Danny O'Brien: Quarterback Soaks in Penn State Nittany Lions Spring Practice

There was a breath of fresh air as Penn State opened spring practice under a new head coach and coaching staff on Monday, but the news that former Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien was checking things out generated an unexpected buzz.

Much was made around the Internet about O'Brien sporting a fresh Penn State windbreaker. Was this a sign that the former ACC Rookie of the Year was ready to make a decision on where he will transfer and play in the fall?

Well, no. A member of the Penn State staff offered the windbreaker when the 44-degree temperature and 20 mph winds started to take a toll on the sideline.

O'Brien was talking to a Penn State staff or assistant while observing offensive line coach Mac McWhorter work with the offensive line.

"You want a windbreaker, Danny?" the Penn State staff member asked O'Brien. He obliged and continued his conversation away from the rest of the media, who gathered upfield to watch the offensive drills with quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers.

O'Brien had mentioned that he made the trip up from North Carolina earlier so he could check out practice.

By the time everyone knew that O'Brien was at the practice, the images of the PSU windbreaker began spreading around. This was the first confirmed image of O'Brien, which I tweeted with the news. Ben Jones of StateCollege.com soon tweeted this image. By this time, the secret was out.

Little did I know that I had captured an image of O'Brien probably about 20 minutes before anyone picked up on the fact that he was in town. You can see him in this image, standing behind head coach Bill O'Brien, with the quarterbacks.

While speculation based on the windbreaker may be unjust, the fact that he is seen wearing a Penn State sweatshirt is another tidbit that will perhaps have fans gushing over the possibilities and symbolism, if in fact it means anything at all.

This was O'Brien's second visit to Penn State. He has also visited Mississippi and Wisconsin and is interested in Vanderbilt, where his former Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin is now the head coach. O'Brien says there is no timeline for his decision, and he has said positive things about each visit.

So let the speculation run rampant, if you wish. The choice is yours.

More Danny O'Brien photos at Penn State practice via Nittany Lions Den. View the entire photo album on Flickr.

Kevin McGuire is the host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast and a member of the Football Writers Association of America and National Football Foundation. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook and add him to your Google+ circle.