Penn State's offensive line reloads under new coach

Despite new faces on Penn State's offensive coaching staff, a large question mark has carried over from the 2015 season: Will the line once again be the team's weakest link?

Last season, the front five allowed 39 sacks, 10 alone in the Nittany Lions' season-opening loss to Temple.

No one is more concerned about those numbers than new offensive line coach Matt Limegrover, the former Minnesota offensive coordinator who replaced Herb Hand in January.

Yet after practice Wednesday, Limegrover was optimistic about the future.

"The nice thing about preseason camp is you have the ability to do a lot of mixing and matching," he said, "but you know your guys are getting a lot of reps."

He praised the development of redshirt freshman and Archbishop Wood alumnus Ryan Bates, as well as the leadership of the more experienced Brain Gaia and Brendan Mahon.

Gaia, Mahon, Derek Dowrey, Andrew Nelson, Wendy Laurent, and Paris Palmer returned to camp as veteran offensive linemen who started games last season. Joining the vets are freshmen Michal Menet, a five-star recruit out of Exeter High in Berks County, and Connor McGovern, who enrolled in January.

"Connor and Michal are guys that mentally they came in and felt like they were guys that wanted to play right away," Limegrover said. "Physically, they're both guys that have that ability."

Last season, the offensive line was reshuffled at times as it struggled to protect quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Limegrover indicated a desire to establish a more regular starting five this year but said that group would not be decided until closer to the opener against Kent State on Sept. 3.

He said he was certain that the 6-foot-4, 315-pound Mahon would have a spot somewhere on the line. Mahon is listed on the roster as a guard and center but started games at left guard and right tackle last season.

"If we have a surplus of guards who are taking care of business and a guy like Brendan Mahon who has that versatility to go play tackle for us, and that gives us the best five on the field, that is what we're going to do," said Limegrover, who tells his linemen, "Don't think of yourselves as just one spot."

Nelson has moved from left to right tackle, having started games at both spots in the past. Wherever Nelson ends up when the season kicks off, Limegrover knows he can count on him as a leader.

Limegrover said he has coached units that weren't always disciplined. But that has not been his experience so far in State College. The older players - such as Nelson, Gaia, and Dowrey - motivate the linemen to push themselves in practice.

"I don't have to pull teeth. I don't have to come out here, kick them in the tail end, tell them it's not acceptable," Limegrover said. "They get it. They understand it."

@ErinMcPSU