Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1505736
3 0 S E P T E M B E R 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 didate can change the game in an instant through his dynamic playmaking. No. 8 Theo Johnson | Jr. | TE Johnson missed spring practice for what appeared to be disciplinary reasons, but coach James Franklin could not have been more clear earlier this summer when asked about his expectations for the vet- eran tight end. Coming off a sophomore season in which he totaled 4 touchdown receptions among his 20 catches, Johnson is the big- gest name in a talented room. Given the opportunity to connect with a first-year starter at quarterback in soph- omore Drew Allar, the 6-6, 264-pound Johnson is poised to have his biggest sea- son yet as a Nittany Lion. No. 9 Kaytron Allen | So. | RB It's not often that 867 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns constitute a second-place effort for a true freshman. But, playing alongside Singleton, that's how Allen's debut with the Nittany Lions ended in the stat book. In the minds of Penn State's coach- ing staff, though, Allen is hardly second fiddle. His presence is an essential part of what offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich described as the "heart and soul" of the Lions' offense. Providing a change of pace to Singleton, the former four-star prospect from IMG Academy in Florida is poised to build on an honorable mention All-Big Ten debut season. No. 10 Dani Dennis-Sutton | So. | DE A summer enrollee last year, Dennis- Sutton might have seemed to be on a slower trajectory than his 2022 class- mates. But he proved that notion incor- rect and did so quickly. Playing in every game and collecting 3 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries, an intercep- tion and a pass breakup, Dennis-Sutton was named a true freshman All-American by ESPN. A former five-star prospect from the McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md., he continually progressed over the course of his freshman season. In the Rose Bowl, he totaled 3 quarterback pressures to help the Nittany Lions shut down Utah. Although he isn't expected to start this fall, he'll be a key part of what could be a dominant defensive end group. No. 11 KeAndre Lambert-Smith | Jr. | WR Lambert-Smith is looking to become one of the best receivers not just in the Big Ten, but also the nation. And that's not hyperbole. Franklin has been talking about it, Lambert-Smith has been talking about it, and the Nittany Lions' offensive fortunes are riding in no small part on his success at developing into a consistently danger- ous receiving threat. While an injury disrupted the middle of Lambert-Smith's 2022 campaign, his season-ending performances against Michigan State (5 catches, 83 yards, 1 touchdown) and Utah (3 catches, 124 yards, 1 touchdown) served as a spring- board into this past winter and spring. Now, he's poised to bring all of that work and maturation to the field. No. 12 Drew Allar | So. | QB Whether it's fair or not to rank a true sophomore quarterback with 148 career snaps among Penn State's top dozen play- ers this season is beside the point. Allar's quick ascent to the backup role behind Sean Clifford as a true freshman, followed by his performances in 10 games last year, have fed a whirlwind of heightened ex- pectations for his move into the starting job this fall. No doubt, the former five-star prospect will have hurdles to overcome in the exe- cution of Penn State's offense. But the ex- citement internally and externally regard- With Brenton Strange now off to the NFL, junior Tyler Warren is one of several tight ends who are expected to have more prominent roles this fall. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT