Penn State Sports Magazine
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6 J U N E / J U L 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 Redshirt freshman receiver Tyseer Denmark is looking to break out after a debut season in which he caught 2 passes for 28 yards. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS P enn State's players enjoyed some downtime following the end of the spring semester, but work is resum- ing with the season only three months away. The coming weeks will be pivotal for those players looking to make their mark on the 2025 campaign. Here's a look at five Penn State play- ers with a lot to gain before the start of preseason practice. S Dejuan Lane: Penn State had hoped that Lane would be able to step into an expanded role as a true freshman last season with Kevin Winston Jr. on the shelf, but he wasn't quite ready to make that leap. The physical stuff is not an issue; Lane was a low 4.4 guy this spring at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds. The trick is get- ting his processing up to speed to play that fast. The Nittany Lions have talent at safety, but they need depth and expe- rience. While Lane is penciled in as a starter, there's still plenty of work ahead as he learns his second defense in two years on campus. He's capable of mak- ing a big leap this fall, but he's not quite there yet. LB Keon Wylie: Penn State went into the spring knowing that it had work to do at linebacker, especially with ju- nior Tony Rojas out of action following postseason surgery. It didn't come as easily as hoped for Wylie, who returned from a knee injury he suffered last spring. The Lions had to walk the line of getting reps for the redshirt junior while keeping his rehab on track and not re- injuring the leg. Wylie returned to practice last fall but did not see game action and was still hesitant this spring. That's to be expected. This summer should give him a chance to keep adding lower-body strength. It should also help his confi- dence level when it comes to trusting the knee. It's not a guarantee that he'll hit the ground running, though. Special teams work in September should prove helpful in his bounce-back. DE Mylachi Williams: This list could consist entirely of defensive linemen; the position group will need to grow up quickly ahead of the 2025 season. For now, we'll just go with Williams. The redshirt freshman had a solid first spring and has worked his way up the pecking order fairly quickly. He's firmly listed among the young guys jockeying for a spot in the three-deep. At 6-2, 246 pounds, redshirt fresh- man Jaylen Harvey was fairly set from a size perspective when he arrived last year, and classmate Max Granville was also naturally thicker despite being the younger of the two. Both played in at least five games last fall. Williams, though highly rated, was a redshirt from the start after arriving on campus last summer at around 225 pounds. He also dealt with some bumps and bruises and spent the year with the scout team. Now listed at 250 — heavier than both Harvey and Granville — the Philly native looks like a different per- son. He has a chance to make an earlier impact than some people expected. This summer will go a long way toward deter- mining whether he's ready to break into the rotation. OL J'ven Williams: If the best ability is availability, Williams was one of Penn State's top offensive linemen this spring. With redshirt sophomore Anthony Donkoh continuing to heal from his season-ending injury last fall and red- shirt senior Nolan Rucci missing part of the spring with his own health problems, Williams slid into the first-team right tackle spot. The redshirt sophomore needed reps, for sure, and he got them. Now what happens? Rucci came back at the end of spring ball, and Donkoh will get rolling again for the fall. There's little question that one will be the starter. Position coach Phil Trautwein said Williams will get a chance again at right tackle, but his versatility and growth can help all over the offensive line. With guard JB Nelson transferring to Kansas State, Penn State will look to Williams as a swing guy. There are a big few months ahead for him. WR Tyseer Denmark: The Lions tore down their wide receivers room and built it back up via the transfer portal, but that doesn't mean they're going to abandon the guys they brought in from high school. Enter Denmark, a talented slot guy who was being eyed a year ago as a po- tential breakout performer. That didn't happen; he played in just four games and made 2 catches for 28 yards and a touch- down as a true freshman. Sources indicated last year that the Nittany Lions believed he could be a part of the rotation in his second year on campus, and that seems to still be the plan. After coming in underdeveloped, the 5-10, 182-pound Denmark has gotten stronger and faster. He still needs to nail down the intricacies of the offense and his own assignments within the scheme, but the talent is there. The redshirt freshman has an opportunity to make his mark if he stays focused. ■ A Critical Summer Awaits These Five Lions JUDGMENT CALL O P I N I O N SEAN FITZ SEAN.FITZ@ON3.COM