As Penn State works through a period of organizational transition, interim coach Terry Smith has increasingly turned to younger players, looking for solutions that can help reverse the team’s recent run of bad luck.
Offensive line coach Phil Trautwein believes one of those young players has the potential not only to be a foundational piece for the program’s future, but an eventual All-American.
Sophomore offensive lineman Cooper Cousins, the 6-foot-6, 320-pound former McDowell High School (Erie, Pa.) standout, drew significant praise from Trautwein this week.
“Yeah, I love ‘Coop.’ He’s a heck of a football player,” Trautwein said. “He could pretty much play anywhere on the offensive line.
“I just want to make sure that when he’s out there, he’s ready to go 100 percent and confident. Sometimes it takes guys a little bit longer. I think he’s right there.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“Everybody’s career is different. Olu didn’t start until his third year, and he could have left that year after eight games… I think he’s a high draft pick. I think (Cousins) is going to be an All-American.”
Last week, Smith mentioned that Cousins had a great personality, doing all the little things right, and felt Cousins would be a future captain at Penn State.
Cousins has appeared in seven games this season, taking snaps at left guard, right guard, and left tackle. He has primarily been used as a run blocker, but he has also posted a 93.7% pass-block efficiency on 40 pass-blocking snaps, allowing just four total pressures—three hurries and one sack.
Penn State will attempt to end its six-game losing streak Saturday, facing Michigan State at 3:30 p.m. ET from Spartan Stadium on CBS.
