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Penn State Football 2018 Player Preview: OL Sterling Jenkins

By Barry Leonard Jr.

PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 19: Sterling Jenkins #76 of the Penn State Nittany Lions heads to take the field against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights before the first half at High Point Solutions Stadium on November 19, 2016 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 19: Sterling Jenkins #76 of the Penn State Nittany Lions heads to take the field against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights before the first half at High Point Solutions Stadium on November 19, 2016 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Penn State football will be looking for a solid season from a former top recruit. 

2018 will represent the first season in a number of years that Penn State football is stacked on the offensive line. A problem area in previous seasons, head coach James Franklin and his staff worked hard to build a solid offensive line through recruiting. The Nittany Lions enter this season with both depth and talent up front. Penn State no longer has to pull guys from the defensive side of the ball to play on the O-line.

One player who has been with the program for a while but has yet to make a big impact is offensive lineman Starling Jenkins.

A part of the 2015 recruiting class, Jenkins was a huge get for the Nittany Lions at the time. He represented the start of Penn State successfully grabbing some of the best offensive linemen available.

247Sports rated Jenkins as a four-star recruit and the No. 18 offensive tackle and the No. 5 recruit from the state of Pennsylvania. Jenkins held offers from some of the best programs in the country. Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, and Nebraska all offered the massive lineman.

Standing at six-foot-eight and weighing over 330 pounds, Jenkins certainly has the size to play offensive tackle in college. However, despite his size and talent, he’s had difficulty getting onto the field consistently.

He was redshirted in 2015 then saw time in 11 games in 2016. Despite playing in so many games as a true freshman, Jenkins played in just one game last year.

Although Jenkins has yet to make an impact for the Nittany Lions, his size and strength are undeniable. Recently at the annual Lift for Life, he went toe-to-toe with fellow offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez on the bench press.

Related Story: Penn State Football 2018 Player Profile: TE Jonathan Holland

The offensive depth chart is crowded this season, so Jenkins likely won’t be a starter. However, he does have a chance to be one of the first reserves off the bench at left tackle.

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