It’s finally here.
The Blue-White Game is this Saturday, which means thousands of Penn State fans will descend on Beaver Stadium to watch the annual spring game, which signals the end of spring drills.
For the first time ever, the game will be televised by ESPN2.
Personally, I think the Blue-White Game is one of the most overhyped events of the year, right up there with NFL preseason football and exhibition baseball.
In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll take a look at several Penn State players who are going to be selected in the 2010 NFL Draft. We’ll also feature a two more spring questions and feature another member of the Class of 2010.
Let’s start with the draft.
Four for the Show
When the 2010 NFL Draft begins on Thursday night in prime time, only one player — defensive tackle Jared Odrick — will hear his name called on the first night.
Let’s take a look at the quartet of Nittany Lions who will hear their names called over the weekend:
Jared Odrick, DT
The skinny: Odrick’s draft stock has risen dramatically over the past few months. At the present time, Odrick is ranked as one of the five best defensive linemen in the draft. Pro scouts were impressed with his senior season as a Nittany Lion. His size makes him a prime candidate for a DE spot in a 3-4 defense.
Round: First.
Best guess: Although the Cleveland Browns are reportedly interested in Odrick, most mock drafts have him landing at No. 22 to the New England Patriots.
Navorro Bowman, LB
The skinny: Despite a reported low score on his Wonderlic test, Bowman remains high on most team’s draft boards. Had some off-the-field issues at Penn State (arrest for on-campus fight, failed drug tests), but bounced back for a nice senior season that saw him step up and change his attitude. Certainly, there is a team out there ready to give Bowman a chance.
Round: Second.
Best guess: There are a plethora of NFL teams that could use a player like Bowman. We’re guessing that Bowman lands with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Sean Lee, LB
The skinny: Lee has been banged up over the past couple of seasons, but that hasn’t made him any less appealing to NFL teams. His torn right ACL kept him off the field in 2008, but he bounced back to have a more than solid 2009. While Lee doesn’t possess great speed, he has the instincts that will make him an excellent NFL linebacker.
Round: Third.
Best guess: While it certainly would be interesting to see Lee wind up in his hometown of Pittsburgh, it appears that the Dallas Cowboys have shown the most interest as draft day approaches.
Andrew Quarless, TE
The skinny: Although Quarless had a breakout game in the Capital One Bowl, his blocking is suspect. That’s the reason he’s been dropping in mock drafts throughout the spring. However, at the Penn State pro day, Quarless recorded a 4.57 in the 40-yard dash. Some off-the-field issues have hurt his stock as well.
Round: Six.
Best guess: There are several teams in need of tight end help. Look for the Cleveland Browns to take a chance on Quarless.
Spring Questions: Part V
Gantdaily.com takes a look at a couple of questions facing the Nittany Lions as spring practice winds down.
Q: Who will handle the punting and kicking duties?
A: Underappreciated punter Jeremy Boone has graduated and might be harder to replace than some think.
Collin Wager, the unsung hero of the Capital One Bowl, returns as the starting kicker. However, considering his inconsistency on field goals and inability to consistently boom kickoffs into the end zone leave his hold on the position tenuous at best.
Ryan Breen had been considered the favorite to assume the punting duties. Breen, however, has left the team. That leaves a giant question mark at the position.
One name could solve all three problems — Anthony Fera. Despite Paterno’s protestations that he’s not consistent enough, Fera reportedly has the strongest leg on the team.
That leg strength could solve the problems with deep kickoffs and converting field goals beyond 40 yards, which figures to be a priority while the Lions break in a new quarterback.
Plus, Fera has the leg to be an effective punter, too.
Q: Who will return punts and kickoffs?
A: Well, Astorino and Graham Zug handled the majority of kicks, with help from Royster and Justin Brown.
On kickoff returns, Chaz Powell, Devon Smith Stephfon Green fielded most of the returns.
Considering the Lions might struggle at times moving the ball on offense as the offense gels, Penn State might want to consider more explosive possibilities in the return game.
That figures to start with punt returns. By all accounts, the Lions were horrible in that area. Paterno tended toward the safe rather than the spectacular. Could Brown see an expanded role. Could small, quick Smith see time?
One new face in the mix could be freshman Alex Kenney. In his days at State College Area High School, Kenney was a dynamic return man, taking multiple kicks the distance for touchdowns.
Class of 2010: C.J. Olaniyan
C.J. Olaniyan has had more addresses than a journeyman minor league baseball player. As he developed into a top prospect and began to get offers, he never felt much pressure to stay close to home. The son of Nigerian parents moved to Michigan from Atlanta when he was 12, but will spend the next few years in central Pennsylvania.
“I chose Penn State because when I first went there in the springtime of last year, I liked it a lot,” said Olaniyan. “I had a good feeling with coach Ron (Vanderlinden) and coach Paterno. The environment was nice, I felt at home. I kind of had a feeling that I was going to go there. I just wanted to wait it out and see my other options first.”
Olaniyan certainly had plenty of options.
He had offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon and every school in the Big Ten outside of Ohio State offered him a full scholarship. In September, he accepted a scholarship from the Nittany Lions.
This season, Olaniyan was his team’s third-leading receiver with 17 catches for 205 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he totaled 71 tackles and a team-leading 13.5 sacks. In addition, he also blocked a punt and had an interception.
He was named to the Detroit Free-Press all-state dream team and earned all-county honors as well.
He is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, just outside the Rivals250. He is also the No. 6 player in the state and the No. 14 weakside defensive end in the country.
Chris Morelli is an award-winning writer/editor who lives in Centre County and covers Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com.
