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 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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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Adrian Amos was known as a shy, do-everything DB last season. He was a man of many highlights and few words -- but Wednesday afternoon was a little different.

The junior stood tall, carried a smirk and had a lot to say: He's looking forward to playing more nickel, the secondary looks a lot better, man coverage has greatly improved, Trevor Williams is making a nice switch to defense, etc. But, despite the roll Amos was on, PSU's versatile DB had to stop and stare at the ground a few moments when asked about himself.

What position don't you play in the secondary?

Amos hesitated slightly, seemingly going over the positions in his mind. "There's -- there's not one," he said.

What position are you best at?

"Psssh ... I don't know," he added. "People say my natural position is safety, but then people say I'm better at corner. But I feel comfortable playing all over."

That's good news for Penn State, because the staff isn't finished trying him out elsewhere. The 6-foot All-Big Ten honorable mention has not only practiced at both safety spots, focused on the boundary corner, played some field corner -- but he discovered just this week he's also the team's nickelback.

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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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Safeties coach Anthony Midget didn't dwell on the difficulties of becoming accustomed to another defense or meshing with his players' personalities after less than three months on the job.

No, the assistant coach who was hired Feb. 14 instead used words Tuesday like "easy" and "blessing" when talking about the transition to Penn State. He complimented the leadership of veteran safeties Malcolm Willis and Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, thanked defensive coordinator John Butler for helping him along and emphasized just how happy he was to be at "one of the storied programs in the country."

"It's been great and a blessing," Midget said Tuesday afternoon, the first time he addressed the media since his hire. "Everything happened so fast."

The former Virginia Tech standout, a three-year starting cornerback under Frank Beamer, initially left Georgia State for Marshall this offseason. But, about a week-and-a-half after taking that Conference USA gig, Bill O'Brien called him to gauge his interest in the Nittany Lions' opening.

Midget said the opportunity was just too good to pass up. He could stay with the Thundering Herd or head north to a school that averaged about 70,000 more fans a game. It wasn't a hard decision -- with or without sanctions.

"I was really surprised," Midget said. "And I guess Coach O'Brien had a mutual friend that recommended me. It was an opportunity. He called me and asked if there was interest, and I said yes."

The young coach with the thin goatee has become a fixture inside Holuba Hall and the football building since his hire. He directs a core group of about eight safeties and sometimes switches off with Butler, teaching the cornerbacks some fundamentals or fine-tuning their technique.

They'll coach their groups separately, but they'll watch film and hold meetings together to increase their communication. Midget called himself a fiery, energetic coach -- not unlike Butler -- and said he knows he demands a lot from his players. But, after practices, he tries to soften up some.

"When we walk off that field, our doors are open, and we can have fun together and do what we need to do," he said. "It's that relationship that you're building with the guys, and they understand us being fiery and demanding."

His old boss, former Georgia State coach Bill Curry, said shorty after his hire that's been Midget's personality since he first hired him five years ago. The young coach tries to separate his on-field and off-field demeanor.

"Off the field, he is outgoing, and he's humorous when it's the right time to be humorous," Curry told ESPN in a Q&A. "But he can be serious. He's tough as nails. So when he gets on the field, the humor's gone. He coaches football with great intensity; he expects everything out of everyone on every drill."

Despite that hard-nosed approach, the safeties coach pinpointed a number of defensive backs who have impressed him so far. He praised Ryan Keiser's offseason work, admired Adrian Amos' versatility as a cornerback, safety and nickelback -- and believed wideout-turned-safety Malik Golden had a bright future.

"He's picked up on it as far from a physical standpoint," Midget said. "He just has some natural abilities that I think's going to help us in the future. He's still learning throughout the spring, but I'm encouraged physically from what he's shown in the time of the short practices we've had."

Like Golden, this spring has been a time of transition for Midget. And both seem to be moving along pretty well.

The pace of the assistant coach's transition likely has quickened because his responsibilities are more focused. During his previous stint at Georgia State, Midget carried the burden of following recruiting and also taking charge as the secondary coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coach -- something Curry said he would have preferred to avoid.

Now, the focus is primarily on the safeties and on recruiting in the South Florida and Cleveland areas. And Midget seemed pretty thankful Tuesday for that.

"To be able to focus on just one position, it's been great," Midget said. "I think the game has changed so much; I think it's a benefit to have two secondary coaches."

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. -- 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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Over the past week, NittanyNation has taken a glance at different positions and their outlook for next season.

• Who: Stephen Obeng-Agyapong and Malcolm Willis both return as starters and rising redshirt seniors. Willis was known as the quarterback of the secondary, while teammates called Obeng-Agyapong the most improved player since Week 1. Ryan Keiser is a solid special teams player and might be next in line if someone goes down. Then again, there's certainly enough young players here to push for time as backups. Jake Kiley and Jordan Lucas (listed as a CB but could also play S) appear to be the furthest ahead, while incoming freshman Neiko Robinson should be a solid addition to the scout team for now. Kasey Gaines is almost guaranteed to redshirt.

• Strengths: These starters are experienced, and they made some nice improvements in the second half of the season. Willis added a lot to the communication of the defense, and it was pretty evident when he was out of the lineup. Obeng-Agyapong made longer strides than anyone else on defense, and there's a lot of potential here in a quartet consisting of incoming freshmen and redshirt freshmen.

• Weaknesses: Although the safeties made great strides last season, they were still the Achilles' heel of this defense. PSU had to resort to more zone coverage because they seemed to lack awareness and were a liability on third downs. Neither safety recorded an interception, and they need to shore up the middle of the field better than in 2012.

• Surprise player: Kiley. Bill O'Brien mentioned him by name on Monday, and he's also been a player who's received quite a bit of praise since preseason camp. He likely won't see much time this season, but he could still end up being a three-year starter. This year will go a long way in determining his development and future role. Somebody needs to replace Willis and Obeng-Agyapong in 2014.

• Overall: This will obviously be an improved group from last season because both starters return and finally have more experience under their belts. The graduation of Jake Fagnano doesn't hurt that much, and fans can expect to see above-average production out of the safeties. This isn't a strength of the defense -- not by any means -- but it should no longer be a liability. Obeng-Agyapong especially has a lot of potential, and these two starters will be looked upon as leaders in the secondary.

During the next week, NittanyNation will count down the five Penn State players who weren't named to the All-Big Ten teams and are poised for breakout seasons in 2013.

The No. 5 breakout player: S Stephen Obeng-Agyapong, rising redshirt senior

Obeng-Agyapong was supposed to be the backup in 2012, a situational player who played some special teams but mostly acted as an understudy to Jake Fagnano. But when an injury hindered Fagnano in the preseason, he was pressed into service out of necessity.

When Fagnano recovered, Obeng-Agyapong won the starting job anyway -- and initially struggled. The secondary, especially the safeties, was the weak point for this defense and this team. But Obeng-Agyapong put in the work and, before long, several of his teammates heralded him as the most-improved player.

With Fagnano's graduation, there's no controversy about who's starting next season. It'll be Obeng-Agyapong, and another offseason with John Butler will do this rising fifth-year player wonders. If he can maintain that improvement, he could be in for a surprisingly good season.

He's good in run support and made twice as many pass breakups as Malcolm Willis. He'll be asked to do more with four departures along the front seven, but he's athletic and should be able to adjust to whatever gameplan the Nittany Lions might need to implement. He's definitely a player whose progress fans should track.

Quotables: "We came a long way. Ohio, UVa. -- we took a lot of criticism because we couldn't get off the field on third downs. ... We got better each and every game. We tried to correct our mistakes, and I definitely think we have improved a lot, especially the play of the safeties. Stephen Obeng is playing great."
-- Cornerback Stephon Morris