The Penn State Nittany Lions football team has hit a rough patch lately. The pre-season No. 2-ranked Penn State lost its last two games, one against Oregon and one against the 0-4 UCLA team. Automatically, they went down the ladder of the top 25 teams in the rankings. Their record is three wins and two losses, the same as their next opponent, the Northwestern Wildcats. Moreover, James Franklin talked to reporters after practice on Wednesday and decided to completely move on from (or stop using) five of his players.

On October 8, college football insider Zach Seyko hopped onto X with James Franklin’s post-practice tea: “From what James Franklin said today after Penn State football practice… It doesn’t sound like we will see Tyseer Denmark (wide-receiver), Koby Howard (WR), Quinton Martin (RB), Cam Wallace (RB), or Corey Smith (RB) get many meaningful snaps. If any.”

Fortunately, this group of players isn’t the Nittany Lions’ first team. They’re all young guns, still working their way up the roster and trying to make a name for themselves. Think of them as players who get little to no reps but aren’t the main guys on the field when the game starts. One could say they come in if someone gets injured or a starter slumps.

Notably, Tyseer Denmark and Koby Howard are freshman wide receivers battling for playing time. They are getting some love from the coaches, but haven’t had a significant impact in games yet. Penn State’s wide receivers boast several transfer portal stars, such as Trebor Peña, Kyron Hudson, and Devonta Ross. It’s doubtful that both these wide receivers will see any meaningful snaps.

The other three, Quinton Martin, Cam Wallace, and Corey Smith, are all running backs eyeing that third-string spot behind the certified starters, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. However, their chances of getting the job are very slim. They could get in only if Singleton and Allen, arguably the best 1-2 punch at running back in the nation, have a dip in their performances.

Quinton Martin missed a chunk of preseason camp with an injury, so he’s still playing catch-up. Cam Wallace is a redshirt sophomore who’s been through some injuries but is now back in the mix, trying to earn some stripes and nods from his coaches. And Corey Smith is another redshirt freshman running back who’s seen a little action this season, showing some potential to break out for big runs. With how things are going for the Nittany Lions, James Franklin’s making all the calculated moves to avoid disappointment.

James Franklin on O-line and fans’ frustration

This week is a make-or-break moment for Penn State football. After a disappointing 3-2 start, head coach James Franklin knows another loss would jeopardize his career forever. He’s taking one week at a time with Penn State, so the room for error is pretty slim. During his media session on Wednesday, Franklin spoke about accountability and how he’s trying to ignore the outside noise as the pressure builds.

One of the key topics he addressed was the team’s offensive line rotation. Against UCLA, Penn State made some changes, giving T.J. Shanahan Jr. his first start at right guard and rotating Anthony Donkoh in for a few snaps at correct tackle. Franklin explained that this was part of a planned rotation since he trusts about seven linemen to play. He also mentioned Donkoh has been dealing with injuries, so his limited snaps were about managing health and depth, not punishment. Going forward, Franklin still hopes to rotate players as long as everyone stays healthy.

Franklin also acknowledged the growing frustration among fans after back-to-back losses, especially since Penn State fell out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2022. “It starts with all of us looking in the mirror and making the adjustments we can make, and owning it, and then moving forward in a positive direction, and reminding the players that we’re closer than maybe it feels right now and that it’s being reported, right?” Franklin said. “It’s never as bad as you think. It’s never as good as you think, although it feels bad right now to everybody.”

He completely understands the anger but is focused on fixing what he can control. Taking responsibility for the team’s struggles, Franklin emphasized that everything starts with him. Despite the criticism, he told players and staff to stay honest with themselves, make improvements, and remember they’re closer to turning things around than it might seem.