Penn State’s James Franklin’s hopes to create depth while limiting his stars’ workload

Balancing the present and the future can be tricky for a college football coach.

As Penn State continues preparations for what could be a special season, James Franklin is pleased with the way his talented veterans progressed through preseason camp.

But Franklin also knows 2026 is coming fast.

The Nittany Lions’ nonconference schedule — three consecutive games at home against prohibitive underdogs — will provide an opportunity for Franklin and his assistants to limit the reps for his proven standouts.

Those games also will allow PSU’s staff to play talented, inexperienced youngsters who could help the Lions later this season and next year.

“I feel really good about it,” Franklin said recently, asked about how his team’s preseason development.

Franklin, a quarterback at East Stroudsburg in the 1990s, remembers the days when college teams practiced twice a day, sometimes three times a day.

That’s not how it’s done in 2025.

“I wouldn’t go back (in time) if I could,” Franklin said. “I think the morning walk-through and the afternoon practice is enough. We get a ton out of it, especially the way we are walking through.

“Guys are doing a really good job (of) being detail-oriented, footwork, pad level, all of it. I think it’s been really good.”

PSU was also cautious with its veterans in practices, especially at positions where the Lions do not have proven depth.

“Specifically, when you talk about the proven commodities, like, Dani (Dennis-Sutton) needs to get better, but we gotta be smart with him because we know who Dani is,” Franklin said. “Same with Zane (Durant). Guys like that, (Nick) Singleton, ‘Fat’ (Kaytron Allen), guys like that, we’ve modified their reps.”

Penn State is favored by more than six touchdowns against Nevada on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The Lions will be heavy favorites vs. Florida International and Villanova after that.

Winning is the priority for a Lions team that is expected to make a strong run at a national title.

Identifying young players who can aid in that run is another pretty big one, too.

“I think there’s the aspect that there’s guys right now we think are going to be ready by Game 1,” Franklin said. “But then there’s also guys that we think may (not) be ready by Game 1, (but) we think they’re going to be ready by Game 4 or 5.”

“We’ve had that every year, (true freshmen) guys that were ‘yellow’ (lights) at the end of camp but then by Game 4 or 5 they turn to ‘green’,” Franklin continued, referring to PSU’s practice of designating freshmen who will not redshirt as “green light” players.

“We’ve had guys that we thought were going to be green then slowed them down because they didn’t play as well as we thought they were going to (play). We’ll have a better idea of where we’re at after Game 3.

“We have a bye week (after Game 3), as well, so that will be helpful, too, to kind of look at our roster.

“Which of those guys that played in the first three games will continue to play? Or which guys are you going to shut down and save their fourth game for later in the season when we need it?”