Depth chart breakdown: Here’s where Penn State football stands at guard and center in 2021

Penn State football is replacing the equivalent of two full-time starters from last season’s team along the interior of the offensive line after three players departed. All 18 starts at center and right guard need replaced heading into the 2021 season.

Let’s wrap up the offensive side of the depth chart breakdown with the guard and center.

Projected starters

Redshirt junior Juice Scruggs, redshirt senior Mike Miranda and senior Eric Wilson

The Nittany Lions need to replace Michal Menet’s nine starts at center along with C.J. Thorpe’s (three starts) and Will Fries’ (six starts) at right guard, but there are logical replacements to step in this season. In fact, there’s a chance this group plays better than last season’s for a myriad of reason, not the least of which is that they’ll have a full offseason to build their chemistry — a luxury last year’s group didn’t have under first-year offensive line coach Phil Trautwein.

Mike Miranda is the lone holdover from last year’s starters along the interior. He started all nine games at left guard and could start every game again this season at that spot. However, his lack of elite size — he’s listed at 6-foot-3, 308 pounds — could make him better suited to take over for Menet at center.

Miranda is a smaller, more athletic lineman with a mean streak that plays to his advantage in the running game. He has the athleticism to be effective when pulling and getting to the second level in the running game, but his lack of size and length is a disadvantage in the passing game. Interior defensive linemen continue to get longer and more athletic, making it more difficult for Miranda to fight off a pass rush.

He still competes on the inside and has the tenacity to battle, but once defenders get their hands into his chest he can get knocked off balance and blown off the ball. There isn’t much he can do to improve because of his natural limitations, which means his upside is limited. He still provides enough of a steady presence to be penciled in as a starter for the season.

Juice Scruggs is most likely to start at center, but could easily kick out to guard if the Nittany Lions determine Miranda is best suited to play center. Scruggs appeared in seven games last season and displayed many of the qualities that make him an ideal interior offensive lineman. He’s an aggressive bulldozer in the run game who seeks out contact — occasionally at the loss of some technique that he otherwise displays.

Scruggs is 6-foot-3, 315 pounds but has much better length than Miranda and can stand up better in the passing game because of it. He can drop into a pass set and use his length to prevent defensive linemen from getting their hands on him, allowing him to stay on balance in the passing game.

The unseen attribute that must be replaced from last year is the communication skills and experience of Menet, who coordinated the entire offensive front and ensured all five linemen were on the same page. Whoever takes over at center will likely be tasked with replicating that important leadership skill.

The third projected starter — potentially at right guard — could also help with that communication because of his experience. Senior Eric Wilson played in 22 games over three seasons at Harvard and was named to the All-Ivy League second team after 2019. He was then named to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-Ivy League First Team prior to the 2020 season but didn’t play after the Ivy League canceled the season. It will have been nearly two years since Wilson’s last game action by the time he takes the field for Penn State, but the ability he brings is undeniable.

Wilson is a very good athlete and has the size and length to excel as both a run blocker and a pass blocker. He looked the part of an all-conference player in his time at Harvard, but that frequently came against competition that he could out-muscle with ease. That being said, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be a good starter for Penn State. The senior might be the best offensive lineman the team has by the end of the season.

Key backups

Redshirt senior Anthony Whigan and redshirt sophomore Sal Wormley

There are two primary candidates to back up the team’s starters on the inside, and two that were mentioned at offensive tackle that could kick inside. Desmond Holmes and Bryce Effner could both kick inside and play guard, but will both primarily back up Rasheed Walker and Caedan Wallace at tackle.

Instead it’s Anthony Whigan and Sal Wormley that are more likely to be direct replacements for Miranda, Scruggs and Wilson.

Whigan is entering his third season with the program after transferring in from Lackawanna County Community College. His first two years on campus were spent adding strength and improving his technique on the interior. The redshirt senior is now in position to compete for playing time on the inside after mostly getting snaps on special teams in 2020. He’ll need to show his added strength is functional strength that can help him on the field, but if he does that he should be able to see the field with the offense more this season.

Wormley has also rarely seen playing time with the offense in his two previous years at Penn State. He still has plenty of limitations in his game that make it less likely he’s the first player called into game action if a backup is needed. The 6-foot-3, 301-pound lineman is a mauler with plenty of aggression, but lacks the mobility and athleticism to be an elite starter. He showed improvement in limited viewing in the spring from that standpoint but still has work to do. Ultimately, Wormley could be helpful in the running game if he’s forced onto the field for significant snaps in 2021.

Freshman to watch

Freshman Landon Tengwall

Landon Tengwall might be the rare exception when it comes to offensive linemen playing early in their career. The four-star offensive line prospect in the 2021 class enrolled in January and is already physically built to play at the Power-5 level. He’s listed at 6-foot-6, 321 pounds and could excel in the running game and the passing game on the inside. He has good size and a muscular build that will allow him to bully smaller opponents.

The freshman offensive guard could sneak his way into the rotation if his ability displayed in high school quickly translates to college. He gets off the line quickly and was rarely beaten by high school defenders on their initial move, often finishing the block and putting opponents on the ground before they have a chance to counter his initial push. He’ll need to adjust on the field because he’ll be facing player that are bigger, faster and stronger, but Tengwall boasts as much upside as any offensive lineman on the roster.

This story was originally published July 3, 2021 at 8:00 AM.

Jon Sauber

Centre Daily Times

(814) 231-6461

Jon Sauber covers Penn State football and men’s basketball for the Centre Daily Times. He earned his B.A. in digital and print journalism from Penn State and his M.A. in sports journalism from IUPUI. His previous stops include jobs at The Indianapolis Star, the NCAA, and Rivals.