PSU Nittany Lions

Penn State released an updated depth chart today and, although quarterback remains a question mark, some positions certainly became clearer.

Here's a closer look at some of the notable changes:

1. Lots of movement in the secondary.

Adrian Amos is the top DB for the Nittany Lions, and he shined at cornerback last season. The versatile player practiced a lot at safety this offseason, though, and the depth chart now lists him as a starting safety alongside ... well, apparently, the other starter still isn't a lock.

Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, who started last season, is listed as Amos' backup. The other starter isn't yet decided, as Bill O'Brien put the "OR" next to Malcolm Willis' name, meaning a competition is still under way between him and walk-on-turned-scholarship athlete Ryan Keiser.

At cornerback, which saw Amos and the graduated Stephon Morris as the 2012 starters, there are two new names to watch. Sophomore Jordan Lucas grabbed one starting spot, while wideout-turned-corner Trevor Williams is listed at the other. Da'Quan Davis is Lucas' backup.

2. TE-turned-OT Garry Gilliam is now up to 305 pounds.

That's a huge turnaround in less than a year. He played the role of blocking TE last year and started the season at 262 pounds. So, in about 10 months, he's gained 43 pounds. That says quite a bit about PSU's strength and conditioning program. He's currently listed as Dononvan Smith's backup at left tackle.

3. Kyle Baublitz will start alongside DaQuan Jones at DT.

Redshirt freshman Austin Johnson received a lot of praise over the spring, and he seemed poised to grab the starting spot. But the more-experienced Baublitz is instead part of the first-string lineup.

Baublitz played in six games last year, and the most recent roster puts him at 286 pounds -- 32 pounds lighter than Jones and 11 pounds lighter than Johnson. He had two tackles and one sack last year.

4. The long-snapper is ... MLB Glenn Carson?

At least for now, it is. Sean Corcoran is an incoming run-on who's expected to compete for the starting snapping jobs, so Carson's name there could be short-lived.

5. Bill Belton remains the No. 2 RB, while Brandon Moseby-Felder will still start opposite WR Allen Robinson.

Neither was a big surprise, but there were questions surrounding both players. Akeel Lynch is the no. 3 RB, while Eugene Lewis-Matt Zanellato are the receiving backups. (Lewis should still see a considerable amount of time on the field, obviously.)

Moseby-Felder nursed a leg injury last season, which slowed him down in the early going, and he could be a nice surprise this season. Early enrollee Richy Anderson might have garnered his share of pats on the back, too, but he's listed as a fourth-stringer. A redshirt could be in his future.

6. Charles Idemudia is the non-scholarship LB to watch.

Yes, the starting lineup is still Mike Hull-Carson-Nyeem Wartman ... but that was never really in doubt. With just five scholarship linebackers on the roster -- six once Brandon Bell gets on campus -- a walk-on was poised to see some time.

PSU's players threw around a couple names, such as Adam Cole and Matthew Baney, but Idemudia is the only non-scholarship LB listed on the depth chart.

7. Kick/punt returners listed.

PSU tried a few different players on special teams last season. But as of now Belton and Alex Kenney are listed as the top-two kick returners, with Jesse Della Valle as the top punt returner. Those three had the most kick/punt returns last season, so it's not a huge shock to see those names again. One interesting change, though? Anderson is the No. 2 PR.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Bill O'Brien wasn't overly pleased with his quarterbacks at the beginning of Wednesday's practice. The fiery coach yelled early on at the four signal-callers, "You do not want me to play quarterback, because I can't throw."

The media were allowed to attend about 30 minutes of Penn State's fifth spring practice, and the defense seemed to get the better of the offense during a brief battle. Juco quarterback Tyler Ferguson took snaps with the the first team during the offense-defense competition, while Steven Bench went with the second team. (They alternated first-team snaps during walk-throughs.)

The offense had four chances to reach a first down, and Ferguson opened up by connecting with Allen Robinson on a seven-yard pass. That was the offensive highlight of the two series, however, as linebacker Glenn Carson stopped Zach Zwinak at the line of scrimmage, then Ferguson was nearly "sacked" on a play-action pass.

Bench didn't fare any better and didn't complete a pass in four downs. In what might have been the best overall play, defensive end Brad Bars made nice penetration, then leaped in the air to deflect a screen pass. His teammates yelled, "Oooooh," because of the impressive vert, but Bench actually caught the rebound. Still, the play was whistled dead.

Bill Belton ran twice without much success, and Bench then held on to the ball for what seemed like an eternity. At least two linemen could've sacked him had he not been wearing a red shirt, and he ended up scrambling to the outside. That play also was blown dead.

The offense was forced to do five hit-its as a result of losing the competition. Obviously, eight snaps and a handful of passes don't genuinely reflect the quarterbacks' overall success, but it at least offered a glimpse.

Injury report: Tight end-turned-offensive tackle Garry Gilliam did not take part in practice because of an injury to his right calf. He's week-to-week. ... Stephen Obeng-Agyapong (shoulder) and Kyle Carter (wrist) wore red shirts but practiced. ... DT DaQuan Jones spent the first few minutes of practice with the first team during walk-throughs but was not wearing pads and did not participate in contact drills. The nature of his injury was not immediately clear, but a spokesman said it wasn't serious. ... Tight end Adam Breneman also wore a red shirt -- something he didn't do in the first practice -- and had his right arm taped up.

Visitors: Members of the Cornell coaching staff were on hand to watch practice, and two 2014 recruits also walked around the practice field to take in the sights.

ESPN Watch List QB Michael O'Connor (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy) and cornerback Marcus Whitfield talked to their respective position coaches and watched from the sideline.

Starting lineup: At wide receiver, Robinson and Brandon Moseby-Felder lined up as the starters, while both Austin Johnson and C.J. Olaniyan practiced with the first-team defense.

In a curious move, Donovan Smith was limited while Eric Shrive replaced him. Smith received some one-on-one instruction at times, and it wasn't clear if he was injured.

Regardless, it didn't seem serious. Smith is the clear starter, and reporters were told this was the first practice where Smith was treated like that.

Special teams' woes: The field-goal unit practiced what appeared to be extra points. (The yardage markers run parallel to the posts, so it's not clear.) On one snap, center Ty Howle tossed it back a little low and the holder wasn't able to get a handle it.

It rocketed behind the kicker when Ryan Keiser couldn't grab it in time. PSU was inconsistent on special teams last season, and mistakes like that are exactly what it can't afford in the regular season.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Allen Robinson smiled and cocked his head to the left when asked how he plans to improve, how he hopes to follow up his record-breaking 2012 season.

It's not that he needed to search for words or that he didn't know the answer. The junior wideout just didn't know where to begin.

"I just want to improve all my weaknesses I had in my game last year," he said matter-of-factly.

After setting a school record with 77 receptions, Robinson's weaknesses might not be so evident. His route-running and leaping ability set him apart and made him one of the most dangerous wideouts in the Big Ten.

He finished his first year as a starter with 1,013 yards and 11 touchdowns, more than twice as many as Penn State's No. 2 target. But, on Saturday afternoon, he rattled off a list of improvements almost as long as his list of accolades.

First off, he said, he needs to increase his weight and improve his diet. He finished 2012 hovering around 198 pounds, so he felt tired and sore as the season wore on. He's now eating three meals a day --- instead of the usual two if he wakes up later -- and put himself on a 2,500-calorie diet.

"I'm at about 208 right now," he said. "So I just want to be more of a durable receiver, able to get across the middle and take those hits and be a better blocker in the run game."

He's also watching more film, trying to pinpoint cracks in his technique. He wants to throw more footballs with Steven Bench and the stable of young quarterbacks. And he's hitting the weight room -- early and often.

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STATE COLLEGE, Pa -- Three small children, between the ages of 3 and 5, weren't intimidated by Penn State's mammoth football players. A boy in a blue hat, who just reached Kyle Carter's waist, instead actually tried to intimidate the 6-foot-3 tight end.

"Boo!" he yelled, giggling furiously once Carter and two other players -- Carl Nassib and Brian Gaia -- feigned being frightened.

“

They're fighting for their lives every day and, just being able to see them fight and be happy, it's really inspiring.

”
-- Penn State DE Brad Bars

"Boo!" his brother joined in. Soon enough, all three siblings were joining in a chorus more fit for Halloween. "Boo!" Laughter. "Boo!" More laughter.

The children were part of the 28 Make-A-Wish families who descended on the Lasch Football Building to hang out with the football players, tour the facilities -- and even try on some pads and uniforms in the locker room. Saturday afternoon's event was part of THON weekend, which is centered around a student dance marathon that helps raise money to fight pediatric cancer. Just last year, THON helped raise $10.68 million.

"Every time, it just gets better," Carter said. "This is definitely the most [players]. I'm not sure if guys are just feeling they really wanted to give back this year; I just feel like the whole team is here today. I can't think of one guy who is not here."

Even true freshman Adam Breneman, who's been enrolled about a month, slowly walked through the building's hallways -- stopping every so often to point out the meaning of plaques or what goes on in certain rooms. Donovan Smith, a 316-pound offensive tackle, couldn't have caused more laughter -- well, maybe with his teammates-- if he had slipped on a purple dinosaur costume. Steven Bench chatted up any adult or kid within earshot.

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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- All eyes were on Matt McGloin as he focused on short routes and impressed on intermediate, 15- to 20-yard ones during Tuesday afternoon's practice.

He threw only one incompletion on his last six throws — a ball that sailed about a foot over freshman Eugene Lewis' head. He clapped his hands, let out a yell and then resumed anticipating the moves of his wideouts and receiving little criticism from the coaches.

"We feel like Matt's got a really good grasp of the operation, how it all fits together," Penn State coach Bill O'Brien said before practice.

Evan Lewis and Alex Kenney split time at the slot, and McGloin's nicest connection involved Lewis. The fifth-year quarterback tossed a tight spiral against his body and led Lewis to the sideline about 20 yards downfield.

Kenney mishandled one ball over the middle, trying to trap it with his body, but still managed to haul it in. "Hands!" one coach yelled.

Shawney Kersey did not dress because of an ankle injury, so Christian Kuntz rotated in with the first team. Sophomore Allen Robinson appears to be the No. 1 wideout on the outside and showed consistent hands Tuesday.

"Allen Robinson's had an excellent camp," O'Brien said. "He's made a lot of good plays for us."

Freshman receiver Eugene Lewis practiced with the backups, and Matt Zanellato played with the third-string.

Paul Jones remains the backup quarterback, but O'Brien said he needs to show more consistency. True freshman Steven Bench flashed some accuracy but struggled throwing on the run.

Injury update: Safety Jake Fagnano's hamstring still hasn't fully healed, and O'Brien said the coaching staff will have to decide Monday what to do there.

"You got to let it heal," O'Brien said. "Otherwise it'll keep nagging at you."

No other injuries seem to be affecting the roster, however.

The other starting safety, Malcolm Willis, did not practice -- but O'Brien said he's doing much better now and should practice soon.

Tight end Garry Gilliam tweaked his quad Monday night and should be fine. Pete Massaro did not practice because he's coming off a torn ACL from last season and the staff wants to be cautious. Gerald Hodges earned a day off last week, too, so he could rest up.

Malik Golden, Derek Day and Mike Yancich also did not practice. Brad Bars was seen heading to the locker room.

Belton's backup: Day is ahead of Akeel Lynch right now for the No. 2 tailback spot behind Bill Belton.

O'Brien said Curtis Dukes played well the last two days — and that might have been the first time O'Brien mentioned Dukes all preseason.

Tallest player: Freshman Jesse James, a 6-foot-7 tight end who enrolled in January, towered above the other tight ends and wideouts Tuesday. Besides reserve offensive tackle Kevin Blanchard, he's the tallest on the team.

O'Brien hasn't mentioned James much when discussing freshmen. But the coach smiled when asked if he's forgotten the early enrollee actually is a first-year player.

"He had a big play yesterday in practice on a pass route and broke it for about a 50-yard gain. So he's done some good things," O'Brien said. "He obviously has a future for us."

Right tackle battle: Donovan Smith finally returned to practice and looks good at left tackle. But, it appears as if there's a position battle heating up on the other end, at right tackle.

Adam Gress was listed as the starter in the spring, and has mostly practiced with the first team this preseason, but O'Brien said Mike Farrell has come on strong and will challenge for the job.

"I feel good about the offensive line," O'Brien added.

Best camp: One of the finalists for that honor appears to be Michael Zordich, who caught a few balls from McGloin early on out of the backfield.

He's also impressed on special teams, O'Brien said.

"Zordich, at fullback, has had one of the best camps out of anyone here," O'Brien added.

Punting issues: O'Brien admitted he still didn't feel comfortable with the punting game. Alex Butterworth has improved over the last week, but his consistency still isn't where it needs to be.

"We don't always have to punt it," O'Brien said with a laugh. "We can go for it."