Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1400830
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 4 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Coziah Izzard, DT Izzard had a quarterback hurry in the finale and played in three of nine con- tests in 2020. Don't be surprised if he starts 2021 with second-team reps. Curtis Jacobs, LB The star of the class, Jacobs made nine tackles and had a pass breakup in eight games at the linebacker rotation. Expectations are high for his first sea- son as a starter at outside linebacker in 2021. Enzo Jennings, S Jennings made strides on the prac- tice field throughout the season and was one of several Lions who saw his first game action against Illinois. He's in the mix for the first-team safety job opposite Jaquan Brisker. Theo Johnson, TE Johnson showcased a willingness to block and a fine pair of hands in seven games, which included a start. He'll work in tandem with Brenton Strange again this fall after making four catches for 56 yards in 2020. Joseph Johnson, CB Johnson did not suit up for any games in 2020 and entered the transfer portal this past April. He had not found a landing spot as of late July. KeAndre Lambert-Smith, WR Lambert-Smith and Parker Wash- ington became the program's first true freshman wide receiver duo to start since Chris Godwin and Saeed Black- nall in 2014 against Maryland. Receiv- ing snaps in all nine games and starting five, Lambert-Smith finished the year with 15 catches for 138 yards. Keyvone Lee, RB A hard-charging runner who shined while others were out, Lee finished with 438 yards on 89 carries and scored four times last season. He'll be a big part of the offense regardless of which running back wins the first-team job. Malick Meiga, WR Meiga did not play last fall but is one of many young players hoping to crack Taylor Stubblefield's wideout rotation this year. Bryce Mostella, DE Mostella has yet to hit the field, and the Michigan native might be another season away from earning anything more than late-game reps. Fatorma Mulbah, DT Mulbah crushed the weight room this summer with 32 bench-press reps of 225 pounds in addition to five squats of 585 pounds. Now it's time to see how that strength carries over onto the field. Brandon Taylor, DE Taylor was removed from the roster for a violation of team rules in Septem- ber and later entered the transfer por- tal. He has yet to pick a new school. Ibrahim Traore, OT Traore bulked up during his first season on campus. He came in at 300 pounds and now checks in at 326 as he aims to continue improving during year two. Amin Vanover, DE Vanover made his first career tackle at Rutgers and posted two stops in the finale against Illinois. With Adisa Isaac likely out for the year with an injury, Vanover will shoot for an expanded role at defensive end. Tyler Warren, TE Strange and Johnson command a lot of attention at tight end, and with good reason, but Warren showed enough physicality in two appearances to make us think he could see his share of snaps in year two. Parker Washington, WR Washington started nine games and set a single-game Penn State record for true freshmen with nine receptions at Michigan. Named a freshman All-Amer- ican by The Athletic, Washington fin- ished with 36 catches for 486 yards and six touchdowns. He is a surefire starter opposite Jahan Dotson this fall. ■ R E P O R T C A R D : Players In Class: 27 Rivals.com Team Ranking: No. 15 Players Still At Penn State: 24 It's too early to make assump- tions about how this class will ultimately rank, but it's already started to have an impact, and that productivity, when married to the potential found on paper, should equal good things in the years ahead. Top Contributor To Date: WR PARKER WASHINGTON: Penn State's offense needed a spark at receiver once op- ponents figured out that Dotson was the guy, and Washington stepped right into the spotlight with no hesitation. Unsung Heroes RB'S KEYVONE LEE AND CAZIAH HOLMES: We won't try to split hairs here. Both players were needed when injuries piled up ahead of them, and they were willing blockers and strong ball carriers throughout their first season. Ready To Make An Impact This Fall S JI'AYIR BROWN: Brown is the favorite to start alongside his former junior college teammate, Brisker, and expectations will be high from the get-go for his second season in State College. B Ji'Ayir Brown played in all nine games last season and recorded six tackles. PHOTO BY NATE BAUER