Penn State coach James Franklin discusses how team will adjust to opt outs for Outback Bowl

TAMPA — Penn State is traveling into uncharted waters on both sides of the ball as it prepares for Saturday’s Outback Bowl against No. 21 Arkansas. The team will have at least five absences on defense and two on offense as it tries to cobble together cohesive units.

The Nittany Lions had five starting defenders — safety Jaquan Brisker, defensive end Arbold Ebiketie, defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo and linebackers Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks — opt out of the game, one offensive player opt out in wide receiver Jahan Dotson and another, offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, was photographed on crutches by 247Sports’ Mark Brennan as the team arrived Christmas Day.

Being without those players, and specifically the opt outs, isn’t something Penn State coach James Franklin has dealt with in the past.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be a head coach for 12 years,” Franklin said at a joint press conference with Arkansas coach Sam Pittman Wednesday afternoon in Tampa. “I have never had (a bowl game) opt out in all of my 12 years. … It’s challenging. What I would say is, I’m focused on the guys that are in our locker room. That doesn’t mean that I’m not happy and excited and supportive of the guys that are not, but I’m excited about the guys that are in our locker room.”

Franklin had one player opt out of last season in former linebacker Micah Parsons, but wasn’t susceptible to bowl opt outs last year after the team declined to attend a bowl. That has made this season the first since opt outs have become increasingly popular that Franklin and his staff have had to deal with them, and it’s compromised the team to some extent.

Defensively, the Lions will be putting together a group of inexperienced players at linebacker and will have to make some unplanned roster adjustments to do so.

Multiple linebackers could burn their redshirts after playing four games this season. Freshmen Jamari Buddin and Kobe King have hit that threshold, with one more game making them ineligible for a redshirt season. Thanks to the team’s numbers at linebacker, Franklin said some redshirts will be burned.

“We’re gonna have to burn some redshirts,” Franklin said. “… We have some guys that we’re gonna have to burn their redshirts for this game, but it’s not something that I decide that on my own. I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. You bring the young man in, and you have some conversations with him. Sometimes you include the parents in those conversations.”

The Lions’ opponent also will be new for the program, with Penn State never before facing the Razorbacks in football, and new for the opponent with Arkansas coach Sam Pittman going to his first bowl game as head coach.

Pittman said he and his team are doing their best to balance game preparation and the fun that can come with a bowl trip.

“Your day has objectives in it,” Pittman said. “It has things that you need to get accomplished, and practice is first and foremost and we’re doing it early and meetings. Then the rest of the day they can go out on their own. As long as they can plan their day and have success the whole day.”

Part of that balance is preparing for Penn State running back Keyvone Lee, who brings a physical presence in the running game, and a tight end group that can be utilized in multiple ways.

The Lions have put Tyler Warren at quarterback, at his usual tight end spot and on the outside, where they’ll also use his position mates like Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson. Their physicality and athleticism present a unique challenge for the Arkansas defense because of how they can be deployed at different spots.

“(The tight ends) are talented,” Pittman said. “Penn State has a big, thick running back as well (in) Lee. He’s a good player, a very good player. Off of that they run a little play action and come off to the tight ends. Those guys are blockers, they’re catchers, they’re very talented. … We have to know where they’re at and how to defend them.”

Quick hitters

• Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu will start Saturday, according to Franklin, presumably in Walker’s place. He was set to start earlier this season but was replaced by freshman Landon Tengwall because of an injury.

• Penn State’s opt-out announcements have come since the team’s bowl prep started, but Franklin said the news wasn’t a surprise within the program and his team has been able to prepare for their absences throughout bowl prep.

• Arkansas has had two opt outs in Treylon Burks and Tre Williams. Burks was the team’s star wide receiver and played a role of similar importance to the one that Dotson played for Penn State as the team’s best offensive weapon. Both coaches said it would take more than one player to replace their star receivers’ contributions.

• Jonathan Sutherland, who announced he’s returning for 2022, plays his best the closer he is to the football after playing safety most of his career. Franklin said he believes his future is at SAM linebacker, which is what he’ll play in the Outback Bowl.

• Both coaches were asked who would play them in a movie, with Franklin choosing Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Denzel Washington — with a grin on his face comparing his similar physique to Johnson’s — and Pittman choosing Jack Nicholson.