Penn State's Injury Situation Moving in Right Direction, James Franklin Says

During local media day, Franklin opened his press conference by saying that the injury list “is not great right now” and that a number of players were limited to begin camp. Franklin said that Penn State made some slight modifications to practice time and reps for players returning from longer-term injuries or rehab programs. Less than a week later, Franklin said the team is doing better from that perspective.

“Usually you start [camp] and you’re in good shape and [the injury situation] grows, and we’re going in the opposite direction," Franklin told reporters in State College after practice. "We made some modifications to our practices. We do that every year ... so I think that's helped. We''re out here a little bit shorter, not much shorter but a little bit shorter. [We're] reducing reps a little bit, not much, not significant, but yeah, those guys just had to get cleared. And they’ve cleared, so we're going in the opposite direction, which is good and unusual for camp, knock on wood."

Several key Nittany Lions either were injured or rehabbing injuries during spring practice, so training camp signaled the beginning of their on-field work. They included linebacker Tony Rojas, tight end Andrew Rappleyea, offensive tackles Anthony Donkoh and Nolan Rucci and defensive tackle Alonzo Ford Jr. All are expected to be ready for the opener. 

Franklin also discussed running back Cam Wallace, who sustained a long-term injury early last season. Franklin said that Wallace is “totally ready to go,” making him a main competitor for the third-string running back spot.

“That was a significant injury,” Franklin said. “So there’s a physical component that he was still working with, the mental component he was still working through and emotionally as well. And I see him getting more and more confident every single day. He’s totally ready to go, but it was a significant injury, so he’s still working through some of those things. He starts to look more and more like the Cam we remember every single day.”

Managing Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen’s reps in camp

Speaking of running backs, Singleton and Allen enter 2025 as the top-rated tandem in college football and have little to prove in camp. But one key headline is the third-string competition, which continues to be a camp story line. Franklin said that he is cutting Singleton and Allen’s reps in part to benefit backs like Wallace, Quinton Martin Jr. and Corey Smith. 

“We’ve got a pretty good idea who Nick and [Allen] are,” Franklin said. “[We’re] giving them enough to continue to get better but limiting some of their reps, and then we can’t give enough reps to the other guys.”

Defensive end Enai White changes positions

Redshirt junior Enai White transferred to Penn State in December after spending three years at Texas A&M as a defensive end. He’s now playing defensive tackle for the Nittany Lions, which Franklin said is a long-term solution both for White and the team.  

“We are going to move Enai inside,” Franklin said. “I think it’s long-term. It’s his best position in terms of being able to play the game as long as he can. Whenever you move down a position, you increase the athleticism. He has been as big as 275 pounds without even trying, so it’s something that we think can help him and help us.”

White (listed at 6-5, 264 pounds) played in 13 games over three seasons at Texas A&M. Injuries have been an issue. He played in five games in 2023 before sustaining a season-ending injury and played in just one game last season.

Franklin added that White could provide position flexibility inside and outside for a defensive line looking to maximize a relatively inexperienced group.

“He’s also smart enough that, if we've got a game that we want to play with a big end because he’s physical, we could move him out there or use him in a goal-line package, too,” Franklin said.

Check out Franklin's full media availability, courtesy of Blue-White Illustrated.