Observations From Penn State Football Practice No. 3 of Training Camp

Penn State's new receivers look polished

Trebor Pena, Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross practiced like the veterans they are. Pena ran sharp routes, caught everything and looked for more. Hudson has a nice fluidity, and Ross is quick. What's stark, however, is their lack of size.

Hudson is the tallest of the three, listed at 6-1, but isn't imposing. Ross (5-10, 170 pounds) is pretty slight, and Pena (5-10, 186) is more put-together but still not a looming physical presence. Early on, though, they appear very comfortable with quarterback Drew Allar.

Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotlenicki also made an interesting reference. Asked how the three have changed the position's dynamic, Kotelnicki appeared to make an oblique reference to last year.

"What I would talk about is that those individuals specifically have been fantastic teammates," Kotenicki said. "And you have dynamic issues when you have guys who immediately start acting selfish and start to do selfish things. And those guys haven't at all. They've been nothing but a great part of our program. And so the dynamics have been awesome because they're awesome."

Linebacker Tony Rojas appears healthy

Rojas, a third-year linebacker, dealt with a shoulder injury last season that required offseason surgery and sidelined him during spring drills. He was back in action Saturday and looked like his old self.

Rojas was first in line in all linebacker drills and used his previously injured shoulder with no limitations. The junior did everything from tackling and pass-rushing to agility drills. Most notably, his footwork and speed on the ladder were eye-catching. Knowles said that Rojas has “jumped out” to him early in practice.

“I didn't get to see Tony in the spring, because he was out,” Knowles said. “Certainly got to watch a lot of film and saw his talent, but just in a couple days, very impressed, very impressed. He seems to have developed physically in the offseason. Not only that, but he's picked things up quickly, which is tough to do when you don't get the reps on the field."

Khalil Dinkins emerges as Penn State’s top tight end

In a question during his press conference Saturday about tight end Luke Reynolds, Franklin opened his answer by saying, “First thing, I don’t think enough people talk about Khalil Dinkins.”

Franklin’s high praise of Dinkins continued in practice, where the tight end was consistently first in position drills. While he is known as a blocking tight end, Dinkins looked good in practice on his routes, specifically catching a few corner passes in the back of the end zone from Allar. During media interviews, Dinkins wore a new Superman necklace he bought recently.

After Dinkins was Reynolds and Andrew Rappleyea in order. Redshirt sophomore Joey Schlaffer took reps with those three at times as well.

Who is Penn State's third running back?

Franklin has said he plans to use three backs this year, and Saturday offered a first look at who's in the mix.

In a combination of running and passing drills with Allar, redshirt sophomore Cam Wallace was consistently the third back behind Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Wallace, who was injured in the third game of 2024, showed good hands, which perhaps could jolt him into the No. 3 spot.

Quinton Martin Jr., another contender for the role, looked impressive catching downfield passes in a drill. Corey Smith also received consistent reps, and some advice from LaVar Arrington, in practice.

The QB2 competition could go on for a while

Franklin said that the backup quarterback competition between Jaxon Smolik and Ethan Grunkemeyer will “go down to the wire.” He even added that it could continue throughout the year and that “whoever has the best week that week could be the backup quarterback.”

Throughout practice, Allar and Smolik threw on the same line, while Grunkemeyer led a unit with freshman Bekkem Kritza. During drills with all quarterbacks participating, Allar and Grunkemeyer were the first two to lead the reps.

LaVar Arrington II is freshman to watch

Arrington faces a climb to get into the meaningful-reps part of the defense, but the freshman linebacker already looks the part. He's 6-3, 219 pounds and carries a presence on the practice field. With his father watching from the sideline, Arrington was among the most active linebackers in position drills. Look for him to earn a special teams role this season.