Justin Lustig – Syndication Server

James Franklin sets the bar high for his squad at 2024 Big Ten media

James Franklin sets high expectations for his squad at 2024 Big Ten Media days

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] spoke to the media on Wednesday at Big Ten media day. He discussed the new Big Ten and how his team is shaping up for 2024.

With the expanded College Football Playoff coming into play this season, Penn State is one of the teams that should benefit the most. In his ten seasons in Happy Valley, Franklin’s Penn State squads have five 10-win seasons, making many view this season as a playoff spot or bust.

“We are one of the few programs in the country where you can win 10 or 11 games, and people are unhappy,” Franklin said at Big Ten media day. “We embrace that, and we are excited about those opportunities.”

Franklin and the Nittany Lions haven’t beaten Ohio State or Michigan since 2020 but will be able to face the Buckeyes on November 2 at Beaver Stadium. His record against the AP Top 10 is only 3-17 since he became Penn State’s coach, and that record will likely have to improve if the Nittany Lions want a playoff spot in December.

Franklin also discussed his three new coordinators at length and what they mean for the team. [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] (offense), [autotag]Tom Allen[/autotag] (defense), and [autotag]Justin Lustig[/autotag] (special teams) are all in place to get Penn State to the next level.

“They chose Penn State just like I chose Penn State, to compete for championships,” said Franklin.

Penn State will likely look different in 2024, but Franklin repeatedly stressed on Wednesday that finding coaches who can adapt to what Penn State has already built was a significant factor. Week one at West Virginia will be the first look at how the Nittany Lions are set up to compete for a playoff spot in 2024.

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Who will be Penn State’s punt returner in 2024?

Penn State may have a leader in the competition to return punts for the Nittany Lions this fall.

Penn State has a number of positions to pay attention to during the annual Blue-White spring game as spring football practices come to a close for the year. Among them is the punt returner role, which was left vacant with the departure of Daequan Hardy. With one final week of spring football practices, there appears to be a leader in the clubhouse to take over the primary role this fall according to Penn State special teams coach Justin Lustig.

In a recent session with the media, Justing suggested [autotag]Kadan Saunders[/autotag] may be the guy to beat for the top punt-returning role this season. Saunders brings with him some experience from doing so last season before Hardy proved to be more valuable as the season went along.

“It’s still an open battle at punt returner but I would say he’s in the lead right now, especially with his experience,” Lustig said, according to Lions247. “One thing about punt return is that you can design the system around who the guy is a little bit, too. Kaden maybe wasn’t quite as dynamic as Daequan Hardy, but I still see some ability to hit big returns.”

Saunders had 14 punt returns for a total of 86 return yards last season, with no touchdowns and few big-yard returns of note. Hardy provided some needed explosiveness in his time returning punts with 17 returns for 248 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Of course, as Lustig noted, having a punt returner who is comfortable simply fair catching a punt and preventing the ball from trickling down field for additional yardage is an overlooked asset.

“He’s able to just catch the ball and not let it bounce down the field, and that’s super valuable,” Lustig said about Saunders. “That doesn’t show up in the stats, but that’s as good as a 15-yard return. If you can average 15 yards a return, you’re gonna be top 10 in the country.”

When Penn State wraps up spring practices with the Blue-White Game later this week, pay attention to Saunders in this role. Others that could see some opportunities to field punts could include Liam Clifford and Cam Wallace.

Penn State’s spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

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Penn State to fill special teams coordinator role with Justin Lustig, per reports

Penn State’s search for a new special teams c oordinator is reportedly over with a respected SEC coordinator.

Penn State head coach James Franklin was under the unenviable task of having to replace his defensive and offensive coordinators this offseason. But after filling those roles, Franklin was thrown into a position where he needed to replace his special teams coordinator as well. Now, it appears Franklin has his next special teams coordinator.

[autotag]Justin Lustig[/autotag], who has been the special teams coordinator at Vanderbilt, is expected to be named the next special teams coordinator at Penn State. Matt Zenitz of 247Sports was one of the first to report the news on Monday.

Lustig will replace Stac Collins, who opted to return to Boise State after two years with the Penn State program. Lustig spent the past three seasons at Vanderbilt and was a Broyles Award candidate while with the Commodores.

The Pennsylvania native has coached a Lou Groza Award winner (Andre Szmyt at Syracuse) and Ray Guy Award finalist (Matthew Hayball at Vanderbilt), so his track record seems promising for the future of Penn State special teams development.

Penn State has added Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas to fill the role of offensive coordinator following a late in-season staff change to remove Mike Yurcich. Penn State has also hired former Indiana head coach Tom Allen to fill the defensive coordinator role after Manny Diaz left to become the head coach at Duke.

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