STATE COLLEGE — No doubt, Christian Hackenberg will be a big part of whatever success Penn State achieves this season.
The sophomore quarterback with Northeast Pennsylvania roots — his dad played quarterback at Marian — was outstanding as a true freshman last year, throwing for more than 2,900 yards and 20 touchdowns.
And, with only one starter returning on the offensive line and top receiver Allen Robinson gone to the National Football League, he’s likely to be relied upon even more this year.
With that in mind, fans are going to notice a bigger Hackenberg behind center.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds last season, the 2014 version of the quarterback is noticably bigger and more muscular, something the Nittany Lions’ staff hopes makes him even more durable behind the inexperienced offensive front. He begins camp this year packing 234 pounds on the same 6-4 frame.
“Our strength staff has done a great job helping me and, really, everybody, get stronger,” Hackenberg said Monday during annual media day activities at Beaver Stadium.
With Bill O’Brien, the coach who recruited Hackenberg and mentored him during his freshman season, also gone to the NFL, the quarterback finds himself transitioning to the offensive scheme of head coach James Franklin and an entirely new staff. So far, he says, it hasn’t been a problem.
“The basic knowledge I got from Coach O’Brien, I was able to bring to this offense,” Hackenberg said. “It’s just a part of life, you go through change constantly in all areas of life.
“The transition from Coach O’Brien to Coach Franklin has been smooth.”
Part of what brought about that ease of transition, Franklin said Monday, is the similarity between the offensive styles of both head coaches.
“Where the advantage comes is we run a similar system,” Franklin said. “A lot of the concepts we run are similar.
“When a young player has had a lot of success, they embrace that system.”
What the Lions will have to come up with is a way, a player, or even a group of players to make up the offensive juice provided by Robinson.
“We are looking for improvement from Hack, but our focus is on all the pieces of the puzzle around him,” Franklin said. “That’s what will allow him to improve.”
With Robinson gone and relatively inexperienced sophomore Eugene Lewis, a Wyoming Valley West product, likely to take his place, the playmaker role could end up being shared by a combination of experienced tight ends.
Juniors Kyle Carter and Jesse James and sophomores Brent Wilkerson and Adam Brenneman all have the size and speed to test defenses.
“The make up for the production we lost will come from tight end,” Franklin said. “That’s where we have the most experience, the most veteran guys.”
Also to be relied upon heavily to take some of the pressure off Hackenberg will be a triple-threat ground attack that features seniors Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton along with sophomore Akeel Lynch.
Last year, Zwinak ran for 989 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Belton had 803 and five scores. Lynch, next in line after the two seniors, ran for 358 yards and a touchdown in a limited role.
“In college or the NFL, you really need three running backs for the whole season to keep the guys healthy and fresh,” Franklin said.