Penn State received good news Saturday afternoon as right tackle Will Fries announced that he would be returning for his redshirt senior season.

The 6-foot-6, 313-pound Fries has been a staple on Penn State’s offensive line since 2017, starting 32 games over the last three seasons. He had a bounce back 2019 season, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention from both the coaches and media.

Fries’ return means that Penn State should have an extremely experienced front next year as redshirt senior Michal Menet, redshirt sophomore Rasheed Walker, and redshirt junior Mike Miranda all return as starters. The lone open spot left by the graduating Steven Gonzalez will almost assuredly be taken by redshirt junior CJ Thorpe, who has split snaps with Miranda this year, and has even started a few games in his own right.

The Nittany Lions still await NFL draft decisions from WR KJ Hamler, DE Shaka Toney, CB Tariq Castro-Fields, and DB Lamont Wade, but thus far, the vibe around the program and in the locker room seems night-and-day compared to last year. We’ll see if a few others feel as though they have unfinished business in Happy Valley.