BY GREG PICKEL | gpickel@pennlive.com

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Penn State head coach James Franklin cracks a smile during practice on Aug. 4, 2018. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com - Penn State football coach James Franklin directs players during practice on Aug. 4, 2018. Joe Hermitt, PennLive

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The NCAA increased this offseason the number of players who can participate in summer camp from 105 to 110.

It’s scholarship counter, however, remains unchanged.

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Each and every college football program must be at or under the mandated 85-man scholarship limit at all times, and while the numbers once looked a touch tight for Penn State, PennLive’s unofficial scholarship table has the Lions right on the money, and perhaps one under the number, with summer camp underway.

Head coach James Franklin does not reveal the program’s scholarship numbers at any point in time, but through National Letter of Intent signings, transfer tracking, and surprise grant-in-aids given to walk-ons (such as long snapper Kyle Vasey this past offseason), it can be tracked.

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Here’s a position-by-position look at how many players at each position are under scholarship, according to our math.

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Quarterback

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Penn State quarterbacks Trace McSorley, Sean Clifford and Will Levis loosen up during practice Saturday. Joe Hermitt

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The count:

Four.

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The players:

Trace McSorley, Tommy Stevens, Sean Clifford, and Will Levis.

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The outlook:

James Franklin has always wanted five scholarship quarterbacks on his roster, and he had it until news broke of Jake Zembiec's retirement due to ongoing injuries on Tuesday night.

McSorley is the unquestioned started and a Heisman Trophy candidate, while Stevens is the backup and do-it-all offensive weapon.

Clifford figures to be the third-string option this year, while Levis is just getting rolling as a true freshman.

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Running back

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Penn State freshman running back Miles Sanders listens as coach James Franklin talks during the first practice of the summer held on the Lasch Fields on Aug. 4, 2016.

Joe Hermitt, PennLive

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The count:

Five.

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The players:

Mark Allen, Johnathan Thomas, Miles Sanders, Journey Brown, Ricky Slade

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The outlook:

Sanders is ready to step out of the background and into the spotlight as the heir apparent to All-American and new New York Giant Saquon Barkley. The junior will wear No. 24 behind Trace McSorley in the backfield this fall.

Allen and Thomas are the veteran leaders in the room, but both figure to be role contributors at best. Brown looks poised for work as a returner after bringing his blazing speed into the program and redshirting a year ago, while Slade is a five-star recruit who could play as a true freshman.

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Wide receiver

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Juwan Johnson warms up during Penn State football's first day of spring practice inside Holuba Hall, in State College, Pa., Mar. 19, 2018.Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com

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The count:

Nine.

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The players:

DeAndre Thompkins, Juwan Johnson, Brandon Polk, Cam Sullivan-Brown, K.J. Hamler, Mac Hippenhammer, Jahan Dotson, Daniel George, and Justin Shorter.

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The outlook:

First-year receivers coach David Corley sure has his work cut out for him, as the talent in the room is considerable.

Thompkins moves into the slot this year with hopes of replacing the very productive DaeSean Hamilton, who is now a Denver Bronco, while Juwan Johnson is penned into an outside spot.

After that, Justin Shorter, the five-star freshman, will attempt to win the other outside job, but he'll face stiff competition from Hippenhammer, among others.

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Tight end

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Penn State tight end Danny Dalton during a summer prospect camp on June 8, 2017. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

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The count:

Five.

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The players:

Jonathan Holland, Nick Bowers, Danny Dalton, Zach Kuntz, Pat Freiermuth.

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The outlook:

This is one of Penn State's biggest question marks in camp, as it has bodies at the position but no sure thing to replace second-round pick Mike Gesicki.

Dalton gets the early nod as the only one of the group who was healthy in camp and is a veteran, while Bowers and Holland have occasionally flashed but have spent more time injured than not thus far.

Kuntz and Freiermuth are the newcomers, and the formers January arrival may put him in position to play, but don't count out the latter, either.

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Offensive line

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Penn State offensive linemen Chasz Wright, Michal Menet, Connor McGovern, Steven Gonzalez and Ryan Bates approach the line during practice in Holuba Hall in April. Joe Hermitt, PennLive

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The count:

Fourteen.

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The players:

Chasz Wright, Ryan Bates, Steven Gonzalez, Sterling Jenkins, Alex Gellerstedt, Michal Menet, Connor McGovern, Will Fries, C.J. Thorpe, Mike Miranda, Des Holmes, Juice Scruggs, Rasheed Walker, Bryce Effner.

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The outlook:

Penn State has at least four of its starters in Bates, Gonzalez, Menet, and McGovern, but it doesn't know whether McGovern or Menet will play center. The other will play right guard, while Wright and Fries will fight it out for the right tackle job.

The number, 15, indicates the depth the program has built along the line in the Franklin era, as it can now almost fill out a three-deep of scholarship players. When he arrived, even a two-deep was a tremendous challenge.

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Defensive line

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Penn State defensive ends Yetur Gross-Matos and Shareef Miller compete in the tire flip during the 16th annual Lift for Life held in Holuba Hall on June 30, 2018. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com

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The count:

Eighteen.

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The players:

End: Torrence Brown, Ryan Buchholz, Shareef Miller, Shaka Toney, Shane Simmons, Daniel Joseph, Damion Barber, Yetur Gross-Matos, Jayson Oweh, and Nick Tarburton.

Tackle: Robert Windsor, Kevin Givens, Ellison Jordan, Antonio Shelton, Fred Hansard, P.J. Mustipher, Judge Culpepper, and Aeneas Hawkins.

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The outlook:

Penn State should roll out a starting four of Buchholz and Miller at the ends and Windsor and Givens up the middle, but if we know anything about Sean Spencer, it's that he rolls a deep rotation that puts many players on the field over the course of 60 minutes.

The key reserves at end figure to be Toney, Simmons, and Gross-Matos, while the tackle backups start with Shelton and Hansard, and could end with any combination of Barber, Mustipher, Culpepper, and Jordan.

Finally, it's not clear when or if Brown will be ready to play this fall after he suffered a gruesome knee injury early last season.

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Linebacker

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Penn State linebacker Koa Farmer checks the field before the Nebraska game on Nov. 18, 2017. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com HAR

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The count:

Eleven.

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The players:

Koa Farmer, Manny Bowen, Jake Cooper, Jarvis Miller, Cam Brown, Dae'Lun Darien, Ellis Brooks, Brelin Faison-Walden, Micah Parsons, Jesse Luketa, and Charlie Katshir.

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The outlook:

For the record, we're merely assuming that Bowen was placed back on scholarship when the program brought him back into the fold this summer, but Franklin did not confirm that when discussing the senior's return over the weekend.

Farmer and Brown look likely to be two of the three starters, with Bowen, Luketa, and Parsons among others from the scholarship fighting for the third first-team spot. It seems likely, however, that walk-on Jan Johnson might complete the trio as the middle linebacker on Sept. 1 when the season begins against Appalachian State.

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Secondary

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Penn State cornerbacks John Reid and Tariq Castro-Fields get in extra work after spring practice in Holuba Hall on March 28, 2018.Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com Joe Hermitt

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The count:

Fifteen.

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The players:

Corner: Amani Oruwariye, John Reid, Zech McPhearson, Donovan Johnson, D.J. Brown, Tariq Castro-Fields, Jordan Miner, Trent Gordon.

Safety: Nick Scott, Garrett Taylor, Lamont Wade, Jonathan Sutherland, Isaiah Humphries.

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The outlook:

For the second time in as many years, Penn State has to replace one starting safety, and now it must find two new faces with Marcus Allen in camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Troy Apke in Washington.

Scott has one job locked down, but the battle continues for the other spot between Taylor, Monroe, and Wade. Taylor is the leader in the clubhouse.

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Specialists

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Penn State kicker Blake Gillikin kicks during spring practice in Holuba Hall on April 4, 2018.Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com HAR

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The count:

Three.

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The players:

Punter: Blake Gillikin

Kicker: Jake Pinegar

Longsnapper: Kyle Vasey

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The outlook:

The aforementioned Vasey, Penn State's stalwart snapper of late, was surprised with his scholarship during the offseason.

Pinegar is a true freshman vying for the kicking job, while Gillikin will return as the starting punter and could end up being the place kicker, too, though that battle continues.

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The final count

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Members of the media listen to Penn State coach James Franklin speak during Penn State football media day Saturday. Photos by Joe Hermitt, PennLive Joe Hermitt, PennLive

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First, for those keeping track at home, the offense/defense/total count is as follows:

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Quarterback: 4

Running back: 5

Receiver: 9

Tight end: 5

Offensive line: 14

Offense total: 37

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Defensive line: 18

Linebacker: 11

Secondary: 15

Specialist: 3

Defense total: 47

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Offense and defense total equals 84 total scholarships.

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The number is a rolling one, which means teams can always be under or right at 85 at any point in time, but never over it.

Penn State continues camp this week.

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