Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 2 5 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 / / / / / / / 5. At Northwestern | Oct. 2 The Wildcats made a very intriguing hire when they brought in Chip Kelly to run their offense. He won't be working with the kind of elite talent he had at Oregon and Ohio State, but it'll be interesting to see what he can do with former Michigan State dual-threat quar- terback Aidan Chiles. Another unique facet of this game is that it will be Northwestern's first in its new $870 million stadium. With only 35,000 seats, Ryan Field is going to be the smallest stadium in the Big Ten, but its acoustic design should make it quite loud. The place will definitely be rocking on opening night. BREAKOUT CANDIDATES 1. Daryus Dixson | CB Dixson is back for his sophomore season, and few are questioning his starter status. By the end of his debut campaign, he was right in the mix as one of Penn State's better de- fenders. It's too early to make any definitive assessments, but he has the look of a guy who spends only three years at the college level. He's still not a blazer — sources have him in the mid-4.5s — but his instincts and football IQ put him in the right positions. He's just a good football player. 2. Malachi Goodman | OT Goodman is getting set to step into a starting position as a redshirt freshman even though he's got no college snaps on his résumé yet. That might sound ominous, but the coaching staff could hardly have been more effusive this spring about his potential. Will there be bumps and growing pains? Undoubtedly. But his natu- ral talent, work ethic and football intelligence should help shorten the learning curve. 3. Koby Howard | WR Howard was a priority retention target for the new Penn State staff this offseason. The sophomore wideout has undeniable talent and can make plays at all three levels of the passing game. His blocking should continue to im- prove, and Rocco Becht will give him a chance to go make some things happen. Howard is a key part of PSU's passing game reset. He's as dynamic as anyone in the receivers room. 4. Yvan Kemajou | DE Penn State's edge-rushing corps needed to be rebuilt following the departure of Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zuriah Fisher. The staff wasn't able to land a proven veteran in the portal, amplifying Kemajou's importance. A 6-foot-3, 252-pound sophomore, he has the requisite size and is a fluid and flexible rusher. Now he needs to develop the pass-rush moves to win with his hands and his mind. 5. Max Granville | DE Heading into his redshirt sophomore season, Granville represents both the solution to Penn State's pass-rushing problem and the crux of it. At 6-3, 252 pounds, he's an explosive speed rusher with real strength and a great athletic profile. He's also been injured a lot, but if Granville is healthy in August, this defense is built for him. TRANSFER IMPACT 1. Rocco Becht | QB Becht has had a mostly positive offseason even though he spent the first few months working his way back from shoulder prob- lems that hindered him in his final campaign at Iowa State. Indeed, the redshirt senior bounced back from surgery in December much faster than expected. Becht's recovery has been tremendously helpful, because it's given Penn State's return- ing players a chance to acclimate to his style of leadership and presence under center. Listed by The Sporting News as the No. 6 quarter- back in the Big Ten, he'll need to be ready on Day 1 if the Lions are going to challenge for the College Football Playoff. 2. Marcus Neal Jr. | S Another Iowa State transfer, Neal joins a PSU safety corps that was decimated by gradua- tion and portal departures. New defensive co- ordinator D'Anton Lynn has been tasked with finding ways of playing to Neal's strengths and hiding his weaknesses. Based on his usage pattern as a sophomore with the Cyclones last season, he figures to be the kind of player who shows up in unexpected places throughout a game and causes real problems for opposing offenses. 3. Benjamin Brahmer | TE Brahmer might not be the best athlete in his room or the top overall player, but the 6-foot- 7, 250-pound senior will be a dangerous threat in the passing game when you combine his downfield receiving skills, hands and size. He's finally had a healthy offseason to get big- ger and stronger, and that, too, suggests he's headed for a big season. For an offense that wants to feature tight ends and attack downfield, Brahmer repre- sents the confluence of those ideas. Hopefully for Penn State's sake, his blocking will improve as well. 4. Chase Sowell | WR Sowell should be at the top of the pecking order when it comes to PSU's wideouts. He's got size (6-3, 203 pounds) and athleticism; as receivers coach Kashif Moore noted, he just looks different. Sowell can provide Becht with a downfield option while the tight ends are drawing cover- age to the middle of the field. Consistency will go a long way toward determining whether the redshirt senior fulfills his potential as a No. 1 receiver. He has one season in Happy Valley to make it happen. 5. Caleb Bacon | LB Bacon's positional versatility is genuinely special. The redshirt senior can be a run- game chess piece who changes the defensive structure by lining up as an outside linebacker before walking down to play off the edge in odd or under fronts. From there, he can either drop into coverage or rush the passer. That kind of multi-tool versatility will be central to what Lynn wants to do with the defense this year. ■ Penn State will help Northwestern christen its new $870 million stadium on Oct. 2. RENDERING COURTESY NORTHWESTERN ATHLETICS Sophomore cornerback Daryus Dixson is set to join the Nittany Lions' starting lineup this fall after a promising debut season. MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS