Cam Wallace’s comeback story is one you’ve gotta watch this fall. Remember early last season, when Wallace brought his trademark burst field? Yeah. He was earning reps fast, even finding the end zone, before that knee injury against Kent State abruptly ended his season. It was a major setback, and not just for Cam, but for the entire Penn State squad already depending on Nicholas Singleton and Kayton Allen to grind every carry.

Before the injury, Wallace had been quietly stacking decent numbers in his limited opportunities, rushing for 63 yards on just 18 carries, averaging an impressive 3.5 yards per attempt, and adding one touchdown in just three appearances. Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, the star 170-pound rightback showed why he is one of the important pieces of the Nittany Lions’ squad. And when one of James Franklin’s staffers, Stan Drayton, breaks down Wallace’s progress next, it’ll hit home just how close Cam is to returning to form.

“Getting better every day? He had a better day today than he did tomorrow, you know.” Drayton said during his recent conversation with the media during the training camp. “So if he keeps stacking that, I mean, I think he’s going to be to the point where he’s going to be game ready, you know. It’s just a matter of confidence, though, right?” So, it’s a good sign for the Detroit Lions’ fans that Wallace is doing good and making better progress.

Drayton further added, “You know, every day he gets a little bit more confident on those ankles and um he’s been doing a phenomenal job of learning the plays, is just putting the execution behind it with some confidence is all we’re waiting for,” he concluded. That word, confidence, seems to be the theme of Wallace’s recovery. Physically, the staff believes he’s close, but mentally, getting fully comfortable making sharp cuts and trusting that knee again is the final hurdle.

Penn State was phenomenal last season with a magnificent record of 13-3, but when it mattered the most, they failed to deliver their best. The Big Ten Championship game loss against Oregon (37-45) and the heartbreaking Orange Bowl defeat against Notre Dame (24-27) still hurt the Penn State fans. And even Coach Franklin hasn’t forgotten that, as the memories are still fresh.

James Franklin opens up on painful memories.

Speaking recently with Ross Tucker on his Football Podcast, Franklin didn’t shy away from the painful aftermath of the season-ending loss in 2024, especially the spotlight on the star QB Drew Allar. He recalled it vividly: “I think the other thing that’s going to be critical not only for Drew but for our team is we’ve got to make more plays around him. I mean, how many times do you see their college game or NFL, where a quarterback throws the ball up in the double coverage? The receiver made a play for him, and that’s what we need more of.” The statement isn’t just about Allar; it was a rallying cry for the entire offense to step up.

That mindset played out immediately in the offseason. Franklin essentially admitted the wide receiver room let Allar down and went all-out to fix it. “That was a part of going out to the transfer portal and hitting the wide receiver position to get more playmakers around him while we’re developing the guys that we have on our current roster,” he said. Offensive cohesion matters, and Franklin made sure the weapons are now better.

At the end of the day, Franklin isn’t here to scapegoat anyone; he’s here to build upward. As for Wallace, that same ethos applies, side-by-side growth, an offense that supports its leader, and the hunger to correct past mistakes. So, the game is on.