3 freshmen James Franklin needs to give more playing time down the stretch

Penn State head coach James Franklin has been careful not to burn too many redshirts from his 2024 freshmen class. Only Cooper Cousins, Luke Reynolds, and Dejuan Lane have played over four games already this season, the minimum a player can appear in while maintaining redshirt status. 

Cousins and Lane had Franklin’s “green light” from the start of the season and Reynolds earned his after redshirt freshman tight end Andrew Rappleyea was lost with a long-term injury. All three have been impactful players during Penn State’s 8-1 start, but now with only three games remaining on the schedule, it’ll be go-time for the rest of the freshman class that did preserve their eligibility. 

At his Monday media availability, Franklin offered a list of freshmen who could expect to see playing time over the next three weeks against Purdue, Minnesota, and Maryland with the Nittany Lions as big favorites in all three. However, these three members of the 2024 recruiting class could make the biggest impact on this team heading toward the postseason and should see the most, and most meaningful, playing time down the stretch. 

Granville was one of Penn State’s most coveted members of its 2025 recruiting class, but then he reclassified to head to Happy Valley early. Even as one of the younger members of the class, Granville, the son of a former NFL player, has already seen two games of action, so he’ll need to be held out one more over the next three to preserve his redshirt. 

Granville has only played 23 total snaps across his two games but should see even more action when he does take the field again soon. Starting defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton injured his groin against Wisconsin, which prompted Franklin and defensive line coach Deion Barnes to put Granville in the game. Since that injury, Dennis-Sutton has played five snaps against Ohio State and eight against Washington. Veteran Amin Vanover has taken over as the primary starter opposite Abdul Carter, but the Nittany Lions don’t have overwhelming depth on the edges. 

Wisconsin transfer Jordan Mayer played sparingly last week and Smith Vilbert moved to the edge at 282 pounds, but Granville is the most naturally gifted defensive end behind Carter, Dennis-Sutton, and Vanover, and should get a bigger chance to help the team. 

The four-star running back out of the state of Wisconsin made his collegiate debut on Saturday in Penn State’s 35-6 White Out over Washington. With fellow four-star freshman Quinton Martin Jr. having played in three games already and redshirt freshman Cam Wallace out long-term, Smith became the primary backup to Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and did not disappoint in his limited reps. 

Smith played five snaps and carried the ball on all five, racking up 95 yards with a long of 78. He was billed as a home-run hitter as a prospect and his speed translates from Friday nights to Saturday. 

While Singleton deals with nagging injuries that have robbed him of his breakaway speed, Smith shouldn’t just be an insurance policy, but a featured part of Andy Kotelnicki’s offense going forward. Penn State’s offense needs speed and Smith can provide it like few others on this roster can. 

Like many Penn State freshmen, Denmark’s only action of the season came in the team’s 56-0 drubbing of Kent State back in Week 4. The 5-foot-10 three-star played 17 snaps and hauled in his only target for a 13-yard grab. 

Even more than speed in the backfield, Penn State is desperate for playmakers at wide receiver. The Nittany Lions wideouts were practically blanked by Ohio State in Week 10, and tight end Tyler Warren has been Drew Allar’s most reliable pass-catcher all season. Denmark may be too raw or not physically developed enough to win on the outside, but it's worth a shot to play him significant snaps because even if he can’t get open, he’ll just fit right in with the rest of the team’s receivers. 

Franklin has heaped from Denmark since he arrived in Happy Valley. With three games left, it’s time to get the new toy out of the garage and take it for a spin.