UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State’s offensive line has drawn the ire of fans in most years since coach James Franklin took over in 2014.

The 2021 season was no different, making the current spring ball just as important as the rest when it comes to the group’s development.

That progression has been complicated, however, by the lack of numbers on the line.

“We’re thin on the O-line,” Franklin said this week. “… Really we’ve got one O-line right now.”

The lack of depth caused some issues already for the program, including Friday night when the team had its first scrimmage of the spring.

Rather than rolling through reps in the scrimmage, with backups coming in directly after starters to get their opportunity, Franklin and company had to alter the format to make sure the line was ready. The starters would take their reps, then the team would move to special teams to give the offensive line a breather before going to backup reps.

The situation put the offensive line in a difficult spot, but redshirt senior starting quarterback Sean Clifford said the group handled the situation admirably.

“They’re working really hard,” Clifford said. “I gotta give a lot of credit to them. They don’t get as much credit as they deserve. With the limited numbers, it just allows guys to get rep after rep after rep. A lot of people might complain about, ‘My legs are tired. I’m sore.’ Those guys haven’t missed a beat.”

One of the longer-term issues that can arise from the group’s lack of depth is the growth of the unit as a whole within the offensive system. The Nittany Lions have the same offensive coordinator for the second year in a row, which hasn’t been the case since the 2018 and 2019 seasons when Ricky Rahne was in charge.

Franklin said it hurts the players who are missing out on practice reps, but the team’s creativity has helped make sure other groups don’t miss out.

“I think we’ve done a pretty good job of being creative,” he said. “What you really have to be careful of is that it doesn’t limit the development of a bunch of other positions. When one position is really challenged from a depth perspective, it makes it really hard to practice the way you want to practice. Then other units and other positions get impacted by it. I think we’ve managed it pretty good.”

Clifford ready to help athletes with NIL

Clifford announced the formation of a company Sunday night that will help student-athletes navigate the now-legal ability to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL). The company — named Limitless NIL — started as a quick idea that Clifford helped turn into reality.

He said the group’s purpose originally came about because he knew how much his fellow student-athletes were having a difficult time with NIL.

“That’s why I made it,” Clifford said. “That’s why I really believe in it. That’s why I’ve been taking the time to do it. I believe that where NIL is heading, there needs to be very strict direction. And if there’s not it could either go left or right.”

The announcement, which came in a story by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, has already gained interest from student-athletes, both current and former.

Those contacts ranged from interested parties, to those who were happy to see the company formed.

“I’ve gotten a ton of great responses from current players, past players, guys from Penn State,” Clifford said. “… Vet guys, guys in the league, agents as well, thanking me for setting this way and for setting this path.”

The company, which already has one of Clifford’s teammates signed on in star safety Ji’Ayir Brown, is set to reach out to athletes both at Penn State and at other universities.

Brown’s first deal, which is to have a pizza named after him at Snap Custom Pizza in State College, was negotiated by Clifford’s team. He hopes it’s simply the beginning for Limitless NIL.

“Moving forward, I think that it’s a really exciting time,” he said. “Just excited to be a part of it and to be a leader in this space.”

Wide receivers stepping up

Penn State’s offensive struggles last season were largely out of the hands of the wide receivers, but now the group has something to prove. Gone is Jahan Dotson, who served as both a security blanket and an explosive weapon on the outside, and inserted in his stead is a player who yet to suit up for Penn State..

There are the two other returning starters — Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith — who have shown they can contribute at a high level, but questions remain about if they can replace Dotson’s production. The most likely direct replacement for the star receiver is a newcomer at Penn State.

Mitchell Tinsley, who transferred into the program in January and will don the same No. 5 Dotson once did, brings veteran leadership and production from his one season at Western Kentucky. The senior piled up 1,402 yards last season with the Hilltoppers and is already providing a calming presence for the position group.

“I just think his maturity stands out,” Franklin said. “He’s refined in terms of how to run routes. Very consistent catching the ball. He’s Steady Eddie. … This spring was really important for him to lay a foundation. Then I think this summer will be huge. Not only from an offensive perspective, but also I just think our strength and conditioning program and our speed program that he’s gonna be involved with this summer, I think will be really impactful for him.”

To replicate what he did in 2021, Tinsley will need to be on the same page as his new quarterback. Clifford has familiarity with Lambert-Smith and Washington that he doesn’t with the newcomer.

That being said, the two have already put the effort in to bridge any gap that currently exists.

“He’s electric,” Clifford said. “He’s a workhorse. … He’s my roommate as well. He’s always in my ear, talking football. So we have a really good relationship. He’s gonna be really special this year.”

Quick hitters

• Franklin said he wants the next athletic director to be bold and aggressive, to understand the national landscape of football and to get things done from a procedure and policy standpoint.

• New special teams coordinator Stacy Collins said he’ll factor data, composure and other factors when determining who’s going to be the team’s starting kicker.

• Franklin said he hopes the April 23 Blue-White game is as much like a game as possible, but hasn’t thought about how it will go just yet.

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