Penn State Sports Magazine
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6 A P R I L 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M S pring ball has arrived, and Penn State's 15 sessions will feature posi- tion battles, depth checks and, most important for young players, opportunity. The Nittany Lions boast a talented roster, and preseason expectations will be higher than they've been the past two years. With that in mind, here are 10 players who are under the microscope this spring: Drew Allar: Everything the sopho- more quarterback does this spring will be scrutinized, the expectation being that he'll lead the team this fall. That's fine; he'll need to get used to the pressure now that Sean Clifford has left. The talent is tough to ignore, but Allar's five-star pedigree will only get him so far. Even though he saw action in 10 games last season, he'll have a lot on his plate this spring. He'll need to develop a strong grasp of the playbook while also working on his leadership skills. It's time to find out what the Nittany Lions have in Allar. Beau Pribula: While we believe Al- lar will end up starting, Pribula is a key player for Penn State in at least two respects. As everyone saw when an injury to Clifford in Week 6 of the 2021 season sent the Lions into a tailspin, it's impor- tant to have a backup quarterback ready on a moment's notice. Pribula can be that guy. Also, the redshirt freshman is a pretty good player in his own right. Coaches have raved about him, and not just be- cause they want to keep him out of the transfer portal. Pribula is turning from an athlete into a quarterback and can help this team quite a bit. KeAndre Lambert-Smith: It's no secret who Lambert-Smith feels is going to be the Lions' No. 1 receiver this season. Just ask him. Now a fourth-year junior, he continues to gain confidence after to- taling a game-high 124 receiving yards in the Rose Bowl. The talent has always been there. The consistency is coming along. Now, it's his time. Harrison Wallace III: Penn State se- cured commitments in January from two transfer receivers, junior Malik McClain and senior Dante Cephas. Those portal acquisitions made it easy to overlook the talent already on hand. Wallace caught 19 passes for 273 yards as a redshirt freshman last year. His athleticism is well documented, but he's been inconsistent. With Cephas yet to arrive at PSU, Wallace has an opportu- nity this spring to establish himself as a key member of the rotation. Drew Shelton: The sophomore is battling redshirt senior Caedan Wallace for the starting job at right tackle. Fourth-year junior Olumuyiwa Fashanu has locked down the left side but is coming off an injury and should have a light spring. That opens up reps for Shelton on both sides. He started five games last fall in place of Fashanu and is ahead of schedule, but he'll need to take another step this spring. Khalil Dinkins: A redshirt sopho- more tight end, Dinkins is entering his third year in the program. While he's had some nice moments, including a 28-yard touchdown catch against Ohio last fall, he hasn't broken into the top tier of a tal- ented room. He should get that opportu- nity this spring. Kobe King: King, a redshirt sopho- more middle linebacker, is expected to receive ample reps this spring. He backed up 13-game starter Tyler Elsdon last fall and made progress as the season went on, but there was obviously a drop-off between the outside linebackers and the two middle men. King is athletic and can find the ball, but the Lions will have to find the right balance to get their best guys on the field. Tony Rojas: Penn State's coaches were excited to see what the January en- rollee could do in winter workouts. Rojas did not disappoint. An On3 four-star linebacker, he began packing on lean mass and went from a listed weight of 195 pounds in December to 214 in March. He will start his career at the Sam linebacker spot behind fourth- year junior Curtis Jacobs and redshirt sophomore Dominic DeLuca. Penn State thinks he can play right away, at the very least on special teams. Johnny Dixon: The Lions welcomed senior transfer Storm Duck to their cor- nerbacks room in January, and he has impressed. But Dixon was pretty good himself as a junior last season. He started six games, totaling 23 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions. Penn State's coaches believe they have three starters at outside corner. Junior Kalen King has one side locked down, so the rep split and the position battle are between Dixon and Duck. We'll see if it brings out the best in both. Kevin Winston Jr.: Winston played mostly on special teams as a true fresh- man last season, but he's ready to be a part of the rotation at safety now that Ji'Ayir Brown has graduated. Winston and redshirt sophomore Zakee Wheat- ley were cited by program sources as standouts in winter workouts, and they're an exciting young tandem in the secondary. ■ Redshirt freshman quarterback Beau Pribula has yet to see game action at Penn State but has impressed the coaching staff in practice. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE For These 10 Penn State Players, The Time Is Now JUDGMENT CALL O P I N I O N SEAN FITZ SEAN.FITZ@ON3.COM