Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
6 N O V 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 has been willing to play freshmen in the past. Coach James Franklin's approach hasn't changed through nine years on the job, but he has rarely leaned on a class like the one he has in the 2022 season. Through the first seven games of the season, five Nittany Lion freshmen had played in each game and three more had gotten into six contests. Many are playing key roles for Penn State, which needed a talent infusion at some thin spots on both sides of the ball. Included in that group are the Nittany Lions' two leading rushers in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the team leader in sacks in defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, and linebacker Abdul Carter, who earned his first career start against Minnesota on Oct. 22. "They're not true freshmen anymore," Franklin said before the Nittany Lions' trip to Michigan. "We're far enough into the season that we've stopped talking about those things. They're no longer rookies. They've played enough football that they know what it takes and what the expectation is." Singleton and Allen have taken hold of a running back room that is down to just three scholarship players. Caziah Holmes and Devyn Ford, who each spent multiple years in the system before the freshman duo arrived, were both out of the program by Week 5. Third-year sophomore Keyvone Lee started the opener at Purdue and even caught the game-winning pass that night but has found it tough to get back on the field lately thanks to injuries and the emer- gence of Singleton and Allen. Both have provided a solid comple- ment to one another, with Singleton be- ing the back that can hit the home run, while Allen is the more effective runner between the tackles. Quarterback Drew Allar and wide receiver Omari Evans also have burned their redshirts. Evans is an interesting case study of the Nittany Lions wanting to infuse some speed into their offense. He has just three touches this year, with one coming on a 32-yard strike from Allar against Central Michigan, but his verified speed numbers are something defenses must account for in game prep. It's also noteworthy that Evans, not On3 Top100 true freshman Kaden Saunders, has gotten the green light. A year ago, he was playing quarterback at Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Texas. Two defensive players have made an appearance in every game this season. Carter stepped into a battle to back up Curtis Jacobs at the Will linebacker spot in camp and quickly moved ahead of redshirt freshman Jamari Buddin. From there, he has flashed greatness in No. 11 and sat third on the team in tackles with 31 following the win over Minnesota. It's a work in progress. Carter is still learning to play linebacker on the fly, but his athleticism is undeniable, and by Game 7, Penn State's biggest question at linebacker was how it can get Carter and Jacobs on the field at the same time. Carter led the PSU linebackers in snaps against the Gophers and turned in a 7-tackle performance with 2 stops for loss in the win. He's the most exciting physical specimen at linebacker for Penn State since the last No. 11, current Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons, came onto the scene in 2018. The Penn State staff is pleased with the progress of defensive line- men Dennis-Sutton and Zane Du- rant, the latter having played in six games this season. Dennis-Sutton, a former five- star prospect from Delaware who boarded at pipeline program Mc- Donogh in Maryland, has 3 sacks on the year and is third among Nittany Lion defensive ends in hurries. Durant's progress on the field has been a little slower; the undersized defensive tackle has had to adjust his game to the massive interior of Big Ten offensive lines. Safety KJ Winston and cornerback Cam Miller will also join those three in burning their redshirts on the defensive side of the ball. Winston is a sneaky pick to make a run at significant playing time in 2023. Penn State has played three offensive linemen from its 2022 class and hopes that it can keep the redshirt on junior college transfer JB Nelson and true freshmen Drew Shelton and Vega Ioane. Ioane, in particular, turned heads when he was inserted at right guard with the first team late in the Minnesota game. He promptly pancaked Gophers redshirt junior defensive tackle Trill Carter on Singleton's final touchdown run. While there's plenty of development left ahead for the entire 2022 class, the early returns on the field from the group have exceeded expectations thus far. It's a good sign for the Nittany Lions moving forward, with Franklin looking to con- tinue stacking recruiting classes. ■ Edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton is one of two true freshman defensive players who saw action in each of Penn State's first seven games. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE Penn State's True Freshmen Have Been Growing Up Fast JUDGMENT CALL O P I N I O N SEAN FITZ SEAN.FITZ@ON3.COM