Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / T H E B I G P I C T U R E / / / / / / / T O U G H E S T G A M E S B R E A K O U T C A N D I D A T E S 1. OHIO STATE | NOV. 2 The Buckeyes are going to field an all-star team this year. Kansas State quarter- back Will Howard and Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins are only the most prominent of Ohio State's portal acquisitions, and coach Ryan Day's program also splurged to keep draft-worthy players like defensive end JT Tuimoloau and cor- nerback Denzel Burke in Columbus for another season. This year's game will be at Beaver Stadium, but the Buckeyes have won seven of their past eight visits and are sure to be favored in the latest edition of this increasingly lopsided series. 2. AT USC | OCT. 12 The Lions won't have to face Caleb Williams, but likely starting quarterback Miller Moss threw for 5 touchdowns in the Trojans' Holiday Bowl victory over Louisville last December. No matter who's behind center, coach Lincoln Riley always figures out a way to score points. His defenses have been less noteworthy, but he's hoping that a new coordinator, former PSU cornerback D'Anton Lynn, can fix some of the problems that caused his team to drop five games last year even with a returning Heisman Trophy winner and future No. 1 overall draft pick lead- ing the offense. 3. AT WEST VIRGINIA | AUG. 31 Don't sleep on the Mountaineers. They should have a terrific backfield, with Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson combining for 1,570 yards and 24 touchdowns last year. They've also got one of the top quarterbacks in the Big 12 in Garrett Greene. The Nittany Lions haven't set foot in Morgantown since 1992. While the noon kickoff was likely a bit of a buzzkill as far as the West Virginia faithful were concerned, they're still going to be amped up for a rare visit from their former Eastern Independent rival. 4. WASHINGTON | NOV. 9 The Huskies return virtually no starters from last season's College Football Playoff runner-up team, nor are they bringing back their coaching staff. Even so, Washington will bear watching this year. New coach Jedd Fisch developed Ari- zona into a 10-win team in just three seasons, and he brought five transfers with him from Tucson to Seattle. Meanwhile, former Mississippi State star Will Rogers is getting settled in at quarterback. This could be a quick rebuild. 5. AT WISCONSIN | OCT. 26 Since the end of the Paterno era, Penn State has had its way with the Badgers, winning the past five matchups. The Nittany Lions will have a bye week ahead of this year's game, but Camp Randall Stadium is always an inhospitable environ- ment. The Badgers have brought in former Miami (Fla.) quarterback Tyler Van Dyke in the hope of giving a lift to an offense that ranked 91st in the FBS last year with an average of 23.5 points per game. 1. KEVIN WINSTON JR. | S You might be thinking, didn't Winston lead the team in tackles with 60 last season? Fair point. One could make a case that the 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior has already broken out. He isn't a big name nationally, though, and there's a good chance that's about to change. When ESPN asked NFL scouts to name their under-the-radar 2025 draft prospects, Winston headed up the list. "No. 21 for Penn State is a baller," an anonymous AFC North scout said, refer- ring to Winston by his previous number. "He's a quarterback on the back end for them, and you see it with his positioning and how well he reads. The Geor- gia safety [Malaki Starks] is probably my No. 1, but Winston is a close second." 2. TONY ROJAS | LB A former four-star prospect from Fairfax, Va., Rojas impressed in a limited role as a true freshman last fall, finishing with 3.5 tackles for loss, a forced fum- ble and an interception. The reports from within the program about his prog- ress have been glowing, and now that he's slated to start at the Will position in Year 2, it seems only a matter of time before he emerges as a major star. 3. DANI DENNIS-SUTTON | DE Penn State fans have been awaiting Dennis-Sutton's breakout since the for- mer five-star prospect committed to the Lions in July 2021. Now, with Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac headed to the NFL, the 6-5, 272-pound Dennis-Sut- ton is set to step into the full-time starting lineup. He made his first career start in the Peach Bowl after Robinson opted out, and he graded out at 77.1 overall and a team-best 82.8 on pass-rushing snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. 4. HARRISON WALLACE III | WR The Nittany Lions need someone to step up at this position group. Wallace has flashed his potential in his first two seasons but has had trouble staying healthy. The 6-1, 199-pound redshirt junior had 5 catches on 7 targets for 72 yards in the Blue- White Game, so perhaps his moment has arrived. 5. ANTHONY DONKOH | G Donkoh wasn't the most highly rated of the four offensive linemen who signed with Penn State in the 2023 recruiting cycle, but it appears he's going to be the first to make a major impact. The 6-5, 336-pound redshirt freshman came out of spring practice looking like a potential starter at right tackle. Sophomore Tony Rojas is set to take over the Nittany Lions' starting Will linebacker posi- tion in his second season. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL This fall, junior quarterback Drew Allar will be looking to help Penn State pull off its first victory over Ohio State since 2016. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL