Here are our grades for each of Penn State football’s position groups following spring practice
Penn State football wrapped up spring practice Friday night with a semi-open practice at Beaver Stadium under the lights. The practice was the team’s 15th of the season and its second that was open to the media.
With the limited sample size in mind, let’s dole out grades for each position group, based on growth and known returning talent, starting with the most important position on the field. These grades won’t necessarily represent how the groups performed this spring, but more how they project heading into the 2021 season.
Quarterback: C+
No position comes under more scrutiny than the starting quarterback. At Penn State, it appears that will once again be Sean Clifford. Clifford is returning for his third year as a starter and will need to make strides in order for the team to be a legitimate contender to make a New Year’s Six bowl game in 2021.
The redshirt junior had plenty of highs and lows in the two spring practices, but was much more steady in the second than the first. His footwork and consistency remain issues, but there was enough positivity in the second practice to believe he can progress in his third year.
Backup scholarship options Ta’Quan Roberson and Christian Veilleux haven’t seen meaningful game action — with Veilleux enrolling in January — and didn’t set the world on fire over the two practices. Roberson had more flashes than Veilleux but didn’t give much reason to believe he was ready to challenge Clifford just yet.
Running back: A-
Penn State will once again boast a very deep running back room, with several options who can start this coming season. The room’s newest addition — Baylor transfer John Lovett — provides a dimension the team has lacked since Journey Brown was forced to medically retire prior to the 2020 season. He can blow past defenders once he hits the whole and has a chance to be a big-play threat on every touch.
Noah Cain and Keyvone Lee will provide a similar bulldozing dynamic to the room, with both runners able to get tough yards and fight through contact. Devyn Ford is more similar to Lovett than Lee and Cain but has shown his worth in the passing game and has home run ability, to some extent, while Caziah Holmes is at his best as a pass catcher and when operating in open space.
This is one of the deepest groups on the team, which will benefit the Nittany Lions after they were down to very few scholarship options with experience last year.
Wide receiver: A-
Having the team’s best offensive player will boost this grade, even if the depth isn’t great. Jahan Dotson was one of the best wide receivers in the Big Ten in 2020 and has a chance to be one of the best in the country in 2021. He’s a silky smooth route runner who gets in and out of his breaks with ease and catches the ball naturally. His ability in the open field makes him that much more dangerous when Clifford is able to get the ball in his hands.
Parker Washington is a formidable threat behind Dotson on the depth chart. He’s built like a running back but excels as a route runner and in contested catch situations. Washington has strong hands and can play in the slot or on the outside — just like Dotson — and has solidified himself behind the star receiver.
Beyond those two, things get dicier with Cam Sullivan-Brown and KeAndre Lambert-Smith seemingly in contention for the third starting spot. Both — like Dotson and Washington — can create separation with their route running. The former uses refined footwork, while the latter uses quickness and burst to create space. Neither is an elite option — Lambert-Smith might be in due time — but both are solid enough to be reliable when healthy.
Tight end: B
No position took a bigger hit after the 2020 season than tight end, with star Pat Freiermuth departing for the NFL. However, there is enough talent at the position that Penn State could be fine without him. The two tight ends at the top of the depth chart in Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson both win with their athleticism as receivers. Johnson is the bigger of the two with more upside, thanks to his ability to get open and make catches in contested situations.
There’s a chance both see plenty of playing time after Penn State showed off some two tight end sets during the spring. Those will give both Johnson and Strange opportunities to get on the field in blocking and receiving situations as they look to further their growth as all-around tight ends. That being said, it’s unlikely either is ready to replace Freiermuth, even though he missed the final few games of the 2020 season due to injury.
Offensive tackle: B+
The offensive line as a whole might be an issue but the team’s talent at the tackle positions is undeniable. Rasheed Walker and Caedan Wallace are strong, physical and athletic with the length to get their hands on pass rushers and disrupt them. Walker on the left and Wallace on the right should be the team’s starters at the two tackle spots, and that should allow them to excel in the run game and the passing game. Neither has major weaknesses that teams can exploit at this point.
There are more questions with the backups, with Bryce Effner receiving praise from James Franklin this spring. He has the size to play any of the five spots along the line, including tackle. He and Des Holmes are the two most likely options to back up Walker and Wallace in 2021. Holmes has plenty of experience, but may be better suited to play guard than tackle.
Interior offensive line: B-
The two tackle spots are solidified but that’s not the case along the interior. The experienced Mike Miranda should be a prime candidate to play center, where his lack of length and size should be least detrimental. Juice Scruggs, who has received praise for his play — especially considering that he had surgery on his back after being in a car accident in 2019 — should be heavily involved at one of the guard spots and has the talent to excel there. Holmes and Anthony Whigan will have a say in the final spot and are the most veteran options on the roster.
There’s a host of young linemen behind that group, but at the moment it’s hard not to give the edge to the veterans given the difficulty of playing offensive line in the Big Ten. Of course, one of the young linemen improving would give the entire group a boost and increase its upside this coming season.
Defensive end: B-
Penn State’s defensive ends might have more upside than any other position on the roster, in part because of the two starters. Adisa Isaac and Arnold Ebiketie are excellent athletes with the burst and bend to get around the edge and punish opposing offensive tackles. Isaac has much more size and length than Ebiketie and could have a breakout season as a player similar to Jayson Oweh. Ebiketie doesn’t possess ideal size but uses what he has to get leverage and get around defensive tackles.
Smith Vilbert and Nick Tarburton could provide depth at end, but ultimately the fact that they’re unproven brings this grade down. That being said, a breakout season from either would make Penn State very intimidating off the edge.
Defensive tackle: A-
P.J. Mustipher is set to provide stability at defensive tackle but it’s Hakeem Beamon and the team’s depth that really helps this grade. Beamon is elite as an interior pass rusher and can wreak havoc on opposing guards and centers on his way to the quarterback. His high-level athleticism next to the power of Mustipher makes them a combination to be reckoned with in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have plenty of options backing them up, including kicking Vilbert or Tarburton inside on passing downs, and that will help keep both starters fresh.
Fred Hansard and Derrick Tangelo — a transfer from Duke — are the team’s most experienced backups at the position and will help provide stability down the depth chart.
Linebacker: C+
Penn State’s young linebackers continued to show flashes in the spring, but, ultimately, the lack of stability at the top will hurt this group. Jesse Luketa and Ellis Brooks don’t have the best athleticism and struggled when forced to operate in space in 2020. Neither is good in coverage and both are unlikely to improve from that standpoint because of their athleticism disadvantage. However, Brandon Smith should continue to improve on the outside and prove himself as a linebacker who can makes plays all over the field.
Freshman Curtis Jacobs provides similar upside with less experience than Smith. Those two will give Penn State its best opportunity to hit its peak while also likely forcing the team to endure growing pains.
Cornerback: B+
Penn State has a lot of depth at corner but only one proven starter in Tariq Castro-Fields. Castro-Fields — who decided to return for an extra year of eligibility — will stabilize half the field as a veteran leader with the length and athleticism to lock up some of the best wide receivers the team will see. It will be up to the next player on the depth chart to provide enough to keep the group at a high level. There are more veteran options, like Johnny Dixon, Joey Porter Jr. and Daequan Hardy, but it was true freshman Kalen King who impressed most and could stake a claim to the job.
King received praise from teammates and coaches alike all throughout spring practice and delivered in the two practices open to the media. He recorded two interceptions in the first and displayed enough of his instincts, toughness, athleticism and technique in both to warrant consideration for a starting job — even though he enrolled in January.
Safety: A-
Jaquan Brisker’s decision to return bolstered a group that might have been a weakness without him. Instead, it’s a clear strength with one of the best safeties in the Big Ten in the senior. The starter next to him is more up in the air with multiple players — including Ji’Ayir Brown and Jonathan Sutherland — available as options. Sutherland will need to improve in coverage, while Brown will need to improve against the run. Still, Brown received praise for his ability to cause turnovers and could be the safest option, considering his experience starting in junior college.
Keaton Ellis, who saw time at safety during the second open practice, could be a dark horse candidate to win the job because he has the size and athleticism to excel against the run and the pass.
Kicker: B
Kicking shouldn’t be a major issue in 2021, with Jake Pinegar on short field goals and extra points and Jordan Stout on long field goals and kickoffs. Pinegar is a sturdy enough option, but will need to return to his 2019 form when he made 11-of-12 field goals rather than 2020 when he made 9-of-13. Stout is a touchback machine with the leg to make 50+ yard field goals with ease.
Punter: D
Punting might be an issue this season for the Nittany Lions. Stout was underwhelming as a punter, with a few misfires that were downright bad during the open practices. There’s not a lot to say about the position, but he’ll need to be better or special teams coordinator Joe Lorig will need to find a better option.
Returner: A
The team won’t be short on return men in 2021, with several weapons to employ. Dotson is the option the team can use when it needs a big play while players like Ford, Washington and Marquis Wilson could all provide upside back deep. There isn’t a complete gamebreaker the team can put back there, unless the staff decides to use Dotson in that role, but it’s still a high-level group.
This story was originally published April 26, 2021 at 12:26 PM.
