Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1445781
2 8 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 we just don't have the explosive plays in the running game. That's been our chal- lenge and our issue. … There have been some opportunities for some big plays that we've made in the past. We need to make them moving forward." WIDE RECEIVER KEY RETURNEES: Liam Clifford (R-Fr.), Jaden Dottin (R-So.), KeAndre Lambert-Smith (Jr.), Malick Meiga (R- So.), Harrison Wallace III (R-Fr.), Parker Washington (Jr.) KEY LOSSES: Norval Black, Jahan Dotson, Winston Eubanks, Daniel George, Cam Sullivan-Brown NEWCOMERS: Omari Evans (Fr.), Anthony Ivey (Fr.), Tyler Johnson (Fr.), Kaden Saunders (Fr.), Mitchell Tinsley (Sr.+) OUTLOOK: Dotson is off to the NFL, and while he left behind some big shoes to fill, Washington gave every indication in the Outback Bowl that he's ready to take on a bigger role as a junior next season. The book on Washington has always been that he's essentially a wide receiver in a body of a stocky tailback. Standing 5-foot-10, 207 pounds, and with legs that receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield once described as looking "like a pair of ham hocks," he's been portrayed as the kind of player whose greatest asset is his ability to generate yards after the catch. That may be true, but the catches themselves were pretty impressive in the bowl game, especially the twisting, leap- ing one-hander that he somehow pulled down in the second quarter. Purely in terms of its aesthetics, Washington's 19- yard reception on an overthrown pass by Clifford may have been Penn State's catch of the year. Stubblefield has said in the past that he doesn't like it when players try to make one-handed catches, believ- ing that they encourage bad habits. But here's betting he liked that one. Washington and fellow junior Lam- bert-Smith are both returning starters and have combined to make 149 career catches for 1,968 yards and 13 touch- downs. The other scholarship returnees — Dottin, Meiga, Wallace and Clifford — have three career catches between them. The lack of proven depth beyond Washington and Lambert-Smith means that the newcomers will have a chance to make an early impact. In fact, Tinsley was brought aboard with exactly that thought in mind. In two seasons at Western Kentucky, the 6-1, 205-pound former juco player put up some dazzling numbers. Tinsley made a strong first impression, catching 43 passes for 377 yards and four touch- downs in a 12-game 2020 season. And that was just the warmup act. This past year, he had 87 catches for 1,402 yards and 14 scores, including a seven-catch, 127-yard outing against Michigan State. Another potential contributor here is senior Marquis Wilson. He's listed him as a cornerback in our personnel roundup, but last year he became the first Penn State player since 2017 to see action on offense and defense in the same game. He caught three passes for 29 yards over the course of the 2021 season and may continue to have a part-time role as a wide receiver. Bottom line: Even with Dotson leaving, this position group has the potential to be a team strength in 2022. QUOTABLE: Yurcich on Meiga: "He's one of those guys who just has a really good attitude about life and about foot- ball. He's a pleasure to be around and a pleasure to coach. I'm looking forward to seeing how he performs." TIGHT END KEY RETURNEES: Khalil Dinkins (R- Fr.), Theo Johnson (Jr.), Brenton Strange (R-Jr.), Tyler Warren (R-So.) KEY LOSSES: None NEWCOMER: Jerry Cross (Fr.) OUTLOOK: The Nittany Lions return everyone here, and they will be a little deeper than in 2021 with the arrival of Cross, a four-star prospect from Milwau- kee. And yet, for all the talent on hand, this group still has some questions to an- swer. Going into the 2021 season, Franklin said Penn State had assembled "the best tight end group I've ever been around in 25 years of coaching in college." But it didn't exactly play out that way. Between them, Strange, Johnson and Warren caught 44 passes for 499 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers, compiled during a full 13-game season, were roughly equivalent to the tight ends' production during the nine-game 2020 slate (44 catches, 530 yards, three scores). What's more, following a victory over Villanova in September, Franklin cited the tight ends' blocking as one of the reasons why Penn State rushed for only 80 yards against an FCS foe. "I didn't think we played as well at the tight end position, especially in the run- ning game, as we have in the past," he said. Despite the difficulties of the past sea- son — a campaign in which the tight ends were working with a first-year position coach in Ty Howle — this is still the same group that got Franklin and his assistants so excited in the first place. The only difference is that Strange, Johnson and Warren all now have a year or more of college playing experience un- der their belts. Strange will be a redshirt junior and a third-year starter in 2022. Johnson will be a junior, while Warren will be a redshirt sophomore. Going into the 2022 season, they're in a potentially advantageous spot in their careers. They've had an opportunity to adapt to the rigors of the college game, and they've still got time to make good on Franklin's assertion that this is the best tight end group of his coaching career. QUOTABLE: Franklin: "I think there have been some games [in which the tight ends] have played extremely well. There have been some games where we've got- ten them really involved, and they've have had an impact. There have been some games where we probably should have gotten them more involved. … And then obviously there are some games and some plays — which will always be the case — that you wish you had back. "But I think it's a really strong position and a really strong room. Ty Howle has done a great job with those guys. I'm very pleased with them. And I think they con- tinue to have a really bright future." OFFENSIVE LINE KEY RETURNEES: C: Nick Dawkins (R-So.), Juice Scruggs (Sr.); G: Bryce Eff- ner (Sr.), Golden Israel-Achumba (R-So.), Sal Wormley (R-Jr.); T: Jimmy Christ (R-