PSU Nittany Lions

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Bill O'Brien crossed his arms and furiously chewed a piece of gum when the inevitable question was asked Saturday: Was the Penn State coach any closer to naming a starting quarterback?

He had to know the question was coming. That was the storyline of the Blue-White Game, the main topic fans discussed in the stands, and a topic that reporters have peppered him about every time O'Brien has made himself available.

"No, I'm not any closer," he said. "But I enjoy coaching both guys and, eventually, we'll have to make a decision. But I'm not ready to make that right now."

Inconsistency appeared to be theme of the day for junior college newcomer Tyler Ferguson and returning sophomore Steven Bench. O'Brien didn't use that term, but he might as well have. He said the pair obviously would've liked to have some plays back but also made some nice throws.

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What kind of player is Penn State getting in three-star early enrollee Richy Anderson? And what can fans expect from the player who flipped from Maryland?

NittanyNation turned to one of the people who knows most what Anderson is capable of on the field -- Ben Wright, his high school coach at Frederick (Md.) Gov. Thomas Johnson -- and asked what separates the running back/wide receiver as a player, how he first noticed Anderson's ability and when he especially showcased his potential.

Anderson is currently playing the slot for the Nittany Lions.

Wright, on what separates Anderson from others at his position: "We played him in the slot and at tailback, and he was probably our best receiver. He'd run your pass route, and he can recognize coverages really well, so he'd get where you wanted him to. It takes a lot to learn that. He's pretty fast, got real good moves and he has real good lateral cuts. He's definitely a competitor.

"I think fans are going to be surprised at how well he catches the ball. He jumps up, and he's very physical going for the ball. He doesn't look like a freshman. When you watch kids play, there are just some that see the field really well -- and he does. He knows how to evade defensive players."

When he first knew Anderson would be special: "I knew that when he was in seventh grade when he was in a youth league. He just had a lot of skills. He ran intensely and played hard. He could catch, throw and move well laterally. You could just tell then he was a good player.

"So, yeah, I saw him play in seventh -- and he broke his arm in eighth so he didn't play that season -- but I had already seen him play. He played for a couple different organizations, but any team he played for, he was the best player. You could tell right away. Everybody said the kid was good. Even then, he was pretty driven. He was mature. I think his dad [former PSU running back Richie Anderson] being a coach for the Kansas City Chiefs at that time imparted in him a lot."

When Anderson surprised him or really showcased his ability: "I know we beat a team that won the state championship in his 10th-grade year. And, late in the game, he broke off a run and instead of going to the outside, he cut inside. I asked him why he did that, and he said he wanted to keep the clock running. That's pretty mature for a 10th-grader. He understood the game. It was later in the game, the fourth quarter and we're winning. They didn't have any timeouts left, so he knew not to run up the sideline.

"And, in the playoffs his junior year, he'd really rise to the occasion. He had a big run every game, probably. He ran back punts, played some defense, and you could tell he was good."

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Bill O'Brien maintained an even tone Wednesday afternoon as reporters surrounded him to pepper in questions about his two quarterbacks.

He remained stoic as he explained "no guy has really stood out above the other guy." Consistency has been the buzz word this spring, and that seemed no different at practice No. 10, which was open to the media for about 30 minutes.

O'Brien's calm demeanor dissolved two hours following that interview once practice began and his quarterbacks guided the team during a two-minute drill. It was the only time the media were able to watch the signal-callers face the defense -- and they did so inside Holuba Hall as thunder rumbled around the facility.

"Don't film this!" O'Brien barked during the 7-on-7s.

Steven Bench took snaps with the first team and, again, showed glimpses of greatness and inexperience. He completed three straight passes by finding three different receivers, and Mike Hull's blanket coverage on Jesse James prevented a fourth straight completion.

But it was the following pass attempt that caused O'Brien to pull Bench aside and gesture to him.

The quarterback dropped back and attempted to rifle in a ball over the middle. The pigskin went right through safety Ryan Keiser's fingertips, and a coach called out, "Game's over right there. Gotta get that!"

Bench rebounded on the next play by finding Allen Robinson in the end zone to finish off the two-minute drill. Tyler Ferguson then took over and completed two straight passes before faltering.

He spiked the ball to stop the clock, then held on too long, and appeared as if that counted as a sack. He followed up by completing a short pass to Richy Anderson, but it was too late. O'Brien whistled the drive dead as the marker showed fourth down.

"They both had their moments," O'Brien said prior to the drill. "I've been very impressed by how hard each guy has worked."

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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- While Bill O'Brien's voice carried over the field Monday afternoon, quarterbacks coach Charlie Fisher directed his players in a calmer manner.

During position drills at Penn State's first spring practice, Fisher stood about five yards in front of his four quarterbacks as they took turns taking three- and five-step drops. The quartet of red jerseys would look at Fisher, quickly scan the field and then throw to a stationary receiver.

"Eyes here," Fisher told sophomore Steven Bench in a conversational tone, pointing to his his right. "Work through it, work through it."

Bench or Tyler Ferguson could wind up as the starting quarterback come Aug. 31, and Monday offered a glimpse of the two signal-callers. Media were invited to attend 20 minutes of open practice, and O'Brien began by calling together a competition: A defensive back would line up against a wideout or tight end in press coverage, while Bench and Ferguson would alternate snaps.

The first team -- offense or defense -- to win three battles would be declared the winner. The losers would be forced to perform five hit-its. It was more for honor than anything and only four passes were thrown while the quarterbacks tried to shake off the rust.

Bench began by just overthrowing Allen Robinson on a roughly 35-yard pass, and Ferguson then hit Jesse James in stride downfield on an over-the-shoulder grab. Bench followed that up by throwing behind his target on cross route, and Ferguson barely overthrew Matt Lehman for two straight incompletions.

The offense, along with Ferguson and Bench, then hit the turf for their hit-its while the defense cheered.

"They're both athletic, they both can throw the football," O'Brien said during a Monday news conference. "Now it's going to depend on how well they make decisions and how accurately they throw the ball.

"They sit in the front row, they pay attention, they take a lot of notes. It's a fun group to be around."

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Signing day has gone smoothly in Happy Valley.

Here's a recap of how the letters of intent came in and how the class came together in Penn State's Class of 2013.

Follow the live blog after the jump.

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In the next week, NittanyNation will be taking a glance at different positions and their outlook for next season.

AP Photo/Nati HarnikZach Zwinak figures greatly in Penn State's rushing plans.
• Who: Zach Zwinak, the quiet redhead who was almost never tackled in the backfield, returns and could be among the best backs in the Big Ten. He's not the fastest or most agile tailback but, at 232 pounds, he wreaked havoc on the interior and wore down defenses for four quarters. Bill Belton will take a back seat to Zwinak, and he could have competition as a change-of-pace guy. Rising redshirt freshman Akeel Lynch has already earned praise from Bill O'Brien, and early enrollee Richy Anderson could also see some time on the field.

• Strengths: There's still a good mix here between power (Zwinak) and speed (Belton, Lynch) -- so O'Brien has a lot of options here. Zwinak also became more involved with the passing game and Belton is a former wideout, so this group can threaten in different ways. And Zwinak is just plain hard to bring down.

• Weaknesses: Before the 2012 season, O'Brien expected Belton to handle 20-25 carries a game. Then he became injured and seemed to lack focus and, at times, speed for the rest of the season. Belton is still a wild card and -- with the departures of Curtis Dukes, Derek Day and Michael Zordich -- PSU needs to find a dependable backup. There's not as much depth here as there was last season, and that means trouble if Zwinak can't stay healthy.

• Surprise player: Lynch. ESPN's scouts called him a "potential sleeper" at this time last year, and he'll definitely be given opportunities in 2013. He's a balanced guy who can reach top speed quickly, and this season could be his coming-out party. He's definitely a player to watch in the spring.

• Overall: As long as Zwinak stays healthy, this position should be stronger than last season. Sure, there is less depth, but Dukes and Day didn't play big roles in the offense. Zordich's loss hurts, but if that means a few more carries for Zwinak, Penn State should be just fine. Another offseason with Charles London can only help Zwinak, and the combination of Lynch-Belton will offer defenses plenty of different looks.

Welcome to NittanyNation's first-ever mailbag! We asked you to tweet your questions this week, and we've selected three to answer in-depth -- starting with the question we received most.

Brian Wess (@bwessfootball) writes: What's Penn State's next move for a quarterback? Tyler Ferguson?

Josh Moyer: You hit the nail right on the head, Brian. I spoke with Ferguson and his junior college coach briefly Thursday, and that's exactly what's at play here. Penn State made it clear Jake Waters was Plan A. When that fell through, the staff contacted Ferguson and offered him a scholarship as their Plan B.

Ferguson said he'll commit to a school at some point this morning. He's on the West Coast, though, and plays for Bakersfield (Calif.) College of the Sequioias, so it could still be a few hours. At this point, though, it's pretty clear that Penn State is Ferguson's top choice. Houston already has three quarterbacks as part of its 2013 class, while PSU has just one scholarship QB for the spring. You do the math.

Ferguson's addition would help PSU -- but he's no Waters. Iowa Western's QB threw one interception for every 111 attempts; Ferguson one for every 29 attempts. Steven Bench had a head start against Waters in learning Penn State's pro-style offense, but Bench has to be considered a much higher favorite to start in 2013 now that another quarterback -- likely Ferguson -- is coming on instead.

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