Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1445781
1 2 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M B y the time the Outback Bowl kicked off, many of Penn State's players had already made announcements regarding their futures. Linebackers Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks, defensive linemen Derrick Tan- gelo and Arnold Ebiketie, receiver Ja- han Dotson and safety Jaquan Brisker all opted not to play in the game. Choosing to instead begin training for their NFL opportunities, none came as much of a surprise, though all stood in contrast to head coach James Franklin's prior ex- periences. "I've been fortunate enough to be a head coach for 12 years. I have never had an opt-out in all of my 12 years," Franklin said. "At the end of the day, the reality is that you've got to find a way to get it done. As one door closes, another door opens. It's an opportunity for another player. I think it's also going to give us a really good kind of picture of what our future is going to be." Soon after the game, that picture came into sharper focus. In what has become a new normal, and will remain so for the next few years, players who took part in the COVID-marred 2020 season have the option of extending their careers. At Penn State, that led to the announced returns of quarterback Sean Clifford, linebacker Jonathan Sutherland, safety Ji'Ayir Brown and snapper Chris Stoll before the bowl. All will be using their final season of eligibility in 2022. Also coming back is injured defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher, who announced after the bowl game that he had opted to use his extra year of eligibility af- ter suffering a season-ending injury against Iowa in Week 6 this past Oc- tober. Transfer punter Barney Amor is also sticking around. Meanwhile, defensive end Jesse Luketa and kicker/punter Jordan Stout decided to move on, joining left tackle Rasheed Walker in the hope of embark- ing on NFL careers. Additional questions about who was coming and going were answered in mid-January when the team posted an updated roster on its website. (The complete roster can be found on page 36.) Although no formal announcements had been made by the players or the team itself, starting center Mike Mi- randa, defensive tackle Fred Hansard, backup guard Anthony Whigan and re- ceiver Cam Sullivan-Brown all were ab- sent from the update. Beyond the schol- arship players, Penn State also saw two walk-on specialists — punter Bradley King and kicker Vlad Hilling — make their exits. Other players who were no lon- ger listed on the roster, but had not made announcements themselves, were transfer cornerback A.J. Lytton and receiver Daniel George. Lytton, a backup who carved out a role for himself as a gunner on punt coverage, played just one season at Penn State. George, meanwhile, made his way into the transfer portal after his redshirt junior season. Defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins an- nounced his retirement from football after four years at Penn State, having played in two games following a redshirt in 2018. Another defensive lineman, Joseph Appiah Darkwa, also wrapped his career at Penn State by entering the transfer portal. Appiah Darkwa never saw the field in his three years at PSU. The biggest name to hit the trans- fer portal in January was running back Noah Cain. A junior with 806 career rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, Cain entered the portal on Jan. 12. Just one day later, the Louisiana native an- nounced he was headed to LSU. "Throughout the last three years I have been in Happy Valley, I have learned endless things about myself on and off the football field and I have been blessed with opportunities which I will carry with myself for a lifetime," Cain said via social media. "Penn State has provided me with a myriad of oppor- tunities athletically, academically, civi- cally, and socially. For that, I could never be more grateful. "To Coach Franklin and the rest of the Penn State Football Staff, thank you for taking a chance on a young, South- ern kid and welcoming me into Happy Valley with open arms. The memories I created with my teammates and the lifelong relationships I made along the way throughout my Penn State career will forever be enshrined in my heart." Cain won't be participating in formal practices anywhere this spring. He isn't slated to enroll at LSU until after he re- ceives his journalism degree from Penn State in May. Other players who have left the Nit- tany Lions since the start of the 2021 season include receiver Norval Black, safeties Tyler Rudolph and Enzo Jen- nings, offensive lineman Des Holmes and quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson. Holmes has landed at Arizona State, while Roberson intends to continue his career at Connecticut. ■ Football Roster Movement Headlined By Cain's Transfer NATE BAUER | NBAUER@BLUEWHITEONLINE.COM In what would turn out to be his final game at Penn State, junior running back Noah Cain rushed for 28 yards on five carries in the Lions' loss to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. He transferred to LSU in January. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL