Penn State Football: The Offseason to-Do List for the Nittany Lions

Penn State's football program has undergone an incredible amount of change and hardship over the past few months.

However, there is still football to be played in Happy Valley, and the coaching staff must get to work as soon as possible.

The Nittany Lions are replacing several key players on both sides of the ball and adjusting to new schemes at the same time.

This is a tough combination and will require an all-hands-on-deck approach if the Nittany Lions want to be successful next season.

Penn State has enough talent to compete next year, but it is going to take some work.

Here is Penn State's offseason to-do list.

Find a Leader in the Secondary

Drew Astorino, Nick Sukay, D'Anton Lynn and Chaz Powell are all gone from last season's secondary.

This hurts the Nittany Lion defense in terms of talent, but more so from an experience and leadership standpoint.

The Nittany Lions will rely on Malcolm Willis, Mike Wallace, Adrian Amos and Stephon Morris to pick up the slack in the defensive backfield. All players have prior playing experience, but have never had to accept a leadership role.

Willis is the most likely candidate to quarterback the back end of the defense. He has stood in for Sukay on multiple occasions and has explosive talent at times. He could have a breakout year in the Big Ten.

Penn State's defense could be very good again next season. Finding leadership in the secondary will be a big determining factor.

Replace Devon Still

Devon Still won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award last season and was a finalist for the Bednarik Award.

He emerged as an elite presence in the center of the Nittany Lions defense.

Still has graduated and must be replaced on the interior line.

The leading candidate will be Jordan Hill. He was Still's partner last season and showed flashes of brilliance. He has the strength to command double teams and the quickness to punch through the line and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Da'Quan Jones and James Terry will compete for playing time as well.

Hill may not be Still right away, but he has the potential to dominate. Either way, Penn State's coaches have to put defensive tackle near the top of their priority list.

Find a No. 1 Wide Receiver

Derek Moye graduated from Penn State as one of the best receivers to ever put on the Nittany Lion uniform.

Penn State has several capable weapons to replace Moye's lanky presence.

Justin Brown was Penn State's No. 2 option last year. He has the size of a No. 1 option, but he has inconsistent hands.

Devon Smith, Shawney Kersey, Brandon Moseby-Felder and freshman Eugene Lewis will all compete for playing time next to Brown. All bring unique benefits to the Penn State offense.

Bill O'Brien's offense will use all of these receivers intermittently. Versatility and the ability to create mismatches will go a long way in Penn State's offensive success.

Penn State would like to find a No. 1 option among their many candidates. If Brown can be more consistent, he has the ability to emerge as a very capable target.

Establish a Quarterback

Penn State's quarterbacks combined for 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season.

That simply will not cut it. If the Nittany Lions want to return to prominence, they must remedy this situation.

Matt McGloin, Rob Bolden and Paul Jones will all battle for the quarterback position throughout the spring. The Nittany Lions must make sure this battle is over before Week 1 starts.

Penn State got into the bad habit of jugging quarterbacks last season. The quarterback-by-committee approach rarely works, especially when the offense has been revamped.

Fans want Jones based on potential, but McGloin and Bolden have more experience. No matter what, Penn State has to choose one player and go from there.

Allow the Offensive Line to Gel

The Nittany Lions must replace four starters off of last season's offensive line.

Penn State frequently suffers turnover up front, but it is crucial for Penn State's hogs up front to gel this year more than others.

A new offense and a new head coach will not be able to establish their presence on offense without their protection. Regardless of potential or talent, the offensive line must provide time for the offense to operate.

The Nittany Lions have to work in new faces up front and play them together throughout the offseason. This will gain experience and chemistry for the new offensive linemen in Happy Valley.

Adjust to New Offense

The Nittany Lions did not have an offensive identity in 2012. That was not their intent, but inconsistent play from all units never allowed Penn State to find their offensive rhythm.

Next season, the Nittany Lion offense will need to adjust to Bill O'Brien's intelligent scheme. He utilizes multiple weapons in multiple formations. He relies on his offensive players to understand the tendencies of the opposing team's defense. 

Relying on his player's intelligence could be risky because it could take some time for these players to adjust.

That is why it is important for Penn State to break open the offensive playbook sooner rather than later. The players have a lot to learn, and the new coaches must learn what players fit best into certain situations.

Figure out Silas Redd's Most Efficient Workload

Silas Redd carried the ball less than 20 times in three of Penn State's four losses last season.

Redd carried the ball 25-plus times, four times throughout the year. All resulted in 100-plus yard games, and Redd's dominance played a major role in Penn State's victories. 

The Nittany Lions will be transitioning to a new offense that ideally relies upon the passing game to spread the field vertically and horizontally.

However, Penn State is not going to have a quarterback ready to run the show on a consistent basis. Redd is their best offensive player, and he needs to be used accordingly.

Redd is not a power back by any means, and the Nittany Lions must be careful with putting too much on his shoulders.

With that in mind, they can still lean on Redd and make him the focal point of their offense next season.

Create Unity Between Players and Coaches

A new coaching staff in Happy Valley will need to develop a rapport before Week 1 kicks off next season.

Tom Bradley, Jay Paterno and the late Joe Paterno are no longer with the Penn State program. Larry Johnson and Ron Vanderlinden have stayed on the staff, but there has been considerable turnover nonetheless.

Stan Hixon, Charles London, Ted Roof, John Strollo and Mac McWhorter will all need to adjust to their new players. Bill O'Brien must manage all of his coaching personalities and mesh them to his players' personality types.

The Nittany Lions are entering a situation they have not faced in over 40 years. A new head coach and, mostly new, coaching staff are totally foreign to Penn State faithful and players.

It is extremely important to develop trust and compatibility early on.

Make Inroads on 2013 Recruiting Trail

The Penn State Nittany Lions swung and missed, for the most part, on their 2012 recruiting haul.

This offseason Penn State has a chance to get a jump start on their 2013 recruiting class. It will be Bill O'Brien's first chance to recruit for the Nittany Lions with no distractions.

Many fans will form their first impressions of O'Brien and his recruiting ability by how well he does in 2013. Penn State is eager to return to dominance, and the 2013 class will go a long way in determining when that happens.

If you want to see specific 2013 targets for the Nittany Lions, you can find them here.

The Nittany Lions can use this offseason to make progress for next season. They can also use this offseason to prepare for the coming years by attacking the 2013 recruiting class with renewed vigor.

Focus on the Future

Penn State can focus on the future through recruiting and other on-field situations, but they must also focus on the future in their minds.

The Penn State campus was ravaged by scandal last season. The scandal is not dead until every criminal trial ends, but the Nittany Lions must turn their minds elsewhere for the sake of their university and their football program.

Pride and honor are both taken very seriously in Happy Valley. Their reputation is no longer sterling, but they can get back on the right track.

It will not happen overnight, but Penn State must look ahead to the coming years and try to leave the past as what it is: the past.