James Franklin: Penn State football freshman QB has been ‘impressive mentally’

The Penn State football quarterback room faced adversity this spring. the Penn State football quarterbacks Drew Allar and Beau Pribula were always going to lead the charge this fall. But fellow Nittany Lion Jaxon Smolik who enters his redshirt freshman season in 2024 was expected to take the next step in his development. However, an undisclosed injury has derailed his physical progress on the field. But that has stopped his mental game from going to the next level, according to James Franklin.

If you’re a college football quarterback, the expectation is to lead every huddle and help the entire offense get set. The product we all see on Saturdays in the fall is provided by countless hours of mental prep. Whether that is watching film or learning the playbook, the quarterback is expected to be one of the sharpest players in the locker room.

Penn State football quarterback Jaxon Smolik suffered an injury that was confirmed by James Franklin on April 9. However, the Nittany Lions coach was impressed by the mental side of Smolik’s game.

“I think Jaxon Smolik has been really impressive. In terms of what he’s able to do mentally,” Franklin said.

“He’s maximizing what he’s able to do right now that’s been impressive. I think it’s just a combination, some guys have a lot of room for growth mentally. Some guys have a lot of room to grow physically.”

Smolik’s injury has impacted his availability for preseason camp

Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, Smolik has yet to return to the field for fall camp. The redshirt freshman gunslinger was slated to compete with true freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer for the third quarterback on the roster; however, Smolik’s injury allowed Grunkemeyer to get those practice reps.

At Big Ten Media Days, James Franklin spoke about Smolik’s availability which Tyler Donohue of Lions247 recapped on Twitter / X.

He indicated that Smolik is “working through his recovery process.” He also added that this will “impact his availability for preseason camp.”

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