Penn State Football: 5 Guys Who Need a Great Spring Performance

Penn State's Blue-White game always creates hoopla in Happy Valley.

Players, coaches and fans all gather to watch the culmination of spring practice, and how the hard work paid off.

The Nittany Lions will have several players on both sides of the ball pushing for starting spots this spring. They will also have several players trying desperately to hold onto their starting gigs.

Spring practice is a fun time around college football nation.

Players trying to prove themselves, coaches trying to get the most out of their players and fans eagerly perusing the Internet for the latest news concerning their team's hottest position battle. It is all a part of the prelude to every college football season.

Here are five Nittany Lion players who need a big spring performance:

Shawney Kersey

The departure of Derek Moye and the institution of Bill O'Brien's spread attack has Penn State looking for playmakers on the outside.

Plenty of targets return to Happy Valley. Justin Brown is a lock at the top of the depth chart, but behind him there is a mass of speedy players yet to separate themselves from everyone else.

Shawney Kersey was considered starting material heading into last season by some. He finished the season with five catches for 105 yards.

He will get another chance to prove himself this spring. Kersey has not been particularly happy at Penn State, but a new coaching staff could change that.

Kersey has a great blend of size and speed. If he can have a great showing in the spring, he could see a ton of time next season.

Curtis Dukes

Curtis Dukes will be pushed by freshman Akeel Lynch in spring practice.

Lynch enters Happy Valley as an under-the-radar commitment, but he has the talent to usurp Dukes as Silas Redd's primary backup.

Penn State's passing game will struggle again this season unless a quarterback emerges. That means the Nittany Lions will need to use their full arsenal of running backs.

Dukes provides a nice change of pace to Redd's speed and quickness in the backfield. He is a solid north-south runner with a sneaky burst at the line of scrimmage.

However, Lynch is cut from a similar cloth and will enter spring practice hungry.

Both players are likely to receive playing time this coming season, but Dukes should not be comfortable with his spot on the depth chart.

DaQuan Jones

DaQuan Jones, along with Jordan Hill, have the biggest shoes to fill in Happy Valley next season. Replacing Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Devon Still is not a small task.

Hill is already an established presence on the interior of Penn State's offensive line. Jones is not, and will need a big spring performance to show Nittany Lion fans he is ready to fill the void in the trenches.

Jones did not record a tackle last season, but his 300-plus pound frame will clog the middle even on an off day. He is entering his third year in a Nittany Lion uniform, and that experience should pay off.

If Jones does not establish himself in spring practice, senior James Terry could steal the starting spot from under his enormous shoes.

Paul Jones

Paul Jones will push Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden for starting snaps next season.

That is if he can turn in the spring performance Penn State fans are eagerly awaiting.

Jones has the physical tools needed to run Penn State's spread offense successfully. The question lies in his head, and if he can keep those physical tools on the field as opposed to the sidelines.

He must keep his head on straight and show the new coaching staff he is ready to lead the Nittany Lions. Physical tools will not matter if he does not have the mental capacity to learn a new playbook, and keep his grades up.

Nittany Lion faithful covet Jones as their potential savior behind center. He will have a chance to realize that with a dynamic spring showing.

Matt McGloin

Some Penn State fans may be crossing their fingers right now, hoping Matt McGloin lays an egg in spring practice.

McGloin struggled last season. He shows the ability to lead a team mentally, but his physical talent is marginal at best.

If McGloin wants to enter Week 1 as the Nittany Lions' starting quarterback, he will need a solid showing throughout spring drills.

At best, McGloin is capable of managing a game. That is if he can minimize turnovers and quell his gunslinger mentality.

At worst, McGloin turns the ball over and fails to make big throws down the field.

He must show he can do the former, and not the latter, if he wants to take first-team reps heading into next season.