Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1462941
A P R I L 2 0 2 2 31 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 20 KeAndre Lambert-Smith WR | Jr. | 6-1 | 188 Tinsley's arrival certainly eases some of the pressure on Lambert-Smith, but he's still an important player for the Nittany Lions moving forward. Lambert-Smith has spent his first two seasons on campus as Penn State's third option at receiver. He figures to oc- cupy that role again as an incumbent, although Penn State certainly has some young wideouts capable of challenging him. With 521 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season, there's plenty of room for progression here. 21 The backup quarterbacks You might call this a cop-out. We're going to choose to describe it as efficient. It's unclear who the No. 2 guy on Penn State's quarterback depth chart will be following the arrival of talented fresh- men Drew Allar (6-5, 229) and Beau Prib- ula (6-2, 200) in January. Christian Veil- leux (6-4, 202), who occupied that spot at the conclusion of last season, earned plenty of praise during Penn State's win- ter workout sessions. We saw last season just how important this role is, with Penn State's Big Ten title hopes quickly fizzling after Clifford was injured at Iowa in October. The Nittany Lions need a backup they can rely on. 22 Nick Tarburton DE | Sr. | 6-3 | 260 Defensive end is another place on the field where the Nittany Lions lost some valuable players. Ebiketie is off to the NFL and could be a top-60 pick. Jesse Luketa likewise made the transition to the pros after the 2021 season. While the return of Isaac and the pend- ing arrival of signee Dani Dennis-Sut- ton are both exciting, Tarburton should play a key role at defensive end again this season. Playing all 13 games last year, Tar- burton contributed 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack. 23 Jake Pinegar PK | Sr. | 6-2 | 206 It might not be a flashy choice, but we all know how important kickers can be in college football. Pinegar was hampered by an injury during the 2021 offseason and eventually lost his place-kicking job to punter/kickoff specialist Jordan Stout. As a result, he attempted only two field goals and two extra points last season. Pinegar could be pushed by second- year kicker Sander Sahaydak for his place, but we'll list him here as the in- cumbent of sorts for now. 24 Jonathan Sutherland LB/S | Sr.+ | 5-11 | 210 Penn State must replace two of its starting linebackers from a season ago. As a result, Sutherland is expected to play there more frequently in 2022. A safety for the majority of his Penn State career, he could slot into the Sam outside linebacker role in some capacity. He's a sixth-year player and a respected leader in the Nittany Lion locker room and is also a valuable contributor on spe- cial teams. 25 Coziah Izzard DT | R-So. | 6-3 | 296 Penn State's picture at defensive tackle is far from clear from the outside looking in at this stage. Mustipher is returning for a fifth year, but he suffered a season-end- ing injury at Iowa and it's uncertain where he stands with his recovery. The Nittany Lions must replace Derrick Tangelo at the other defensive tackle spot. Izzard played the second-most snaps of any Penn State defensive tackle last season, finishing the year with 21 tackles and a pair of sacks. PFF, however, did not rate his performances highly, giving him an overall grade of 40.4. ■ Sophomore Kalen King looks to be the favorite to replace Tariq Castro-Fields at cornerback. He had 21 tackles and forced a fumble as a true freshman last year. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL