Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1505736
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 3 31 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M ing his college potential isn't just based on high school rankings and accolades. Allar has shown his coaches and team- mates that he can be an excellent quarter- back. This season, he'll get the opportu- nity to prove it to everyone else. No. 13 Tyler Warren | Jr. | TE Warren's third season at Penn State got better as it went along. His first real splash came in the form of a 38-yard touchdown in the Nittany Lions' win over Minne- sota. Then, he closed the campaign with touchdowns against Rutgers and Michi- gan State in November. With Brenton Strange off to the NFL, Warren will see his workload increase this season. He possesses elite ball skills, which tight ends coach Ty Howle de- scribed as his "super power." At 6-6, 259 pounds, he'll have an excellent oppor- tunity to be a touchdown maker for the Nittany Lions. No. 14 Adisa Isaac | R-Sr. | DE Isaac had an immediate impact after arriving in 2019, appearing in 11 games and making 2.5 tackles for loss in a win over Maryland. However, his ascendancy was derailed by an Achilles tendon injury he suffered in the spring of 2021, forcing him to sit out the season that followed. Returning to action last year, the 6-4, 254-pound defensive end quickly asserted himself and delivered a third-team All- Big Ten season. He started all 13 games and notched 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and 8 quarterback hurries. Paired with Chop Robinson, Isaac is a big reason why Penn State expects to have one of the nation's top defensive end groups. No. 15 Keaton Ellis | Sr. | S Granted, Ellis has not had a particularly flashy career at Penn State since arriv- ing in 2019. The State College Area High prospect immediately jumped into action as a true freshman cornerback, forcing 3 fumbles in his debut season. But he missed the early part of the 2020 campaign with an injury and had a limited impact upon his return. The following year, he moved to safety, further delaying his development into a mainstay. Since then, however, Ellis has taken on a starting role and will likely hold it this year. Known for his intelligence and lead- ership, he has been named a defensive captain and is respected throughout the team. With Ji'Ayir Brown now in the NFL, Penn State will be relying on Ellis to keep the secondary performing at a high level. No. 16 Sal Wormley | R-Sr. | G After missing the entire 2021 season due to an injury, Wormley surprised some by outright winning the right guard posi- tion last August. One of the most dependable players on a unit that was hindered elsewhere by health problems, he started all 13 games and finished second only to center Juice Scruggs for total reps on the season, com- piling a team-high 818 to Scruggs' 886. In the process, Wormley picked up honorable mention All-Big Ten nods from the coaches and media. Since then, he's enjoyed what the coaches have deemed the best offseason of his career. He's a lock to start at left guard in his fifth season with the Nittany Lions and will be a key cog in the unit's success. No. 17 Daequan Hardy | R-Sr. | CB The 2022 season didn't start the way the veteran nickel cornerback envisioned, but he turned the corner late in the year and even grabbed an interception against Indiana in November. Still touted by teammates and coaches this offseason, Hardy is a big part of Penn State's strength at the cornerback posi- tion and could be in line to add punt re- turner to his résumé this season. No. 18 Coziah Izzard | Jr. | DT Izzard missed the first four games of the 2022 season for undisclosed reasons, then returned to action in a backup role. This past spring, the 6-3, 294-pound defen- sive tackle sat out due to an injury. Suffice it to say, Izzard isn't top-of- mind among Penn State fans heading into the season. He should be. Franklin praised his combination of size, speed and athleticism during the homestretch of the 2022 season. And, despite the setback this spring, Izzard is going to be called upon to plug holes in the middle of the defensive line this year. Indeed, he's positioned to take the next step in his career, filling in for the gradu- ated PJ Mustipher. No. 19 Zakee Wheatley | R-So. | S Wheatley probably isn't going to take Keaton Ellis' starting job at free safety this season. He's a young playmaker and a rising star, but when you pit his skill set against Ellis' experience, the veteran comes out ahead. That, however, doesn't change our perception of Wheatley heading into the 2023 season. He saw action on 372 snaps, while playing in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman, showcasing ample potential. Wheatley finished with 2 interceptions and a forced fumble and made 27 total tackles as a reserve. With continued pro- gression, his knack for finding the ball will again show itself this fall. No. 20 Landon Tengwall | R-So. | G Tengwall is coming off a strangely truncated redshirt freshman season, one that ended when he was injured during warmups prior to Penn State's game at Michigan. He had been set to make the sixth start of his career that afternoon but ended up missing the Lions' game against the Wolverines and the seven games that followed. Given his extended absence, it's hard to know where to place Tengwall on this list. During his true freshman season, he served as a valuable reserve late in the year and played well in the three games in which he saw action. But his follow-up, as graded by PFF, didn't rise to the same level in his five starts. Where does that leave him? The optimistic view is that Tengwall, having had time to rehabilitate his injury, will return to the starting lineup and help continue the upswing that began last year when the Lions improved their rushing average by 73.3 yards per game from the 2021 season. To do that, though, he will first need