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Five years later, Miles Dieffenbach’s story remains stuck in James Franklin’s memory.

The Penn State coach has recounted several times during his tenure in Happy Valley how Dieffenbach, a highly regarded offensive line recruit, was fifth-team on the depth chart when he arrived as a true freshman.

“Didn’t get one rep in practice his freshman year,” Franklin said last season, recounting Dieffenbach’s story from when Joe Paterno was still the Nittany Lions’ coach. “And then since we’ve been here, the (linemen) show up, and they’re in the two-deep right away.”

Though many of the lingering effects of NCAA sanctions have faded for the Lions, rebuilding depth on the offensive line has arguably taken the longest to fix. Even during back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, Penn State had to patch holes in the summer and then start bailing water at times during the season when injuries hit.

In both years, the Lions had true freshmen practicing as second-teamers all with the hope that they’d never have to play in order to redshirt them. Or in the case of Lake-Lehman’s Connor McGovern, the plan was for him to play right away, ultimately winning a starting job a month into his first season at age 18.

Now, as the Lions finish out their first week of spring practice for the 2018 season, Franklin feels a corner has finally been turned.

With Brendan Mahon as the lone starter not returning, the Lions have McGovern, Ryan Bates, Will Fries, Steven Gonzalez and Chasz Wright all with starting experience under their belt. Former blue-chip recruit Michal Menet will push for Mahon’s job at guard. Redshirt freshmen Mike Miranda and C.J. Thorpe have impressed coaches. Zach Simpson backed up McGovern a year ago. Alex Gellerstedt and Sterling Jenkins will compete for a backup tackle spot, as will Des Holmes.

“The O-line, I think we’re in a situation, probably for the first time since we’ve been here … we’ve got to the point where we had a scholarship two-deep for the first time,” Franklin said Monday at his opening spring press conference. “We’ve been in the situation where we’ve had guys in the two-deep that we were hoping to redshirt, or the backup was a redshirt freshman and he was there — but you weren’t ready to really win with him.

“Where now, I think we’ve got a two-deep that you can win with in the Big Ten. So instead of having six guys that you feel good about that you’re moving parts all over the place … you have a guy that’s actually behind (each) position to go in and you’ve got a chance to play well enough to win in the Big Ten.”

And that’s before two of the nation’s top-10 tackles in the 2018 recruiting class — Nana Asiedu and Rasheed Walker — arrive in the summer along with a four-star interior prospect in Juice Scruggs and Bryce Effner, who could end up at guard or tackle.

All four will likely have a chance to develop at a more measured pace compared to their predecessors.

Franklin spoke glowingly this week about a unit that turned in its best performance of the season in a Fiesta Bowl win over Washington and a stifling Huskies defense. The offense set a school record for yardage in a bowl game (545) and allowed one sack for 1 yard.

“We’re bigger, we’re stronger, we’re more experienced,” Franklin said. “We have more depth. We have more length.”

He highlighted the development of Gellerstedt, who will be entering his redshirt sophomore season in 2018. A raw prospect as a recruit, Gellerstedt has gradually improved, according to Franklin.

“He’s a guy who came in here, had only played one year of offensive line, was kind of a projection,” Franklin said. “I tell you what, that guy has just worked and worked and worked and worked. … He just keeps taking steps, positive steps, positive steps, positive steps, with really no setbacks and he’s worked himself into a player. He really has.

“I think he’s kind of an example of what I’m talking about. He may have been listed on the depth chart the last couple years, but I don’t know if he was a viable option yet. And I think he is now. I can say that kind of across the board.”

Penn State’s offensive line is hoping to build off of a strong Fiesta Bowl performance in which the unit opened holes for Saquon Barkley and racked up 545 total yards.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_AP_17364791025596.jpg.optimal.jpgPenn State’s offensive line is hoping to build off of a strong Fiesta Bowl performance in which the unit opened holes for Saquon Barkley and racked up 545 total yards. Ross D. Franklin | AP file photo

By Derek Levarse

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