Penn State Football: Projecting the 2012 Depth Chart After National Signing Day

Penn State's Class of 2012 is set. The new staff is mostly in place. Now comes the time to figure out what the 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions will look like.

Bill O'Brien walked in to his office for the first time on Tuesday, or at least for the first time with no other responsibilities outside of State College. He admits that he has a lot of work to do in taking over a football program for the first time of his coaching career, and somewhere down the list of things on the to-do list for the spring will probably include putting together a rough draft of a depth chart for the 2012 season.

The good news for O'Brien is that some of the decisions will be easy to make, such as running back and perhaps at linebacker. But there will be some key positions that will need some close examination over the spring and training camp leading up to the opening kickoff in 2012.

We took a look inside the crystal ball to project what the two-deep depth chart will look like for the 2012 season. Here is a pre-spring guess at what that depth chart will look like on opening day when Penn State takes on Ohio in Beaver Stadium.

Quarterback

No. 1 Matt McGloin

No. 2 Rob Bolden/Paul Jones

The quarterback position will once again be a hot topic of discussion among Penn State media and bloggers, and for good reason. Matt McGloin will perhaps enter the spring camps and training camp as the leader in the clubhouse for the starting job from day one, like it or not.

McGloin eventually took over the full-time quarterback job last season, perhaps due to the coaching change, and there was little doubt that when the offense tended to move the football, it was McGloin under center. Was it a coincidence or a cause and effect situation?

Regardless of what it was in 2011, the new coaching staff figures to go in to this decision with a clean slate on all fronts and a fresh set of eyes.

If McGloin proves to be the most dependable guy for Bill O'Brien's offense, then do not be surprised if he takes charge while we figure out what kind of player Rob Bolden will be and if Paul Jones finally gets a chance to compete for playing time.

Realistically, all three should be considered equal for the job on this particular day, which says a lot about the position however you want to interpret it.

Running Back

No. 1 Silas Redd

No. 2 Curtis Dukes/Akeel Lynch

This one should be an easy roster decision for Bill O'Brien. Running back Silas Redd will be back for his junior season, and he brings plenty to the offense when he does. He is a sure bet to be named the starting running back for what could be another solid, and perhaps breakout season.

He is developing in to one of the top running backs in the conference and has a realistic chance to hang with Montee Ball and Rex Burkhead if he stays healthy and has a decent offensive line giving him some room to work with.

Incoming freshman Akeel Lynch could be a nice surprise early on and work his way up the depth chart behind Redd in short time.

Wide Receivers

Primary: Justin Brown, Devon Smith

Reserves: Curtis Drake, Christian Kuntz, Shawney Kersey, Brandon Moseby-Felder, Alex Kenney, Eugene Lewis

With Derek Moye moving on it looks as though the most likely candidate to become the team's leading receiver may be Justin Brown, who showed some signs of improving as the season went along last year. But even he is far from a sure go-to receiver. That is a type of player that is lacking on Penn State's roster.

Seniors Justin Brown and Devon Smith will probably be given more of a chance to succeed in Bill O'Brien's new offensive system, but how quickly will they pick up the offense remains a question. And where do some of the other receivers on the roster happen to fit in? Will they work some form of rotation with receivers, depending on the package being used?

There are plenty of youthful options to pull from, many of which are not listed above. As far as offense goes, this may be the biggest concern for Penn State in 2012.

Tight Ends

No. 1 Kevin Haplea

No. 1a Gary Gilliam

The tight end position has been well documented to be one of the key positions in Bill O'Brien's offense. Just take a look at what New England did in the NFL when tight end Rob Gronkowski was healthy. Does Penn State have a Rob Gronkowski? Well, in a word, no. But they do have some veteran players at the position capable of stepping their game up if needed, and they will have to do just that in 2012 to help bail out the quarterback.

Right now it is essentially a toss-up between Kevin Haplea and Gary Gilliam, and it would not be a surprise to see both on the field at the same time in some packages.

Offensive Line

Left Tackle: Mike Farrell/Donovan Smith

Left Guard: Mark Arcidiacono/Eric Shrive

Center: Matt Stankiewitch/Ty Howle

Right Guard: John Urschel/Frank Figueroa

Right Tackle: Adam Gress/Nate Cadogan

The offensive line will have a new coach to work with, which could mean some changes will be made in terms of who is playing what position. It makes everything one of the more unpredictable units on the team in 2012, but for now let's try going with the upper classmen players filling in at the positions that were most used in 2011.

Only center Matt Stankiewitch was a starter at the end of the season.

Defensive Line

Left End: Sean Stanley/Kyle Baublitz

Left Tackle: Jordan Hill/James Terry

Right Tackle: DaQuan Jones/Luke Graham

Right End: Pete Massaro/C.J. Olaniyan

Penn State loses Devon Still but could bring back Pete Massaro, who missed the 2011 season with a torn ACL. Sure, he has been beat up, but if he is healthy, he would be a welcome addition to the line and perhaps have the same kind of impact a player like Jerome Hayes had in a similar situation.

Jordan Hill will emerge as a top defensive threat and will look to follow in the footsteps of Still. Sean Stanley is a returning starter as well.

Linebackers

Outside Linebacker: Gerald Hodges/Mike Hull

Middle Linebacker: Glenn Carson/Jamie Van Fleet

Outside Linebacker: Michael Mauti/Khairi Fortt

Just as the defensive line is looking to bring back Pete Massaro, the linebackers expect to have Michael Mauti back as well. After going down to injury early in the season, Mauti is looking forward to getting back on the field and hitting somebody, similar to Paul Posluszny's situation a few years back.

The starting three should be Mauti, Gerald Hodges (expected to have a fierce season) and Glenn Carson, who was a surprise starter in the middle last year. But look for Khairi Fortt to work his way in to the mix on a regular basis.

Cornerbacks

Left Cornerback: Adrian Amos/Derrick Thomas

Right Cornerback: Stephon Morris/Mike Wallace

Penn State has one player with decent playing experience at the cornerback position, Stephon Morris, while the other side of the field will see a bit of a youth movement.

As a freshman, Adrian Amos got to see some playing time throughout the season and made some nice plays. In 2012 he could take over the starting job left vacant by D'Anton Lynn.

Morris may have technically been behind Chaz Powell on the right side of the field on the depth chart, but his contributions to the defense were solid. Those two should be backed up this season by Mike Wallace and Derrick Thomas.

Safety

Free Safety: Malcolm Willis/Ryan Keiser

Hero: Stephen Obeng-Agyapong/Jake Fagnano

With the losses of Drew Astorino and Nick Sukay in the middle of the secondary, Penn State will look to some unproven players to step in.

Mike Wallace, who could also be used at cornerback, could find a starting spot at one of the positions. Stephen Obeng-Agyapong has waited patiently for his time on the field as a starter and will hope to show the time was worth the wait.

Special Teams

Kicker: Sam Ficken

Punter: Anthony Fera

Last season the special teams for Penn State got off to a painfully slow start, in part because Anthony Fera was working his way back in to Joe Paterno's good graces following off-field issues. Once Fera returned to the field, the difference was noticeable.

But what makes this season different is the addition of a true special teams coach. The staff change figures to have an immediate impact as there will be a coach who will work solely with the special teams units.

Will this result in a lightened work load for Anthony Fera? Perhaps, and we'll run with it for right now.

Kevin McGuire is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook and add him to your Google+ circle.