in the Sugar Bowl, which is a CFP semi-
-worthy players across the country
sit out and focus on preparing for the
NFL.
3. THE ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
Penn State has eight projected starters
on o=ense and defense who have re-
ceived er the graduation of cornerback
John Reid and boundary safety Garrett
Taylor. As the editors note, "Penn State's
Lamont Wade will be one of the top
safeties in the Big Ten [and] Jaquan
Brisker will be a quality bookend safety to
Wade. Penn State's cornerback room re-
ceived a big boost when senior Tariq Cas-
tro-Fields announced that he would be
back for his senior year." That's all true,
but the real reason to feel hopeful about
the secondary is that Penn State has four
of the best underclassman cornerbacks in
the Big Ten in Marquis Wilson, Keaton
Ellis, Joey Porter Jr. and Daequan Hardy.
It's impossible to know right now what
the next college football season will look
like or even when it will start. But when-
ever it happens, Penn State will need a
contingent of freshmen, both true and
redshirt, to have a major impact. There
could be as many as 10 freshmen who
are capable of doing that. Among those
players are Porter, linebacker Lance
Dixon, defensive tackle Hakeem Beamon
and defensive end Smith Vilbert.
Beamon and Vilbert reportedly im-
pressed as members of the scout team
last fall and later during winter work-
outs. When Beamon arrived on Penn
State's campus last June, he was listed at
6-foot-3, 259 pounds. Heading into this
year's preseason camp in August, he
checked in at 274. Having gained 15
pounds, he could end up challenging for
signi
