James Franklin’s Penn State will open its season against Nevada this weekend. Over the fall camp, the head coach has offered clarity on various position groups, especially on the offense. The QB1 was never a doubt. The WR room has new transfers coming in, but even then, the Lions are clear about the roles of Trebor Pena, Kyron Hudson, and Devonte Ross. In the running back room, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen are ready to make another splash, with the Orange Bowl defeat pumping the adrenaline. “The mindset has been really different. We’ve just been more motivated,” as Nicholas put it. The electric RB duo chipped in over 1,000 rushing yards each last campaign, but the RB backup is still under wraps.

The RB backup contenders? Quinton Martin Jr., Corey Smith, and Cam Wallace. Has James Franklin settled on the third-string competition? “Not yet,“ James Franklin admitted in his remarks to the press on August 29. “We’re still going to discuss that. We’ve had injuries and inconsistency.” Last season, Singelton and Allen were the starters while Wallace served as the backup before he sustained an injury against Kent State. He had rushed for 63 yards and a score on 18 attempts, helping the team lead a 56-0 win. But has he recovered?

Previously in the off-season, James Franklin had discussed Wallace’s recovery from the injury. “He’s totally ready to go, but it was a significant injury, so he’s still working through some of those things,” Franklin had said in early August. “He’s starting to look more and more like the Cam we remember every single day, and I’m proud of him.”

Moving on to Quinton Martin, he tallied 32 yards on 13 carries, 18 yards on three catches, and returned a kickoff 27 yards last season. Spring camp saw a highlight moment during the Blue-White games. And Corey Smith? He posted 78 yards against Washington last season, concluding his record with 152 yards and no touchdowns on 22 carries. Franklin continued on RB backups. “So, I’m not sure how that’ll play out. This week will play a big part in that, but if I had to guess, you’re going to see if they have the opportunity; you’re going to see probably all three of them play.”

The coaching staff had limited Singleton’s and Allen’s reps in part to benefit and develop the backups. This season, the Nittany Lions brought in a new RB coach, Stan Drayton from Temple, who has developed NFL stars such as Ezekiel Elliot, Roschon Johnson, and Bijan Robinson, among others. The backup spot might not be settled yet, but Singleton is confident in the offense. “I feel like the passing game is going to be more explosive, which obviously helps [the running backs] us out,” Singleton said. So, how is the RB room coming along?

What about James Franklin’s WR room?

“We need more playmaking at the wide receiver position for us to go where we want to go, in critical moments, in critical games,” the head coach stated per the Centre Daily Times. The RB locker room saw a revamp this offseason. James Franklin hauled in Devonte Ross, Kyron Hudson, and Trebor Pena from the transfer portal, and they were a seasoned lot.

It will be fair enough to say that they have plugged into Franklin’s playbook. “…they are always asking me questions on routes, what are they thinking on certain routes, if they get a certain coverage. So I can anticipate it and throw them to a spot,” Drew Allar said of the transfers’ prepping up for the game. Combined, the three of them have 12 seasons of collegiate football experience.

Then comes the returning production. Liam Clifford is the only player from last season’s unit who did not transfer, graduate, or move to the NFL. The freshmen Koby Howard and Tyseer Denmark have shown flashes of talent this preseason, earning the coaching staff’s approval. Their hard work and grit have earned all six of them a mention in Franklin’s depth chart. Listed out as positional pairs, the WR depth chart goes like this. Hudson/Howard, Ross/Liam, and Pena/Tyseer.