Penn State Football: Post-Spring 2-Deep Depth Chart

The spring is over for the Penn State Nittany Lions as they begin to write a new chapter in this program's history.

Spring practices and the spring game provide teams chances to improve their weaknesses and give players the opportunity to fight for more playing time. With Penn State only returning 10 combined starters, there are plenty of open roster spots up for grabs. 

With a few months off before the fall arrives, here is the post-spring depth chart for the 2012 Nittany Lions.

Quarterback

Starter: Matthew McGloin

Backup: Rob Bolden/Paul Jones

The quarterback situation is far from settled in Happy Valley, but if the season started today, you have to believe the starter would be McGloin. He was the better quarterback last season and ended up starting in the spring game. All of these candidates have a long way to go, though, before Penn State can be a consistent passing team.

Running Back

Starter: Silas Redd

Backup: Bill Belton/Derek Day

Silas Redd will continue to be the Nittany Lions workhorse, as their passing game has yet to be figured out. Last season, he carried the ball 244 times and rushed for over 1,200 yards. You should expect similar numbers this season from the junior running back.

Wide Receiver

Starter: Justin Brown

Backup: Matt Zanellato

With Derek Mowe no longer on the roster, Brown will be looked at as the No.1 receiving option. He has great size at 6'3", 215 pounds and has been consistent the last two seasons, catching over 30 passes. He'll have to take that next step for this passing game to be somewhat successful.

Wide Receiver

Starter: Devon Smith

Backup: Alex Kenney

Smith was the third leading receiver last season, hauling in 25 passes for over 400 yards. He has big play potential and could quickly become a difference-maker on this offense. He missed the spring with a leg injury, but should be ready by the time the starts.

Wide Receiver

Starter: Shawney Kersey

Backup: Christian Kuntz

Kersey had a solid spring game, as he hooked up with quarterback Paul Jones a couple of times in the end zone. He has a nice pair of hands and a good skill set, and now that he enters his junior season, he should have his best season of his career.

Tight End

Starter: Garry Gilliam

Backup: Kevin Haplea

Gilliam is a huge target at 6'7" if he can just stay healthy. He's recovering from his second injury, but is expected to be on the field by the time the season starts. With new head coach Bill O'Brien, tight end is going to be a position that is used a lot more often than the Nittany Lions are used to seeing.

Left Tackle

Starter: Adam Gress

Backup: Nate Cadogan

Gress has been taking reps at both left tackle and right tackle and looks like if he continues the great work, he'll be protecting the quarterbacks blindside this season.

"He's been able to add some weight and get stronger and get quicker. He's looking really good at tackle right now." defensive tackle Pete Massaro said via Pennlive.com.

Left Guard

Starter: Miles Dieffenbach

Backup: Angelo Mangiro

Dieffenbach was one of the top centers of the 2010 class, but is expected to line up at left guard this season. He's a smart player who should pick the position up quickly and use his size and aggressiveness to help open up running lanes for the running backs.

Center

Starter: Matt Stankiewitch

Backup: Ty Howle

Stankiewitch is the only returning starter from the line, which can't make anyone too comfortable. Last season was his first as a starter, and as a senior, he'll be expected to become the leader of this unit and help the rest of the line gel together.

Right Guard

Starter: John Urschel

Backup: Eric Shrive

Urschel was given the Frank Patrick Total Commitment Memorial Award during the spring game for his great work off the field. But he's done such a solid job in spring practice that it looks like he'll be the starting right guard for the Nittany Lions.

Right Tackle

Starter: Donovan Smith

Backup: Mike Farrell

Because of Smith and his size, many believe he has surpassed Mike Farrell, who began the spring as the favorite to start at right tackle. Smith is a redshirt freshman who is a former 4-star recruit and has the size and aggressiveness to take over on the right side. But much like nearly every position on the offensive line, this is a battle that will continue into the fall.

Defensive End

Starter: Sean Stanley

Backup: Kyle Baublitz

Stanley will return as a starter on the defensive line, as he finished last year with 30 tackles 4.5 sacks. He also had a sack in the spring game as well. This is his senior season, so he must be a leader on this team, and cornerback Stephon Morris says that's exactly what he's done throughout the spring.

"He's finally talking," Morris said via CBS Sports. "Stanley was quiet. He never talked. He's talking now and wants to get better each and every day."

Defensive Tackle

Starter: Jordan Hill

Backup: James Terry

Jordan Hill returns for his senior season, which is huge for this defensive line. He's been a consistent player throughout his Penn State career and finished with 59 tackles and 3.5 sacks last season. He'll be the leader on this defensive line and one of the more productive players.

Defensive Tackle

Starter: DaQuan Jones

Backup: Anthony Zettel

It took Jones a couple of years to become the starter, but this will finally be the season. He hasn't played much in his career, but the former 4-star recruit brings a high motor and has great quickness and athleticism to become a force on the defensive line.

Defensive End

Starter: Deion Barnes

Backup: C.J. Olaniyan

Barnes will fill in one of the defensive end spots due to the Nittany Lions losing a couple of players from last year. He's an athletic player who gets off the ball in a hurry and should be able to generate a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season.

Linebacker

Starter: Gerald Hodges

Backup: Mike Hull

Not much needs to be said about Hodges and his starting role at the linebacker position. He was the leading tackler last season with 102 and added 4.5 sacks and four broken-up passes just for good measure.

Linebacker

Starter: Khairi Fortt

Backup: Ben Kline

Fortt was a solid player last season, racking up 33 tackles and 2.5 sacks in limited action. He showed a little bit as to why he was highly recruited in the 2010 class. This season, he'll have a chance to start at linebacker, and despite him recently having knee surgery, head coach Bill O'Brien expects him to be back soon.

Linebacker

Starter: Glenn Carson

Backup: Michael Yancich

It was somewhat of a surprise last season when Carson was named the starting middle linebacker; this year, it won't be. He racked up 74 tackles and forced two fumbles last year. He looks to be even better, as he led the defense with eight tackles in the spring game, including 1.5 for a loss.

Cornerback

Starter: Stephon Morris

Backup: Derrick Thomas

Morris has always been a talented player, but never really stood out on the defensive end and really lacked making plays. This season, it looks like he'll be one of the starting corners for this team and has really stepped it up early on.

"The whole starting group got wiped out. But I think that there's been some guys who stepped up. I think Steph Morris had a fantastic spring and accounted for himself very well.'' defensive coordinator Ted Roof said via pennlive.com.

Cornerback

Starter: Curtis Drake

Backup: Mike Wallace

Curtis Drake is a former wide receiver who caught 13 passes and one touchdown in the last two seasons. Now, it appears he'll be covering the receivers this season and use some of those ball skills to become a playmaker on the defensive end.

"Curtis' transition has been pretty good, better than I even expected," safety Stephen Obeng-Agyapong said via pennlive.com. "He's been doing real good picking up everything."

Strong Safety

Starter: Stephen Obeng-Agyapong

Backup: Jacob Fagnano

This is a battle that will likely continue into the fall, as Ryan Kreiser may even get in on the action once he recovers from an injury that sidelined him for the spring. Neither player has much experience, but the winner of the competition will have some big shoes to fill.

Free Safety

Starter: Adrian Amos

Backup: Malcolm Willis

Due to the lack of depth at the safety position, Amos has been practicing at the safety position and even started there during the spring game. Last season, he played cornerback and broke up four passes and had an interception. Despite the quick change, Amos says he's comfortable at the new position.

"I played safety for the first time my senior year in high school, and I feel like it comes naturally," Amos said via pennlive.com.