STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – We’ve reached Day 2 of this week’s countdown, which is centered on the top position battles to keep an eye on this spring.

Up today is a position battle that’s actually a positive for the Nittany Lions …

No. 4 position battle: Tight ends

Departures: Matt Lehman (2 catches, 17 yards; injured in Week 1)

Returning players: Adam Breneman (15 catches, 183 yards), Kyle Carter (18 catches, 222 yards), Jesse James (25 catches, 333 yards), Brent Wilkerson (missed season with injury), Mike Gesicki (incoming freshman)

Breaking it down: This is not a position of concern. Quite the contrary, actually. Tight end is the deepest position on the offensive side of the ball, and the Nittany Lions have three solid players here in Breneman, Carter and James. But who’ll finish the season with the most catches? Who’ll wind up as Christian Hackenberg’s top threat?

Each of those three players will be battling this spring to become that No. 1. Two seasons ago, Carter seemed like he was on pace to be the Big Ten tight end of the year before an injury derailed his hopes. He boasted the best hands on the team, but his wrist was still taped up during a Monday weightlifting session. Last season, James was the top option -- and he provides an excellent red-zone target with his height of 6-foot-7. And then there’s Breneman, the up-and-coming tight end who’s a great friend of Hackenberg’s and who might have boasted the best chemistry with the young QB. They all have their own strong points, and this should definitely be an interesting position battle.

When you take Allen Robinson out of the equation, tight ends caught 41.6 percent of passes last season and 42.5 percent of throws the year before that. This group should make a big splash, but it’s still unknown who’ll lead them.

Pre-camp edge: James. He was the top target last season, so it’s fair to say he has the edge right now. He has a great blend of size and speed, and this could be his breakout year now that Robinson is headed to the NFL. Breneman still has work to do -- namely improving his blocking -- to become an every-down tight end, so this spring race seems like it would be between Carter and James. Carter has the potential, but there’s no telling whether the terrific 2012 version will show up. As a result, right now, James has to be considered the leader.

More position battles to watch:

No. 5: Kicker