Practice Update

STATE COLLEGE – There’s plenty of questions but Penn State head coach Joe Paterno has had limited time to answer really any of them. Three days into spring practice, the veteran Nittany Lions head coach met with the media assembled in the Lasch Football Building this afternoon and was honest in his assessments of the team to this point.

He sees a better leader in quarterback Daryll Clark, compared to last spring, but isn’t sure how much different he is as a player because it’s too early.

Paterno talked about players swapping positions, namely Stefen Wisniewski to center, the loss of Aaron Maybin, Mo Evans and others, the need to rebuild a beleagured secondary (at least by Rose Bowl standards) and how his health is doing these days.

Paterno said he is fine, he is as close to 100-percent as he’s been. There was a golf cart present at the practice session, but Paterno in his typical khakis, gray sweatshirt and white collared shirt walked between offensive and defensive drills for the 20 minutes or so we were allowed in.

Both Paterno and Clark spoke today about how hard they took the loss to USC in the Rose Bowl.

• One of the main areas of concern was the secondary which Paterno said they are looking at right now and determining through “agility drills” and said he watches the players do a variety of different things.

• A total of 10 players are being held out of drills during the spring, five of them key players, linebacker Sean Lee, LB/DE Jerome Hayes, running backs Stephfon Green and Brent Carter and back up center Doug Klopacz.

• Defensive tackle Brandon Ware has shed some weight, but it’s still not where Paterno would like him.

• Though Kevin Newsome is taking No. 2 reps in practice, Paterno still said he needs to beat out walk-on Matt McGloin. The irony is also that Paterno said he doesn’t favor the early enrollment idea, but said he has to be a little selfish this year because they needed Newsome in there ASAP to back up Clark.

• Colin Wagner appears to be the starter right now at kicker, Paterno didn’t mention anyone like Anthony Fera or David Soldner by name, but said everyone right now has to beat out Wagner.

• If the season started today, Lee would move to the MLB spot.

• Paterno said he knew Maybin would be leaving early but was surprised Evans left, adding that he talked to Evans’ mom and she gave good reasons as to why he should leave.

• Clark has a lot more confidence than compared to last season.

• As far as the wide receivers go Paterno spoke highly of Graham Zug and Brett Brackett, also mentioned Derek Moye, but spoke of a lack of experience for the most part. Clark earlier in the day mentioned that the receivers will not suffer a drop aoff from the “big three” that left.

• Paterno said that defensive tackle Jared Odrick called him the day after he got into a minor incident in downtown State College, and that Odrick is “OK, right now, but you only get so many chances.”

Now some observations from the few minutes we got to watch:

Kevin Newsome looks good in pads (No. 12)…Jared Odrick, Devon Still and Jack Crawford are just monsters when working on the sled…among the notables inside at the practice, former wide receiver Deon Butler was there, as were several recruits, however the media was not permitted to shoot video, talk to or take pictures of any of them.

We did not get to see who was lining up where in terms of drills, however the coaches’ clinic scrimmage is next Saturday and while players and coaches are off limits to the media, the pressbox will be open for us.