At the beginning of last season, Joe Paterno said one might be "daydreaming" if they forecasted the offensive line having such a big season.
With three All-Big Ten selections gone from the unit, Paterno's O-line worries have resurfaced heading into the new season as he's cautious about delivering praise to the unit.
"If we can get five guys who can do what they did in the sense of staying healthy and having some pride in the offensive line, some leadership on that offensive line, then we'll be OK and have some depth," Paterno said at Thursday's media day.
Although Dennis Landolt and Stefen Wisniewski return as starters, neither will be in the same position he played last season.
Paterno had previously discussed the move of Wisniewski from guard to center, and, Thursday, he confirmed that Landolt would shift from right tackle to protecting quarterback Daryll Clark's blind side at left tackle
"We moved Landolt to the left side, which with a right-handed quarterback probably is a little tougher than the right tackle," Paterno said. "He and Wisniewski both have played some football, and [DeOn'tae] Pannell has played some football, so we moved Pannell to the right tackle. Other than that, it's up for grabs."
Landolt has started the last two seasons on the right side after backing up Levi Brown at left tackle in 2006. Meanwhile, as a true freshman, Pannell served as the top backup to left tackle Gerald Cadogan last year.
Even with so much shifting on the unit, Landolt said he isn't too concerned with the transitions from position to position, and the players just need to get more reps.
"I don't think it matters so much because a lot of the O-line techniques are pretty much the same across the board," Landolt said. "It's just the fact that everybody knows what they're doing at their new positions as far as X's and O's go, which they do.
Walton, Fentress no longer with Nittany Lions
With depth already a concern along the offensive line, former highly-touted recruit J.B. Walton is now out of the picture.
A four-star recruit in 2007 according to Scout.com, Walton is no longer with the team as Penn State has tried to find a better fit for him academically.
"J.B. Walton really is a great kid, but he's got a learning disability that we can't do a good job with here," Paterno said. "We looked all over the place for where he could go and they could help. And that's what he's doing."
Paterno said he didn't feel they could provide the academic help Walton needed, but he also reiterated that Walton has never given up and still has the chance to succeed as a player.
On the other side of the ball, in the secondary, cornerback Devin Fentress will not return for his fifth season of eligibility.
After playing sparingly in his four years, Fentress has moved on after graduating with a degree in marketing. He is currently working on a second degree in communication, arts and sciences, and Paterno said he helped Fentress secure an internship with Nike this summer.
Royster, Zug in the mix to return punts
Paterno said that eight or nine players are currently catching punts in practice as the Lions try to find a replacement for Derrick Williams at punt returner.
He specifically mentioned running back Evan Royster and wide receiver Graham Zug as being in the mix but also said a few true freshmen could compete for the job.
"We're especially taking a look at some of the younger guys coming in who are true freshmen because a couple of those kids can run," Paterno said. "But we're not sure if they can catch the ball."
Royster said he returned some punts in high school and is excited about giving it a try again.
But the All-Big Ten tailback also praised some of his freshmen competition, saying speedster Devon Smith has a chance to make an impact.
"He's good at catching them, and he's got all the speed in the world, obviously," Royster said. "He'd be exciting to have back there. I'm not sure if they want to redshirt him or not. It's all up in the air right now."
