Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1445781
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 2 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M So.), Olu Fashanu (R-So.), Caedan Wal- lace (R-Jr.); OL (position to be deter- mined): Landon Tengwall (R-Fr.), Ibrahim Traore (R-So.) KEY LOSSES: G: Des Holmes, Mike Miranda, Anthony Whigan, Eric Wilson; T: Rasheed Walker NEWCOMERS: OL (position to be de- termined): Maleek McNeil (Fr.), JB Nelson (Jr.), Drew Shelton (Fr.) OUTLOOK: Given how this unit struggled in 2021, you would have to think that almost everything is on the table — position changes, additions via the transfer portal and maybe a compete reshuffling of the depth chart that Penn State used in the Outback Bowl. Where to begin? How about with the likeliest bet: Scruggs started Penn State's last three games at center and appears poised to resume that role as a fifth-year senior next fall. A 13-game starter as a redshirt junior — he played primarily at right guard in the team's first 10 games — Scruggs showed that he was physically capable of with- standing a season's worth of punishment in the Big Ten trenches. That was an open question heading into the year. He suffered a serious back injury in a car accident in 2019 and needed a lengthy rehabilitation, but he appears to have convincingly answered any ques- tions about his durability. That's very good news for Penn State. More good news: Fashanu acquitted himself nicely in the Outback Bowl, a game in which he was making the first start of his career in place of the injured Walker at left tackle. He'll be a redshirt sophomore next fall and appears to be in very strong contention for one of the starting tackle spots. "He's got all the strength in the world, and he's athletic enough to be productive for us," Yurcich said. "He has to feed off of confidence. He has to get confident and trust himself. I think that's a big key." The Lions also have a returnee at right tackle in Wallace, who will be a redshirt junior and is on track to become a three- year starter. But will he stay there? That may depend on what Penn State is able to do in the transfer portal. If the staff can find a tackle there — Cornell grad transfer Hunter Nourzad was still weigh- ing his options as of late January — it could give PSU the flexibility to slide the 6-5, 323-pound Wallace to guard, where it will most likely have two holes to fill in the starting lineup. Other possibilities at guard include Wormley, Tengwall and Effner. Franklin said early in the 2021 season that Wormley had been ticketed for a starting spot before suffering a preseason injury that forced him to miss his red- shirt sophomore year. Tengwall is com- ing off a true freshman season in which he played in three games, and Effner has played seemingly everywhere during his four years on campus and even made two starts at left tackle at the end of the regu- lar season. With starters Walker, Wilson and Mi- randa gone, there are more questions at this position group than answers. But even if all five starters were returning, there would still be questions. Penn State was one of the worst rush- ing teams in the country last season, and it also gave up 34 sacks, the highest total in the Big Ten. The Lions had the fourth- most passing attempts in the conference last year, so there are some mitigating circumstances that affected the team's sack total. But even so, something needs to change. As Franklin noted, "We've got to be better." QUOTABLE: Yurcich on Scruggs: "He provides us with a lot of flexibility. Him being able to play guard and center allows us to be more flexible in that regard. "Where's his highest ceiling? I don't know if it's at center or guard, but I do know this: Playing center is the most healthy thing for his development, be- cause he has to process more mentally. He has to take charge, he has to make calls for us up front, and that's going to help in his development, whether it's for the next level or going into next season." ■ As a true freshman last fall, offensive lineman Landon Tengwall came on strong for the Nittany Lions late in the year. He will be a key part of Penn State's efforts to improve a running game that ranked 118th in the FBS at 107.8 yards per game. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL