Penn State Sports Magazine
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3 0 M A Y 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M when then-freshman Andrew Rapple- yea suffered a season-ending injury after the first game against West Virginia. He had battled Dinkins all spring and sum- mer for snaps and had some dominating blocks in Week 1 against the Mountain- eers. While he's not as athletic as Reyn- olds, his overall game aligns with former standouts. Despite its No. 4 ranking on this list, no position group has better overall depth with star potential than this one. No. 5 Wide Receiver To boost a unit with very little return- ing production, Penn State grabbed two transfers this past winter (Kyron Hudson from USC and Devonte Ross from Troy) and another during the spring window (Trebor Pena from Syracuse). Hudson is an intimidating receiver who likes to mix it up in the run game, plays physically through contact, and has contested-catch skills that are, at the very least, above average. While he's not as dynamic as outgoing transfer Har- rison Wallace III, he could fill a similar role in the offense with consistency and chain-moving skills. Pena, too, offers proven production, with 84 catches for 941 yards and 9 touchdowns for the Or- ange last season. The two Power Four transfers have naturally gotten a lot of attention, but Ross is just as intriguing. As a junior with the Trojans, he was listed at 161 pounds and struggled when he faced players who could keep up with his speed and move- ment skills. Penn State needs receivers who can play outside, with a glut of slot receivers leftover from the returning group. Playing against Big Ten corner- back strength is a concern. And yet, seeing Ross in person dur- ing the Lions' open lifting session was encouraging. Now listed at 5-10, 170 pounds, he squatted roughly the same weight as Hudson, who is 6-1, 212. Ross' upper body was filled out much more than it was a year ago. Another player to watch is true fresh- man Koby Howard. Although his high school career was marred by injuries, Howard earned an offer from Penn State and has been a pleasant surprise since arriving on campus in the winter. DEFENSE 1. Cornerback We don't talk enough about how tough a job the Penn State cornerbacks had in 2024 compared to the previous year. One of the most dramatic changes that occurred when Tom Allen replaced Manny Diaz as defensive coordinator involved the use of press coverage. Allen used press looks on roughly double the number of snaps that Diaz did. While you may think of Diaz as the more ag- gressive coach, one thing he didn't do was put his scheme into conflict on two levels. If Diaz sent a wild blitz at the quarterback, he'd give his secondary a break by playing off coverage. Having your nose in the grill of a re- ceiver for an entire season is hard work. Despite that, the secondary held up well, and four key members of that cornerback corps are back this year: juniors A.J. Har- ris, Elliot Washington II and Zion Tracy, and redshirt junior Audavion Collins. Harris is coming off a sophomore sea- son in which he started 15 games, giving PSU some stability as it transitions to another new coordinator in Jim Knowles. Still, the most intriguing player here could be Tracy. Modern defenses blur the line between cornerback and safety, making the distinction unclear. But Tra- cy's size (5-11, 178 pounds) and skill set are clearly those of a cornerback. His ability to play man and zone coverage makes him a quality piece of the puzzle that will keep him in the picture unless someone else pushes him to the bench. When looking for players to fill roles in 2025, we must first start with the play- ers the staff trusted in 2024. Until we see otherwise, cornerbacks will dominate the nickel position. With ample returning production, tal- Junior cornerback A.J. Harris started 15 games in his first season at Penn State, finishing with 48 tackles, 1 interception and 5 pass breakups. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS