Penn State handled a increase in injuries this seasonbut some of the injured Nittany Lions are returning to practice. Whether they play this season remains to be seen, but coach James Franklin sounded a hopeful tone about several players he characterized as having “long-term” injuries. Franklin also had good things to say about a starter who was limited against Ohio State last week.

Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton played five snaps against the Buckeyes after suffering an undisclosed injury at Wisconsin on Oct. 26. The starter had played at least 35 snaps in every Big Ten game before the trip to Wisconsin.

“He felt much better this Sunday than the previous Sunday,” Franklin told reporters Wednesday after practice. “He was able to play a little bit last week, so to have him back would be big.”

Among the players previously announced with long-term injuries, linebacker Keon Wylie is a potential big returner. Wylie, a redshirt freshman, played in 16 career games on defense and special teams and was poised for a bigger role on both units. He has yet to play this season, and Franklin said Wylie’s recovery timeline hasn’t changed.

“Right when he feels like he’s ready to go, and the doctors and trainers feel like he’s ready to go,” Franklin said. “(He’s a) guy we were really excited about going into the season before the injury, so having him back would be helpful on defense and special teams.”

Wide receiver Kaden Saunders could add similar depth on offense and special teams. Saunders played through an extended preseason injury early in the season, but only as a punt returner in the first four games. Saunders hasn’t played a game at wide receiver this season and hasn’t appeared in an Illinois game, but Franklin also expressed hope for his speedy return.

“(He’s) a guy with experience as a receiver and as a returner and gives us another guy to consider,” Franklin said. “His injury kind of lingered for a while. That’s really going to be up to him and the trainers and the doctors.”

A new receiver to watch

Penn State has mostly played four receivers this season, especially in Big Ten games, and has been looking more production from the position. One player who could see some action in the final four games of the season is freshman Tyseer Denmark.

A 4-star prospect from Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia, Denmark has played in just one game this season. Penn State still plans to redshirt Denmark, though it could play in the team’s final four regular-season games and preserve its season of eligibility. That makes him an interesting player to watch for snaps over the next month.

“There was a lot of excitement about him at the beginning of camp and I think there still is,” Franklin said of Denmark. “We got to a point in the season to make sure we were strategic about redshirting and things like that so we didn’t burn out a year so late. He’s a guy I think you’ll see at some point. .”

Penn State hosts Washington at 8:00 PM ET Saturday at Beaver Stadium for the annual White Out game.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, views and insights on the SI.com network. Editor Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.