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PENN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 6, 2015

John Donovan

University Park, Pennsylvania

JOHN DONOVAN: Hello, everybody. Extremely excited to be here. I know the guys in our unit are extremely excited right now. We ended last year on a very positive note. We made good progress in the winter and throughout spring, and these guys have worked their butts off all summer.

Where we're at right now is that we need to make sure our progress and development okay, our progress and development I should say is very critical right now because this phase that we're in right now leads to the next phase, which is for real. So all the progress we've made to this point has been great, but the next few weeks are critical because it leads to the season. So that's where our minds are right now.

Very excited about the crew we've got coming back. Hopefully going to add some depth with some of the younger guys, but I know our unit is very fired up and excited about the possibilities.

Q. What kind of progress have you seen from Akeel Lynch since you got here, and what role do you see him taking on this year's team?
JOHN DONOVAN: I can't wait to see him play this year. I cannot wait. From the little that we're allowed to be around them right now, he seems very focused and locked in, very determined. He ended the year last year on a great note. I think that he's got a chance to really take the reins right now and provide some leadership and provide us with a very good back to help us in the run game, and I'm really excited to see what he can do.

Q. I guess on a broad scale, from the amount of time you've been around your entire offense, do you sense an element of comfort being in the same system, entering year two, as opposed to last year where it was their first year and kind of
JOHN DONOVAN: It definitely helps. It definitely helps to get a practice and get experience of what you're doing. It's about this year right now and what we do this year. I think you can draw from those experiences and draw from all the reps that you've gotten, but everybody is starting from scratch to this year, so it's what we do from this point forward that will lead into the season and ultimately tell our story.

But I do think that it helps that we've been around these guys for a year, and they have some recall as we get into camp right now. We're able to start at a different point than what we did this time last year. I do think once you learn our system and you're able to think fast, you play fast, and I think that because of that, we're going to see a difference.

Q. You have a couple guys coming off of redshirts this year. Who are you most excited to see and what are you looking for from those guys as camp begins?
JOHN DONOVAN: It's tough to say in particular. I think it's nice to know up front that those linemen usually take some time to develop, and last year we had a bunch of guys that were redshirting, and they weren't even available. They're not even in the picture as far as playing at that point. So I think the fact that they've been around here a year and that they at least provide some depth, however that is, they might ultimately progress into playing a lot, but even if they can just spell or do something along those lines, that's a big help.

So that's an area that will be a little different for us this year.

Other than that, off the top of my head, I know DeAndre Thompkins and Trace McSorley, I think those guys are talented, and they're working hard, and they have a chance to contribute if they reach their potential and can think and think fast and play and all that good stuff.

I think all the guys that redshirt hopefully will provide some depth.

Q. Coach Franklin said that the offense, defense and special teams will be different dictated by personnel. What role will the tight ends play this year and how does Adam Breneman coming back help that group?
JOHN DONOVAN: We'll find out. Like I said, it's about what you do right now. If we can trust you, that you're going to be doing the right things and not only doing the right things but make the plays or make the blocks or whatever, then you're going to play. If he can instill that in us and get our trust that he's going to do the right thing and do it well, then he'll play. If not, we'll look to somebody else. It's no different than any other position, and he knows that, and that's been told to him and everybody else.

If you can do your job and do it well, you'll play. If you can't, we'll find somebody else. So I think that he's got the ability. We'll see what happens. He's a great kid. He works hard. I'm excited to have him back, and we'll go from there.

Q. Have you noticed DaeSean develop sort of a mentor or leadership role, especially among the younger receivers?
JOHN DONOVAN: You know, from all accounts, he's had a great summer. He's worked hard. He's done that through showing those guys how to do it. He's had some success last year. He needs to be able to draw from that success and continue to work on the things that he can control. He's got talent. Talent will take you so far. You've got to be able to have great attitude, great work ethic, competitiveness, all the things that you can control, and if he does that as well as everybody else on our team, that'll take you to another level. And I think that he's doing that right now. We'll see over the next couple weeks how that goes. But yeah, I'm excited about him, and I think he's got that makeup about him, that mindset, and that's what we need to have as a unit. It's got to happen individually and it's got to happen as a unit. We've got to be able to work on the things that we can control, okay, trusting your abilities, but more importantly, trusting the things that you can work on, okay, your attitude, your effort, your work ethic, your competitiveness, all those things that you can control, and him not only him but the rest of the group will make strides.

Q. James said something earlier about he sees a significant difference in your system year one to year two in the receivers. Why is that maybe in your system, and with the communication and separation issues that were there last year, how much of a stride can you see all those guys taking year one to year two?
JOHN DONOVAN: You know, I can't specifically speak for other people's systems necessarily, but I do know this: I know the guys that have played in this system and have gone on to the next level, have been in a room with somebody else that say, you know what, this guy doesn't have a clue, so sometimes it takes a little time. We put a lot on our guys, but once you know what you're doing and you can think fast and operate in it, it helps. Sometimes it takes a little time. We'll find that out. I think we've got a chance to do some things this year.

As far as the other one, I think those guys take it as a challenge. They're tired of hearing it, and they want to go out and prove what they can do.

Q. James last week in Chicago and earlier today talked about him having a chip on his shoulder and the offensive line having a chip on their shoulders, and I was wondering, do you as the offensive coordinator feel like you have a chip on your shoulder going into this season?
JOHN DONOVAN: I think you always got to have a chip on your shoulder. You know, you believe in what you've done. We've had some success. I think that, like every other year, it's a new year. We'll find out what happens as we go forward here. But I believe deep down in my heart and soul that we've got a chance to be really good, and that's what I know right now, and that's the way I'm going to approach it, and that's the way our guys should approach it, and that's the way we've got to approach it each day. It's not going to happen overnight, but if we take that approach each day and attack each day with that mentality, we'll like where we'll get to. But it just won't happen by thinking about it. You've got to get up and wore by that day and attack that day and do the best you can that day, you go to bed, you learn from it and you do the same thing the next day, and I think it'll work out.

Q. Now that you've had a chance to look back at last year, why did Christian play so well in the UCF and BC games, and why were there so many ups and downs in between?
JOHN DONOVAN: You know, we looked at the tape, and across the board, guys played good and bad, okay. We got better at the end of the year. We had time going into the bowl game to maybe look at some things that we did well throughout the year. We were playing with a lot of new guys. I think him along with everybody else are going to be able to draw from the experiences they have had, and you can draw from those experiences, but ultimately it's about what you do this year. What he's going to do this year will determine how good he'll be. What we do this year will determine how good we'll be this year, and I think with the attitude we have coming in, the excitement we have as a unit, if we attack each day like I said with that mindset, we'll like where we're at this year, and it's about starting today, and we're going to worry about today and attack today and try to be great today, and we wake up tomorrow and do the same thing.

Q. Will you be up or down this year relative to calling the plays?
JOHN DONOVAN: You know, we ended the year down. It's most likely where it's going to be. You learn from that, and I think I learned a lot towards the end of last year, especially the last two games, so that's where it's at right now.

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