Penn State's offseason of change continues this week, and this time it's not just players opting for the NFL Draft. Yes, Rasheed Walker declared for the NFL on Monday. But that day also brought the news that Penn State would officially lose special teams coordiantor, Joe Lorig, to Oregon, and behind-the-scenes administrator Michael Hazel was leaving to join Brent Pry at Virginia Tech.
While Walker's departure is clear, what effect will the other two have on the program? Senior Editor Nate Bauer joins host Thomas Frank Carr to discuss the impact of all three leaving the program.
They start with Walker, the most accessible and understandable departure from Penn State. After T-Frank explains that Walker did not have a quality season one would expect from a player heading to the next level, he asks a question. What are we missing in this conversation? There have been several players this offseason that fans, media, and some observers have questioned their move to the NFL. T-Frank and Bauer discuss the possible motivations and factors that make players like Walker, or linebacker Brandon Smith, leave with remaining eligibility. Not every decision has to do with the on-field play.
Next, they discuss Lorig's move from Happy Valley to Eugene. Despite "only" being a special team's coordiantor, Bauer thinks that Lorig's departure will be hard for head coach James Franklin to fill. According to Bauer, the former Western Oregon defensive back was singular in his career ambition, and that focus on his unit will be hard to replace. Finally, they discuss how speical teams have changed and how rules have shifted the focus and priority for that phase of football.
Finally, they get into the murky waters of the behind-the-scenes business in college football. Bauer does his best to describe what Hazel did while at Penn State, which is a challenging task. He then explains how Hazel has been key to Franklin's process as a coach and how he's been with Franklin longer than any current assistant on the staff. Filling that role will be complicated and an intriguing story this offseason.
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