Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1514597
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 2024 LOOK AHEAD The offseason is underway for the Penn State football program. It started on New Year's Eve, one day after the Nittany Lions fell to Ole Miss, 38-25, in the Peach Bowl. Following the trip to Atlanta, the team scattered for a few days before returning to campus in early January for the start of the spring semester. Can the Lions be better this year than they were last year? Let's take a look at the early indicators. Reason for optimism: Andy Kotelnicki If you are feeling bullish about the prospects of Penn State making the 2024 College Football Playoff, it probably stems from a belief that Kotel- nicki will be able to reinvigorate the Lions' offense and get more produc- tion out of the skill positions. The new play caller was an observer during the Lions' Peach Bowl preparations. Now, he's officially in command of offense and is ready to teach his system ahead of spring practice. Everyone knows by now what it should look like and how efficient it can be. It's up to the new coordinator, assistant coaches and players to get it installed and get it right. They must also develop their skills on and off the field to execute the plan at the highest level possible. Reason for pessimism: The Penn State defense will likely take a step back James Franklin had this to say in December regarding Penn State's de- fensive coordinator post, which came open when Duke hired Manny Diaz as its head coach: "A lot of times you're taking over a job, and you say, 'My job is to improve the defense.' That's going to be hard to do statistically, right?" Indeed, it will be. Unlike Kotelnicki, former Indiana head coach Tom Allen isn't being asked to fix an underperforming unit. Instead, he'll be looking to find a way to keep a good thing going. The Lions were a top-three team in total defense, rushing defense and scoring defense last season, among other statistical accomplishments. They will surely be up there again in some areas next fall. But will they finish No. 2 in total defense again? It's a high bar to clear, and the odds are against them, given the personnel they are losing. Reason for optimism: Big Ten, CFP changes There are two ways to look at this situation. The first is to note that the Lions must visit USC and Wisconsin next fall while also welcoming confer- ence newcomers UCLA and Washington to Beaver Stadium, along with a familiar nemesis in Ohio State. It's a tough slate. However, Penn State won't see Michigan in 2024, and three of what ap- pear to be the five toughest games on the schedule will take place in State College. Furthermore, with the Big Ten's absurdly unbalanced divisional split now gone, the top two teams will get to face each other in Indianapo- lis instead of a West Division representative going by default and suffering a blowout loss. The new teams won't just roll over and let the old guard into the title game every year. But even if PSU doesn't make it to Indy, a path to the College Football Playoff will still exist. The CFP will feature 12 teams start- ing next year, and many Penn State followers will cling to expansion as a reason for hope in 2024. Reason for pessimism: Penn State will struggle to overcome its person- nel losses Penn State loses more than many realize. The list of departing starters includes offensive tackles Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Caedan Wallace, cen- ter Hunter Nourzad, tight end Theo Johnson and receiver Dante Cephas on offense. On defense, it includes ends Adisa Isaac and Chop Robinson, cornerbacks Kalen King and Johnny Dixon, nickel back Daequan Hardy and linebacker Curtis Jacobs. On special teams, kicker Alex Felkins is exiting after an impressive season at the Power Five level following his transfer from Columbia. Some will look at the roster, which includes 16 January enrollees in the 2024 recruiting class, and hope that the combination of returning talent, freshman signees and transfers will be sufficient to make up for the team's substantial losses. Others will feel less hopeful. At the very least, it's rea- sonable to ask whether the Lions will be as talented in 2024 as they were this past fall. Reason for optimism: Returning game-changers exist on the roster We've seen flashes from quarterback Drew Allar and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton. Running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen have proven they can deliver big plays, as has linebacker Abdul Carter on the opposite side of the ball. All will be juniors next season. Rising sophomores Tony Rojas at linebacker and Jameial Lyons at defen- sive end have the potential to make a big Year 2 jump, and they aren't the only ones. Cornerbacks Zion Tracy and Elliot Washington II and safety King Mack are in that mix, as well. There are some redshirt-freshmen-to-be on both sides of the ball who could earn significant playing time, too. Think of offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh as one such example. Donkoh played 46 snaps at right tackle in the Peach Bowl after playing just 49 in the regu- lar season. — Greg Pickel Three Reasons For Optimism In 2024 … And Two Reasons For Pessimism Andy Kotelnicki came to Penn State from Kansas in December after helping the Jayhawks finish fourth in the Big 12 in scoring offense this past season with an aver- age of 34.8 points per game. PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL