Here are 5 things to watch for in Penn State football’s 2023 Blue-White game

Penn State will close out spring ball Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium with the annual Blue-White game. The Nittany Lions, according to head coach James Franklin, should have a more familiar setup for the game than in recent years when it was altered due to injuries.

With that in mind, here are five things to watch for in Saturday’s scrimmage.

Drew Allar, Drew Allar, Drew Allar

All eyes will be on the freshman quarterback this spring, this fall and all winter. Drew Allar came into the program with more hype than most and is now the favorite to lead the Nittany Lions into the future as their signal caller.

While those on the outside have — rightfully so — crowned him as that starter, Franklin has said that quarterback is a competition. Still, Allar’s reps with the other potential starters will be important. He will have a chance to play with his teammates in front of a crowd for the first time as the presumed leader.

The sophomore impressed during his limited action as a freshman, but will now have to show more of what he can do and for extended stretches of time. Allar is going to be vital to the Nittany Lions’ success this season and fans should take the opportunity to watch him lead the team onto the field for the last time in Beaver Stadium until the season opener.

Who is the third wide receiver?

Franklin has mentioned the competition for the third wide receiver spot several times and most recently reiterated the battle for that spot Tuesday after his team’s practice. When asked who was competing for the spot, he said it was the rest of the team’s wide receivers. When asked who was standing out, he named only the two presumed starters — KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Harrison Wallace III.

There’s a clear need for somebody to step up and it will be interesting to see if any players can stand out in their final practice until the summer. Several players got time last year, like Liam Clifford, Omari Evans, Kaden Saunders, among others, and the team added former Florida State WR Malik McClain to the group in January. Still, it’s clear none of those players have earned a starting spot. Penn State will need some of those players to step up, and Saturday is another chance for them to do just that.

Which early enrollees get the most meaningful reps?

Penn State had a large group of freshmen enroll in early January and bypass the rest of their senior year of high school and some will inevitably have a chance to play this fall. Will they start? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be key contributors to the fate of the 2023 team.

Many of those players have received rave reviews from coaches and should crack a high enough spot on the depth chart to matter this year. Cornerback Elliot Washington II and linebackers Ta’Mere Robinson and Tony Rojas have been among the players getting that praise and could have varying degrees of relevance to the team’s on-field success. The Nittany Lions have quality starters at corner and linebacker, but getting meaningful snaps from those three could help in case of injury or even just to push the starters to perform at a higher level.

Keeping an eye on the safeties

The Nittany Lion defense loses talent at multiple spots, but one of the most notable comes in the back end of the unit. Ji’Ayir Brown’s departure for the 2023 NFL Draft leaves the group without its vocal leader and its most versatile weapon. He would drop down into the box and get close to the line of scrimmage in the team’s “prowler” package, which featured multiple extra defensive backs.

Penn State has multiple players who can replace him, but none at the same level that he played at — at least not right away.

Keaton Ellis brings a veteran presence, and Jaylen Reed brings physicality, but last spring’s star Zakee Wheatley should be primed to take a step forward. It will be interesting to see who the team’s top two safeties are this Saturday. If every player is available, it’s another valuable data point in determining who defensive coordinator Manny Diaz intends to start.

Second year impact

While the freshman coming in will be important to watch, there’s also a large group of second-year players who have had an opportunity to take a step forward this spring.

On offense, players like Evans, Saunders, Tyler Johnson, Anthony Ivey and Cristian Driver will try to make their case to be the third receiver, while tight end Jerry Cross continues to improve off an injury-riddled freshman year. Not to mention, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen continue to lead an elite running back room.

Defensively there’s a group of players that will have a chance to become starters — if not stars — in year two. Abdul Carter made that leap at linebacker last year while defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton and defensive tackle Zane Durant headline the second-year players that could make a massive impact in Diaz’s defense now that they have a full season under their belts.

How to watch/Listen

When: 2 p.m. (ET), Saturday, April 15 | Where: Beaver Stadium

TV: Big Ten Network | Livestream: FoxSportsGo

Who’s calling the game: Connor Onion (Play-by-Play), Matt Millen (Analysis), Matt McGloin (Sideline)

Online radio stream: GoPSUSports (university-run)