Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1467458
2 4 J U N E / J U L 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 S P R I N G F O O T B A L L 2 0 2 2 5. There's more competition in the backfield. Third-year sophomore Keyvone Lee, fourth-year junior Devyn Ford and red- shirt sophomore Caziah Holmes are back, and they're joined by the two January en- rollees, Singleton and fellow freshman Kaytron Allen. With five scholarship running backs in the fold, the Lions have plenty of com- petition at this position group. They had five scholarship running backs last year, too, but Holmes was redshirting, and Noah Cain — who has since transferred to LSU — was coming off a season-end- ing injury he suffered in the 2020 opener. We haven't seen much from Singleton and Allen yet — they combined to rush for 27 yards on 12 carries in the Blue- White Game. But if their high school portfolios are any indication of their collegiate potential, the running backs ought to be able to improve on last year's collective average of 3.98 yards per carry. 6. Everyone understands Mike Yurcich's offensive system better now. Speed wins in college football. After a year without it, Penn State knows that all too well. The offense could again find its footing this fall after an offseason of consistent development. "It's a good feeling when you can come back to the same playbook that you're used to and get right back into the same flow," third-year sophomore By James Franklin's own admission, Penn State didn't get everything done this spring that it might have wanted. Some of the Nittany Lions' unfinished business was hardly surprising. In a couple of instances — the punting and guard spots, for instance — some players who will likely occupy prominent positions on the fall depth chart have yet to arrive on campus. But at some other spots, the staff may not have seen what it hoped to see this spring. Here's a look at some of the team's biggest concerns heading into the summer months: 1. The Lions still need a punter. Penn State graduated Jordan Stout, the Big Ten Punter of the Year in 2021 and a fourth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens, and there is no obvious choice yet for a replacement. PSU signed the top punting prospect in the Class of 2022 in Alex Bac- chetta, but he has yet to arrive on campus. Should the true freshman prove unready, the Nittany Lions could turn to nonscholarship options like super senior Barney Amor or redshirt freshman Gabriel Nwosu. 2. What if the offensive line isn't better? The Lions parted ways with assistant coach Matt Limegrover following the 2019 season because they felt their offensive front wasn't all it could be. In the two seasons since they made that change, the difficulties have persisted. To the extent that there's optimism here, it's the cautious kind. The Lions appear to have some high-ceiling young players like sophomore tackle Olu Fashanu and redshirt freshman guard Landon Tengwall, but the team's re- cent history suggests that some wariness is in order. 3. Even if the first-team O-line is better, there isn't much depth. Penn State had to modify its spring game because it didn't have enough healthy bodies up front. Position coach Phil Trautwein has junior interior line- man Hunter Nourzad transferring in, and redshirt junior guard Sal Wormley should be healthy as well. But, while that will help take care of the first team, there won't be a lot of options if there are injuries in the fall. That's a problem. 4. When will Adisa Isaac and PJ Mustipher be fully healthy? Isaac suffered his lower-leg injury well before the start of last year's pre- season practices, so he's already had nearly a full year to recover. That's reason for optimism as the defensive end prepares for his redshirt junior season. He took part in controlled reps this spring, and all the in-house as- sessments of his progress were positive. Mustipher, having suffered his season-ending knee injury in October, could be a different story. The super senior defensive tackle was said to be ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation this spring, but he still couldn't practice and will be pushing it to find midseason form for an unrelenting early-season schedule. 5. Have you looked at that schedule? The Lions open at Purdue, which is coming off a 9-4 season and a win against Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. Two weeks later comes a trip to Auburn, where the Tigers and their fans will be primed to repay PSU for last year's loss. Then come the usual Big Ten East bullies: Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State, all of which beat PSU last year. If the Lions are going to bounce back this coming fall, they're going to have to do it against one of the tougher slates in the country. — BWI Staff Questions Remain, Even After A Productive Spring Redshirt junior guard Sal Wormley is looking to bounce back this year after missing the entire 2021 season with an injury. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL