Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1476228
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 2 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M senior, is coming off a breakout perfor- mance last year in which he finished with 6 interceptions to tie for the FBS lead. Anchoring Penn State's secondary alongside Porter this fall, Brown will be one of the key players in what looks like one of the league's best units. 3. Parker Washington | So. | WR At a moment when Penn State needed an injection of talent at receiver during the 2020 season, Washington provided a necessary complement to Jahan Dotson. He did it again in 2021, serving as wing- man while Dotson developed into a first-round NFL Draft selection. While Dotson was garnering praise and attention, Washington was quietly de- veloping into one of the more consistent receivers in the Big Ten. He was a third- team All-Big Ten choice last fall and con- cluded the season with some spectacular catches in a 7-reception, 98-yard Out- back Bowl performance. Despite missing spring practice, Wash- ington is poised to shine as a third-year sophomore this fall. 4. Nick Singleton | Fr. | RB Too soon? Given that he's never played in a college football game, Singleton's place among Penn State's best players might seem premature. It's not. The reigning Gatorade Player of the Year for high school football, Singleton impressed teammates and coaches in his first spring with the Nittany Lions. Earn- ing his reputation as a dynamic playmaker with the ability to radically improve Penn State's sluggish running game, he appears read to break out at PSU. This isn't a mat- ter of "if" but "when." 5. Curtis Jacobs | So. | OLB The third-year sophomore has moved from the Sam to the Will outside line- backer spot this year, but don't expect him to take a step back as he gets accli- mated. He's a good fit for the position, bringing speed and quickness, plus a much-needed dose of leadership, ahead of the 2022 season. Another factor working in Jacobs' favor is that weakside linebackers tend to shine under the direction of defensive coordi- nator Manny Diaz. Given Jacobs' foot- ball smarts, this is an opportunity for not only a productive season on the stat sheet, but also a chance at changing games with timely playmaking in the form of sacks, tackles for loss and interceptions. 6. Brenton Strange | R-Jr. | TE James Franklin wasn't necessarily look- ing to single out any particular player at Big Ten Media Days in July when he lauded Penn State's tight end group, say- ing he would put it "up against [the tight ends at] any other program in the coun- try." Nevertheless, Strange was certainly a big part of that calculus. A starter in 18 career games over the past two seasons, Strange acknowledged this offseason the tumultuousness of filling in for the injured Pat Freiermuth in 2020 and his featured role as a starter last year. Growing from the experiences, Strange is the most complete tight end on the team and is likely to be a fixture in Mike Yurcich's offense as a redshirt junior this season. 7. Mitchell Tinsley | Sr.+ | WR If Tinsley can even approximate the production he supplied over the past two seasons at Western Kentucky, Penn State is going to be delighted. And if the gradu- ate transfer improves upon it in after his arrival last winter, the Nittany Lions' ver- tical passing game could be in business. That might be a tall ask; Tinsley is com- ing off a season in which he caught 87 passes for 1,402 yards (16.1 average) and 14 touchdowns for the Hilltoppers. Still, the Lee's Summit, Mo., native is poised to make an immediate and significant im- pact for Penn State this season. 8. PJ Mustipher | Sr.+ | DT Mustipher was looking like a future NFL Draft pick through the first five games of the 2021 season. A team cap- tain with 21 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss and a sack, he quickly established him- self as a force for Penn State's defensive front, overcoming some learning curve obstacles along the way as he switched to the "2i" defensive tackle spot in which he lined up over the inside shoulder of one of the guards. Mustipher tore his ACL in a fateful Week 6 loss at Iowa, missing the rest of the season and even the team's spring practice sessions. He was back and ready to go at the start of preseason camp, and with the opener approaching, the super senior's presence and expected impact will be critical to Penn State's success. 9. Kalen King | So. | CB A January 2021 enrollee, King burst onto the scene in his first spring at Penn State, then backed it up by making him- self a strong rotational performer at cor- nerback in the fall. Appearing in every game, including the Outback Bowl, in which he made his first career start, King finished with 23 tackles, 5 pass breakups and a forced fumble. With Tariq Castro-Fields off to the NFL, King will team with Porter to give Penn State a one-two punch at corner- back. If the Lions' pass rush is up to the task, King could be in line to have a big interception season. 10. Olu Fashanu | So. | OT If Penn State's offensive line is going to take the step forward that Franklin, posi- tion coach Phil Trautwein and the entirety of the program's fan base are hoping to see this season, Fashanu is going to be the driver of its progress. Rotating as a redshirt freshman last year, Fashanu saw 85 snaps on the line over nine games, also appearing on special teams. He stepped into the starting lineup after Rasheed Walker sat out the Out- back Bowl and showed the consistency that Penn State is going to need moving forward. 11. Jaylen Reed | So. | S Reed was too good to keep off the field as a true freshman in 2021, even though Penn State had fixtures at safety in Jaquan Brisker and Brown. He finished with 6 tackles and a quarterback hurry in eight games. Maybe more important, he primed himself to challenge junior Keaton Ellis