in P.S. I know U., 2008 - Part 1, Offense, 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 (cont’d), Tight Ends and Linemen

:: Tight Ends :: Mickey Shuler, Jr., Andrew Quarless, Andrew Szczerba, Jon Ditto

No. 82. Mickey Shuler, Jr. [TE, RS Jr., 6-4/250] – Good. The first time we really saw Shuler was against FIU last year, where he grabbed four passes for 54 yards and a score. With doubts about Andrew Quarless getting out of the dog house any time soon, Shuler provides a fantastic second option to start for PSU. Shuler’s father was a great TE for PSU in the 1970s, and went on to start for the Jets and Eagles. Mickey Jr. fits the TE mold that PSU is looking for, as he is strong in blocking schemes, but is also a good receiver. The coaches want to get the TEs involved more this season, and I’m looking for a really good year from Shuler. 2007: 7 rec, 91 yds, 1 td.

No. 10. Andrew Quarless [TE, Jr., 6-5/250] – Good. If only Quarless could stay out of trouble, he might have been off to the NFL following 2008. This guy is bursting with talent, has perfect size, but just can’t get his act together. When the season starts, he’ll likely be Shuler’s backup. But that could change quickly if he works hard to impress Paterno. As good as the PSU passing game can be this season, it could be even better with Quarless in the lineup. He’ll probably get spotty playing time early, but watch for the coaches to work him in more as the season goes on. 2007: 14 rec, 205 yds, 2 tds.

No. 80. Andrew Szczerba [TE, RS Fr., 6-6/262] – Decent. Think of Szczerba as the receiver-version of Stephfon Green. Andrew impressed many in the B/W Game. But we have to remain grounded on guys like them. That’s not to say he won’t do well this season. Szczerba is a great size for the position, and from what we saw in April, he also has great hands. He’ll surely get playing time this year, but more likely than not, it will be sparse. 2007: No Stats Accumulated, but had 5 rec, 65 yds in the B/W Game.

No. 88. Jon Ditto [TE, RS Fr., 6-3/227] – Decent. Ditto has been flipping between TE and WR since arriving at PSU in Jan. ’07. I’ll go with TE this time. After his recovery from shoulder surgery which caused him to redshirt 2007, Ditto seems ready to contend for the lead backup behind Shuler and Quarless. Jon has been a Nittany Lion for two full workout cycles (winter/spring ’07, and winter/spring ’08), and has a significant edge when it comes to knowing how the team operates. I don’t see Ditto in the lineup much this season, outside of mop-up duty. 2007: No Stats Accumulated.

:: Offensive Line :: [1st Team] Gerald Cadogan (T), Dennis Landolt (T), Rich Ohrnberger (G), Stefen Wisniewski (G), A.Q. Shipley (C), [2nd Team] Nerraw McCormack (T), Lou Eliades (T), Johnnie Troutman (G), J.B. Walton (G), Mike Lucian (C)

[1st Team]
No. 76. Gerald Cadogan [LT, Sr., 6-5/314] – Great. I don’t believe Cadogan gets enough praise for the job he’s doing. This could be PSU’s best offensive line since 1994, and Cadogan is one of the leaders. He played four sports in HS, football, track and field, swimming (yes, swimming!) and some basketball. In his first season as a starter, the offensive line averaged 193 rushing yards per game. Most of those yards were to the left side. He was also Academic All-Big Ten for the third time. 2007: Played 998 snaps, tied for second-most on the team.

No. 73. Dennis Landolt [RT, RS Jr., 6-4/303] – Good. Prior to 2007, Landolt was AA Levi Brown’s backup, until Cadogan took over that spot. In high school Dennis didn’t allow a single sack in three years, earning a top-20 rating from Rivals.com. Landolt should excel again on the line, and will could be one of only two returning starters in 2009. 2007: Played 998 snaps, tied with Cadogan for second-most on the team.

No. 64. Rich Ohrnberger [LG, RS Sr., 6-2/296] – Good. Rich has come a long way since he took over in October ’06. Down against Ohio State that season, Ohrnberger made a critical false start on 4th-and-goal on the OSU 1-yard line, forcing PSU to settle for a FG. That memory is burned into my mind. But now, all I have is admiration for Rich, as he’s matured into one of the best guards in the Big Ten. Like Evan Royster, Ohrnberger played lacrosse in HS. 2007: Started 12 of 13 games, only missed Michigan start.

No. 61. Stefen Wisniewski [RG, Soph., 6-3/294] – Great. If you listen to the coaches and the media, Wiz sounds like the next Marco Rivera. He might be. Unseating starter Mike Lucian last season nearly shook the ground in Happy Valley, as we all know that doesn’t happen often. The best part about Stefen is that he’s one of the smartest football players at PSU, and his physical abilities are far beyond the average sophomore. Wisniewski’s father and uncle both played at PSU and the NFL. His uncle, Steve, was selected All-Pro guard with Oakland eight times. 2007: Became first freshman to start on the O-Line since 1999.

No. 57. A.Q. Shipley [C, RS Sr., 6-1/300] – Great. This will be Ship’s third season as PSU’s starting center, and he was elected captain for 2007. A All-Big Ten selection last year and this preseason, A.Q.’s value is immeasurable. He came to PSU as a standout defensive lineman, winning nearly every central-PA football honor his senior HS season. Shipley first saw time in 2005, and in 2006 moved to center. He should repeat as an All-Big Ten selection, and should also contend for the Rimmington Award and All-America honors. 2007: Played 997 snaps, started 26 consecutive games (‘06/’07).

[2nd Team]
No. 75. Nerraw McCormack [LT, Sr., 6-5/292] - Good. McCormack has a distinct advantage in that he came to PSU with a ton of playing experience at Nassau CC, in NY. The coaches like his swift and fluid blocking ability, which should earn him some playing time. Nerraw went to HS with Stephfon Green and LB Shaine Thompson. 2007: Played 31 snaps against FIU, Wisconsin and Temple.

No. 77. Lou Eliades [RT, RS Soph., 6-4/309] - Decent. Eliades was highly recruited out of south Jersey, and has earned praise from the staff and Joe Paterno himself. He was forced to sit out the final half of 2007 with a stress fracture in his foot that required surgury. I can see the staff getting him much more playing time this year, as he’s a possible candidate to move to LT next season to replace Cadogan. 2007: Played 68 snaps against FIU, and Buffalo through Wisconsin.

No. 74. Johnnie Troutman [LG, RS Fr., 6-4/318] - Decent. A member of the vaunted 2006 recruiting class, Troutman enrolled early in 2007, and has two full workout cycles with PSU. Johnnie fits the new mold for PSU OLs, as he’s tall and big. That’s not to say slow, but during the early 2000s, PSU came under scrutiny for its small OL. Many blamed that for all the losses. Even though it wasn’t true, PSU started gobbling up bigger, faster OLs. Troutman was one of them. He’s a definite future starter. 2007: Redshirt season.

No. 65. J.B. Walton [RG, RS Fr., 6-3/293] - Good. Walton had a tough time getting to PSU, as he enrolled at the Milford Academy for one year. But now that he’s off his redshirt season with PSU, he should compete right away from playing time behind either of the starting guards. J.B. was highly recruited out of Maryland, where he was a highly decorated defensive player. The coaches have spoke highly of Walton’s strength in workouts and on the practice field. 2007 Redshirt season.

No. 50. Mike Lucian [C, RS Sr., 6-2/290] - Good. Lucian was the victim of Wisniewski’s amazing ascension to the starting RG spot. Mike earned the starting job after John Shaw got injuried prior to the Buffalo game last season. Unfortunately, he was also brought down by injury, a mild concussion against Wisconsin. Should something happen to Shipley, Lucian is more than capable of filling in without the line missing a beat. Midway through 2006, he shifted from defense to offense. 2007: Played 552 snaps.

Coming Tomorrow: Defense

Last time in P.S. I know U., 2008:
Part 1, Offense