STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -Linebacker U. lacks star power this spring.
Captain Sean Lee is gone from Penn State, along with fellow outside linebacker and tackling machine Navorro Bowman. So is Josh Hull, the former walk-on who turned into a solid middle linebacker. The three hope to be selected in the NFL draft this week.
It will be up to the remaining Nittany Lions, such as Nathan Stupar, to step up and keep the school’s linebacking reputation in good standing in 2010. What the junior lacks in starting experience, he makes up for in confidence.
“I really don’t feel much pressure,” said Stupar, a top backup and special teams player in his first two seasons in Happy Valley. “The only thing we do lack is experience right now. We do have just as good talent as they had … I think we’re ready and excited to show what we got.”
The first showcase comes Saturday when coach Joe Paterno’s crew wraps up spring practice with the annual Blue-White game. Not that it’s much of an actual game, but more of a glorified scrimmage in front of tens of thousands of fans at Beaver Stadium – and this year to be shown on national television.
The No. 1 story line remains who will replace record-setting starting quarterback Daryll Clark. Untested backups Kevin Newsome and Matthew McGloin have been splitting reps with the first team this spring, guard-center Stefen Wisniewski said.
But even defensive players can’t get away from questions about the competition on the other side of the ball. When asked, Stupar said the top two QB contenders were “completely different,” with McGloin more of a drop-back passer while Kevin is more a QB with running ability like Clark. Both have done well this spring, Stupar said.
If not for the quarterback race, the auditions to take over as the featured position at Linebacker U. would be the top spring question. Penn State lost playmakers in Lee and Bowman, while Hull overcame early struggles in his two-year stint as starter to become a dependable player. Lee’s loss may especially be noticeable for his intangibles and fiery leadership.
The top candidates to replace the trio all have experience as top backups – just not as extensive starting experience as Lee, Bowman and Hull. Stupar and senior Bani Gbadyu are running with the first team this spring, with senior Chris Colasanti manning the middle.
ometimes frustrating years on the bench. A touted recruit coming out of high school from Michigan, Colasanti said he’s spent much of his time on the pine watching and studying film and brushing up on the intangibles of playing defense.
“Not only what I have to do, but every player on the defense has to do,” he said. “It definitely has helped and strengthened me mentally.”
An abundance of talent behind the current first-teamers appears to be providing plenty of competition. Paterno earlier this spring singled out Mike Yancich, the backup to Colasanti. Sophomore Gerald Hodges, an athletic top recruit a year ago, is backing up Gbadyu, Stupar said.
Mike Mauti, thought to be the next star Penn State linebacker before being sidelined by a season-ending right knee injury in August, is rehabbing and working back into drills. Should he stay healthy, Mauti should almost certainly factor into how the starting lineup shakes out before the season kicks off Sept. 4 versus Youngstown State.
Plus, top freshman prospects Mike Hull and Khari Fortt, who recruiting analysts project to be future impact players, could get opportunities to prove their worth, too.
There’s so much talent in the wings that Paterno has said it’s the position he hasn’t studied as much because of the depth.
“At Penn State, Linebacker U., you’re always going to get competition. It’s always a fight to the death … don’t take that literally,” Stupar said. “You’re coming in and there’s three open spots. We’re not trying to kill each other, but when we’re on the field, we’re working collectively to be the best.”
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