Penn State Football 2012: Breaking Down Spring Practice

What a year it was for Penn State last season.

Besides the obvious sex scandal that shook the college football world and the passing of legendary head coach Joe Paterno, it was a successful season for the Nittany Lions. When you consider a team that was ranked 110th in scoring offense, to go 9-4 was a pretty big accomplishment.

This year it may be a little more difficult, as Penn State only returns 10 starters and has a first-year head coach in Bill O'Brien. The team still has issues at the quarterback position, lost several key defensive players and is missing a majority of its offensive line.

But that's what spring practice is for, as coaches and players will try to find out exactly what type of team they're working with in Happy Valley. Spring practice kicks off on March 26 for the Nittany Lions.

Here is your complete spring breakdown for Penn State.

Schedule

The Nittany Lions kick off their spring practice on March 26 and the spring game will take place on April 21.

Offensive Depth Chart

Quarterback: Matt McGloin, Rob Bolden

Fullback: Mike Zordich, Zach Zwinak

Running Back: Silas Redd, Curtis Dukes

Wide Receiver: Justin Brown, Brandon Moseby-Felder

Wide Receiver: Devon Smith, Curtis Drake

Wide Receiver: Shawney Kersey, Christian Kuntz

Tight End: Gary Gilliam, Kevin Haplea

Offensive Tackle: Mike Farrell, Adam Gress

Offensive Guard: John Urschel, Frank Figueroa

Center: Matt Stankiewitch, Ty Howle

Offensive Guard: Mark Arcidiacono, Eric Shrive

Offensive Tackle: Donavon Smith, Nate Cadogan

Defensive and Special Teams Depth Chart

Defensive End: Sean Stanley, C.J. Olaniyan

Defensive Tackle: Jordan Hill, James Terry

Defensive Tackle: DaQuan Jones, Luke Graham

Defensive End: Pete Massaro, Kyle Baublitz

Strong Side Linebacker: Gerald Hodges, Mike Hull

Middle Linebacker: Glenn Carson, Mike Yancich

Weakside Linebacker: Mike Mauti, Khairi Fortt

Cornerback: Adrian Amos, Derrick Thomas

Cornerback: Stephon Morris, Mike Wallace

Strong Safety: Malcolm Willis

Free Safety: Stephen Obeng-Agyapong

Kicker: Anthony Fera, Sam Ficken

Punter: Anthony Fera

Best Position Battle

Anytime the quarterback position doesn't have a legitimate answer, it's the battle that will receive the most attention.

Watching the Nittany Lions throw the football last season could really drive a sane man crazy. Their passing game finished ranked 96th in the country, as Penn State relied heavily on their running game and defense to finish the year with a 9-4 record.

Rob Bolden and Matthew McGolin will once again have to battle it out throughout the offseason to see who will start Week 1. McGolin was the starter for majority of the season, but didn't even complete 55 percent of his passes and only threw three more touchdowns than interceptions. Bolden threw seven interceptions to two touchdowns, including three in the bowl loss to Houston.

Good thing that new head coach Bill O'Brien has had great success with quarterbacks in the past, and may have some luck working with these guys. Whoever is the starter, must contribute a little more than they did last season.

Big Man on Campus

The defense was absolutely amazing last year, but only five starters return on that side of the ball. We've already discussed the quarterback position, which forces me to pick running back Silas Redd as the big man on campus. 

With no true quarterback running the offense, Redd is the offense's bread and butter. He rushed for over 1,200 yards last season, averaging over five yards a touch and scoring seven touchdowns. He was only a sophomore last year, and could have an even bigger season ahead of him.

With the defensive side of the ball a question mark, and quarterback being a serious issue, the player that the Nittany Lions can count on is Redd.

Biggest Shoes to Fill

Penn State lost two of its top sack leaders, but the biggest replacement will be trying to fill in the shoes of Devon Still. This will likely come from DaQuan Jones, who was one of the top defensive tackles and a 4-star recruit in 2010.

He's a big boy at 6'4", 300-plus pounds and is very quick off the snap. He plays with a very aggressive style and is excellent at getting to the quarterback. He does lack experience, considering he's seen limited action, but the talent is there for him to be a really solid player.

Jones will have to step up this season, especially with so many key defensive players leaving.

Other Important Questions

Besides the quarterback position and three members of the front seven leaving, the offensive line is also an issue, as four members of that unit are no longer on the team. That leaves serious question marks for a team that already struggles offensively. The offensive line is going to be an area to watch out for this spring, as nearly every position is up for grabs.

Another question is, of course, the distractions. Penn State seemed to handle all of the off-the-field issues a lot better than most teams would, but it doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. With a new head coach, and new information breaking with the ongoing investigation, can O'Brien get his team to focus completely on the task at hand?