Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1445781
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M The Nittany Lions graduated a do- it-all performer in Stout, the Big Ten's Punter of the Year who also handled kickoffs and doubled as the primary field goal kicker this past season. They also lost Dotson, who set a school record with a 24.6-yard punt return average in 2020. They even lost their coordinator in January when Joe Lorig left to join Dan Lanning's new staff at Oregon. The good news for Lorig's replace- ment, Stacy Collins, formerly of Boise State and Utah State, is that PSU has some highly regarded people ready to step into those roles. Bacchetta, a three-star prospect in the Lions' 2022 recruiting class, is con- sidered the top punting prospect in the country by Kohl's Kicking and could well be a Day 1 starter for the Nittany Lions. Pinegar was a reliable kicker for Penn State in 2019 and 2020, hitting 20 of 25 field goal attempts those two seasons before giving way to Stout this past year. If there was any doubt about whether he would return for a senior season, he answered it via social media on Jan. 2. "So much more to prove individually and collectively with this team," Pinegar tweeted. "Talk is talk, but I promise the best is yet to come. Can't wait to unfold the story in 2022." Even when he was attempting field goals with regularity, Pinegar was leav- ing the kickoffs to Stout. If he wins the anticipated offseason battle with red- shirt freshman Sahaydak, the Lions will most likely need one of their other kick- ers to handle kickoff duties. It wouldn't be surprising to see Pinegar attempt most of the field goals, while Sahaydak takes over on kickoffs, with the latter then assuming the full-time kicking job in 2023. This is one area in which the Lions would no doubt like to improve. While Stout was outstanding on punts and kickoffs, he was not as accurate as Pin- egar had been on field goals, hitting 16 of 23 attempts. As a team, Penn State's 68 percent success rate on field goals ranked ninth in the Big Ten. Under Collins, Boise kicker Jonah Dalmas hit 26 of 28 field goal tries last year and was a Groza Award semifinal- ist. Regardless of who wins the starting job, this looks like it could be a produc- tive partnership. Maybe the best really is yet to come. QUOTABLE: Franklin on Collins: "As a veteran coach, Stacy brings a wide va- riety of experiences to our staff, having served as a head coach, defensive coor- dinator and special teams coordinator during his career. He will bring signifi- cant value to our program, has a great depth of special teams knowledge and has found great success as a coordinator. His coaching style on special teams will allow us to continue our strong tradition as a special teams unit." ■ 13. Kalen King King played more than any other Penn State true freshman this past season, earning a 66.7 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus. His snaps at linebacker will only increase next season, as Penn State looks to replace Tariq Castro-Fields. 14. Ji'Ayir Brown's decision to return Penn State's secondary got a big boost when the safety announced that he'll come back for another year. His six interceptions this season tied him for the most in the country, and the Nittany Lions will need his ability to make game- changing plays without Jaquan Brisker. 15. More transfer portal additions James Franklin made it very clear that the Nittany Lions will dive into the transfer portal as they did last season. Having already landed Tinsley, expect Penn State to find a few more impact players. 16. Dani Dennis-Sutton Penn State landed one of its top priorities on the defensive side of the ball in Dennis-Sutton, an elite athlete who could help them from Day 1. Following his progression at defensive end will be one of the more exciting aspects of the new season. 17. Jaylen Reed Another true freshman who lost his redshirt this season, Reed showed that he can make an impact for the Nittany Lions on defense in 2022 at safety. It will be interesting to see if he can compete for the open safety job alongside Brown. 18. Ohio State at home Michigan took the crown this season, but Ohio State will be the Big Ten fa- vorite again in 2022. It helps that the Nittany Lions will play them at home in what will likely be the White Out game. 19. Fresh faces on the offensive line We all know that Penn State's offensive line wasn't good enough in 2021. But Landon Tengwall and Olu Fashanu — a true freshman and redshirt fresh- man — both played relatively well in the Outback Bowl. Penn State fans should be optimistic about their futures. 20. Joey Porter Jr. is coming back … Penn State will return two of the four starters from last season's excellent secondary, with Porter joining Brown. Porter didn't have a perfect season as a redshirt sophomore, but he was certainly an asset and should only get better. 21. … So is PJ Mustipher After suffering a season-ending injury against Iowa, Mustipher elected to return to Happy Valley for another season. That's a huge boost to the Nittany Lions, who can bank on one of the best defensive tackles in the Big Ten in 2022. 22. The start to the 2023 recruiting class It's early, but Penn State's 2023 class is off to a great start. The Nittany Lions ranked sixth in the country as of late January with six verbal commitments. If they can maintain that momentum, they could end up with back-to-back great classes. — David Eckert Redshirt junior defensive end Adisa Isaac is expected to be back at full strength after missing the entire 2021 season with an injury. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL