Blue White Illustrated

September 2022

Penn State Sports Magazine

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3 6 S E P T E M B E R 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 P enn State welcomed 27 players to campus in the class of 2020, with the larger-than-usual haul placing third in the Big Ten and No. 14 nationally according to the On3 Consensus Team Rankings. Several of those players con- tributed right away, and a few others are expected to play key roles this year. Here's a look at what the group has ac- complished to date: Norval Black | WR | Black did not see game action during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He announced in December that he was transferring, and in June he resurfaced at Saint Francis. Micah Bowens | QB | Bowens moved on to Oklahoma after just one season with the Nittany Lions. He did not play in 2021 and is expected to serve a backup role with the Sooners this fall. Cole Brevard | DT | Brevard did not play as a freshman and saw action in just one game last fall — a 28-0 victory over Rutgers — even though starting defensive tackle PJ Mustipher went down with a season ending injury in Week 6. A native of Carmel, Ind., Brevard transferred to Purdue during the offseason. Ji'Ayir Brown | S | Brown was a star for the Nittany Lions in 2021. He started all 13 games and tied for the FBS lead with 6 interceptions. He also had 73 tackles, 5 pass breakups and 2 fum- ble recoveries. The former Lackawanna College standout was a third-team All-Big Ten pick, and heading into the 2022 sea- son, he received a third-team preseason All-America nod from Athlon Sports. Jimmy Christ | OT | Christ did not see any game action in 2020 and played in just one game last year due to an injury. He is expected to be a backup tackle this year. Nick Dawkins | C/G | Dawkins played in 11 games on special teams last fall after redshirting in 2020. He has been getting reps at center lately and is expected to back up senior Juice Scruggs at the position during the 2022 season. Jaden Dottin | WR | Dottin has played in four games dur- ing the past two seasons but has not yet caught a pass. He was the leading receiver in the Blue-White Game this past April with 3 catches for 45 yards and figures to be a rotational player in 2022. Tyler Elsdon | ILB | Elsdon is currently battling redshirt freshman Kobe King for the starting mid- dle linebacker job after making 12 tackles in 12 games last fall, mainly in a special teams capacity. Only one can win the starting job, but Elsdon and King should see plenty of action in 2022. Olu Fashanu | OT | Fashanu started the Outback Bowl at left tackle and projects as the primary starter for Penn State at that position this year. He played in nine games last season after redshirting in 2020. Zuriah Fisher | DE | Fisher made 8 tackles in four games last season after playing in one game — the season finale against Illinois — as a true freshman. The coaching staff had been hoping he would play a bigger role this fall, but he suffered an injury in spring practice that will force him to miss the 2022 season. Class of 2020 REVIEW Transfers have diminished its impact, but PSU's 2020 class has produced its share of stars G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G. P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Mixed Results Third-year sophomore wideout Parker Washington figures to be Penn State's top receiver this fall after ranking second on the team in catches his first two seasons. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL

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