Penn State practice notes

With Penn State losing 3 of 4 starters on the defensive line and all 3 linebackers returning, including all-everything Paul Posluszny, rumors flourished that the Nits may switch to a 3-4 defense. True freshman Sean Lee stepped in for Poz when he went down in the Orange Bowl, and performed admirably. That coupled with the superb play of some of the other young linebackers had led Defense Coordinator Tom Bradley to tinker with the idea of the 3-4 instead of Penn State’s traditional 4-3. Well Paterno put that rumor to bed the other day: "We're not going to change anything. We're going to do what we know how to do," he said, "We're not going to go fussing around with a lot of stuff. We'll be all right."

Freshmen making a splash: According to “insider” information, rumor has it that cornerback A.J. Wallace and wideout Chris Bell, are really pushing for playing time this preseason. For Bell to be noticed says a lot about his ability given the depth Penn State has at wide receiver. Also gaining attention are defensive end Maurice Evans and tackle Phillip Taylor.

Paterno said running backs Austin Scott and Rodney Kinlaw are both back to practicing. Paterno reiterated that fullback BranDon Snow is out of the Akron game for disciplinary reasons, but unlike previous reports, he didn’t specify how many games total, he will miss.