Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 47 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / W I D E R E C E I V E R S / / / / / / / T here are plenty of known elements on the Penn State offense and de- fense for the 2025 season. An abun- dance of proven players is the reason this team is one of the offseason darlings of the college football media. Yet, for the Nittany Lions to truly eclipse their performance from 2024, they'll need more than just the expected contributions from their veterans. They'll also need a few "wild card" players to break out. These are the play- ers who could dramatically change the team's fortunes. TYSEER DENMARK: The odds of Denmark transforming into the Lions' top playmaker at his position diminished when the team brought in two wide receivers during the winter transfer win- dow. They diminished even further when PSU added senior Trebor Peña after the spring window closed. And yet, they're not nothing. Denmark, a 5-foot-10, 187-pound red- shirt freshman, is among the team's top five receivers and should be part of the rotation each game. However, there are a lot of potential outcomes for him. Even in a limited role, a receiver can have a big impact. Denmark isn't the kind of player who can get over the top of the defense for shot-play touchdowns. He isn't a deep threat, but he can still generate big plays, especially from the slot. The team is desperate for dynamic playmakers who can get yards on their own, even if those players aren't the fast- est or the biggest. Denmark could be that guy in the fall. J'VEN WILLIAMS: Keeping Wil- liams off the field this year would prob- ably be a mistake. The staff has praised him for his work throughout the offsea- son, and James Franklin even hinted that the 6-5, 316-pound redshirt sophomore could factor into the battle for the start- ing right tackle job, though the chances are slim that he could unseat an incum- bent starter. The big question for Franklin and position coach Phil Trautwein is how to form the best five-, six- and seven-man offensive line combinations with the tal- ent on hand. Williams has the most overt versatility of the group and can plug into three or four positions. Could he start the season rotating at right tackle before moving to guard? That potential and lack of a definitive position makes Williams the biggest wild card on the offense. CHAZ COLEMAN and YVAN KEMAJOU: Penn State has two freaky freshman defensive ends who could fill a need. Kemajou joined the team in Janu- ary and has leveled out at 250 pounds on the official roster. Coleman was listed at 240 pounds in early July. From a skills perspective, the two players are a mystery. Coleman has elite athletic traits but is raw as a pass rusher. Kemajou is a powerful player and has had time to learn from defensive line coach Deion Barnes this offseason. They won't leapfrog the entire depth chart, but it isn't far-fetched to think they'll contribute this fall. KING MACK: The most unique as- pect of Penn State's new defense is how it uses its safeties to play the run. The new scheme makes Mack, a 5-10, 187-pound junior, a very intriguing player. The ideal setup for the defense is to have safeties flying downhill to fill rush- ing lanes from depth. While there are many unknowns about Mack's abilities, this is not one of them. He is at his most confident and comfortable when he's at- tacking the football. The problem is that he showed a vul- nerability in single and off coverage in a similar setup during his sophomore season at Alabama. Despite having sub- 4.4 speed, Mack was hesitant and slow to react to receivers. He opted to grab and lean instead of playing with his feet. Is he more comfortable in this system now? Despite missing spring practice with an injury, he's at least in the build- ing to learn the scheme. If he can figure it out quickly, Penn State's defense could sing. TONY ROJAS: Because Rojas missed spring practice while recovering from an injury that bothered him during the 2024 season, there are some gaps in our understanding of the team's plan for the linebacker positions. Going into the spring, we assumed that redshirt senior Dominic DeLuca would get a shot to play middle linebacker in coordinator Jim Knowles' 4-2 defense. Now, Rojas is the odds-on favorite to man the position. We've seen fewer than 100 snaps of a healthy Rojas in a Penn State uniform. The 6-2, 230-pound junior could be the next superstar at LBU. He could also be the player who frustrated fans last year. Until we get a clearer picture of the de- tails, Rojas is the biggest wild card on the team entering the 2025 season. ■ U P O N F U R T H E R R E V I E W THOMAS FRANK CARR T F R A N K .C A R R @ O N 3 .C O M These Wild Cards Could Give PSU A Winning Hand Wide receiver Tyseer Denmark could play his way into a much bigger role after seeing action in four games as a true freshman last fall. PHOTO COURTESY TYSEER DENMARK