Penn State Sports Magazine
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ing receivers, you're going to get a few of them." At the opposite cornerback spot, King started in place of the absent Castro- Fields in the bowl game and appears well-positioned to continue in that role next season. But there's no shortage of potential challengers, including South Carolina transfer Dixon. The Lions also have an experienced backup in Hardy, who will be a redshirt junior next season, while Wilson may yet have a future on defense even though he played both ways as a ju- nior last year. No matter how the battle plays out, PSU appears deep and tal- ented at cornerback. The safety spots should be in good hands even with Brisker departing. Brown tied for the FBS lead with six in- terceptions last season, and he's joined by Ellis and Sutherland. Ellis started the Outback Bowl after Brisker opted out and will be a strong candidate for the full-time job as a senior, but he'll likely have a major challenge on his hands after Reed came on strong at the end of his true freshman season, playing in eight games including the last six to forgo a redshirt. Sutherland is back, too, for his super senior season and will be one of Penn State's most experienced players, hav- ing played in 45 games since his arrival in 2017. Whether he remains in the sec- ondary in 2022 or sees action primarily at linebacker is an open question. QUOTABLE: Franklin on Brown: "His confidence has really skyrocketed this year. And his ability to make plays, to get his hands on balls, to create turn- overs, has been dramatic. And he could have had a few more. … I just see his confidence growing as his experience grows, and he just continues to make plays and be around the ball. "I think his future is very bright, I re- ally do. … Coach [Anthony] Poindexter played the position at a very high level, both in college and in the NFL and now is coaching the position. "I'm not saying that's the end-all, be- all; there are guys who can coach the position without ever playing it. But I do think there's some value there. And they've just worked really well together." SPECIAL TEAMS KEY RETURNEES: KR: Devyn Ford (Sr.), Keyvone Lee (Jr.), Caziah Holmes (R-So.); LS: Chris Stoll (Sr.+); P: Barney Amor (Sr.+), Gabriel Nwosu (R-Fr.); PK: Jake Pinegar (Sr.), Sander Sahaydak (R- Fr.); PR: Parker Washington (Jr.) KEY LOSSES: KR: John Lovett; P: Bradley King; P/PK: Jordan Stout; PK: Ra- fael Checa, Vlad Hilling; PR: Jahan Dotson NEWCOMER: P: Alex Bacchetta (Fr.) OUTLOOK: Penn State may not be starting from scratch exactly, but these specialty units are going to look very dif- ferent in 2022. A lopsided Outback Bowl loss to Arkansas left many Penn State faithful with negative vibes to begin the new year. Blue White Illustrated is here to help. We've compiled 22 reasons to be optimistic about Penn State football in 2022, starting with a blue-chip running back signee. 1. Nick Singleton How can you not be excited about the Gatorade National Player of the Year? An On3 Consensus five-star prospect, Singleton is the first Penn State commit to win the award. He racked up 2,059 yards rushing in his final season at Gover- nor Mifflin High in Shillington, Pa., and found the end zone 44 times. He could revitalize a struggling Penn State running back room. 2. Continuity at offensive coordinator For the first time since 2019, Penn State will enter the season with an offen- sive coordinator who is not in his first season. Certainly, Mike Yurcich's perfor- mance last year left something to be desired, but some stability should serve the Nittany Lions well. 3. Parker Washington One of a few positives to come out of the Outback Bowl for Penn State, Washington showed he's capable of being a No. 1 wideout at this level. He finished 2021 with 820 receiving yards, and it will be exciting to monitor his progression as a junior in 2022. 4. Another season of Anthony Poindexter It seemed like Poindexter was going to leave to take the vacant head coaching job at Virginia, but he's sticking around in Happy Valley for another season. Given his work with Penn State's safeties in 2020, that's a big win for the Nittany Lions. 5. Quarterback depth We saw firsthand what the absence of quarterback depth can do to a sea- son in 2021. That won't be the case in 2022, with touted freshmen Christian Veilleux, Beau Pribula and Drew Allar joining super senior Sean Clifford in the room. 6. Manny Diaz's defense Losing defensive coordinator Brent Pry hurts, but Penn State replaced him well. Diaz will look to install a defense that makes plays in the backfield and cre- ates takeaways. It should be a fun group to watch. 7. The return of Adisa Isaac We missed out on a chance to see the defensive end in extended action for the first time, after he suffered an injury prior to the season. He'll be ready for his redshirt junior season, though, and the former four-star prospect should be a nice asset for the Nittany Lions' defense. 8. The recruiting class We'll touch on a few names specifically throughout this story, but Penn State's recruiting class as a whole deserves its own place. The Nittany Lions hold the No. 7 overall class in 2022, their highest-ranked group since 2018. 9. Mitchell Tinsley Penn State has already dipped into the transfer portal, bringing in Tinsley from Western Kentucky. The receiver caught 87 passes for 1,402 yards in 14 games this past season, also finding the end zone 14 times. He'll be a very nice addition to the wideout room. 10. The young linebackers They elected not to burn their redshirts in the Outback Bowl, but Kobe King and Jamari Buddin both showed potential during their true freshman sea- sons. The Nittany Lions have some gaps to fill at linebacker next year, so look for them to compete for those jobs. 11. Drew Allar The No. 2 quarterback in the 2022 cycle per the On3 Consensus is a Penn State Nittany Lion. Allar might play, or he might not. But his presence is reason enough to be excited. 12. Another year of growth for Curtis Jacobs As a sophomore, Jacobs showed signs of what made him an elite prospect coming out of high school in his first season as a starter. The lone returning starter for Penn State in 2022 at linebacker, he'll get his chance to build on it. Hope Springs Eternal, Even After 2021 Tailspin 3 4 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