Depth chart breakdown: Where Penn State football stands on special teams in 2021

Penn State football returns plenty of experience on special teams from last season, but that doesn’t mean it returns consistency. The Nittany Lions struggled in multiple facets on the unit last year and will have to make some internal improvement in 2021.

Let’s take a look at the projected starters on special teams this season.

Punter/kickoff specialist/long field goal specialist Jordan Stout

Jordan Stout will once again be the kicking headliner for Penn State in 2021 and should occupy three key roles for the team this season. Last season he was the punter, kickoff specialist and long field goal specialist for the Nittany Lions. It remains to be seen if he will be knocked off of any of those perches this year.

He excelled in the 2019 season, bombing kickoffs through the end zone for touchbacks and making two of his three 50+ yard field goal attempts, including a 57-yarder. However, that wasn’t entirely the case last season after he added punting duties. Stout made only two of his five field goal attempts, including missing one from within 50 yards. He was still successful on kickoffs, where he knocked 42 of his 50 for touchbacks, but his added punting duties were where he struggled the most.

Stout averaged 41.55 yards per punt in 2020, putting him at No. 59 in the country in the category. He often struggled with consistency striking the ball, including a few attempts that were poorly struck and failed to put the defense in a position to succeed.

The redshirt senior has plenty of leg strength and the tools to be a high-level punter, but he’ll need to continue showing he can turn his talent into better production in that aspect of his game to show he’s the special teams weapon he has the upside to become.

Short field goal specialist Jake Pinegar

Field goals under 50 yards might be one of the more interesting spots to watch on Penn State’s special teams unit this season. Jake Pinegar made only 69.2% of his 13 attempts last season and only one of his three from beyond 40 yards. He also missed a field goal from within 30 yards and another within 40 yards as he struggled to find consistency. Pinegar has potential competition in the mix this year if he were to once again falter early on.

Freshman Sander Sahaydak was the No. 2 kicker in the 2021 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite player rankings. The Nittany Lion has good leg strength and power on his kicks, but will need to find consistency that most young kickers struggle to grasp early on in their careers. Sahaydak has plenty of talent and could reasonably come in and compete for the job if he shows he can be reliable.

With that being said, Pinegar’s experience gives him an edge and should allow him to be the team’s primary short field goal kicker if he can reclaim his consistency from 2019, when he made 11 of his 12 field goal attempts for Penn State.

Punt returner Jahan Dotson

It’s hard to argue that there’s anyone on Penn State’s roster more equipped to return punts in 2021 than Jahan Dotson, given how spectacular he is in the open field. The real question is how often the Nittany Lions will want to put their star wide receiver in harm’s way as a return man. It’s more likely he’s a punt returner than kick returner, but even then there is some risk.

That being said, he’s still likely to get opportunities on punts and the potential rewards should outweigh the potential pitfalls. Dotson has the kind of “make you miss” ability that leads to highlight reel-style punt returns. He’s excellent in the open field where he uses his speed to glide past defenders while being slippery enough to avoid contact altogether — especially hard contact.

If the Nittany Lions do decide to save Dotson entirely for offense, they do have credible options to fill the role. In fact, the team’s No. 2 wide receiver, Parker Washington, could also find plenty of success as a returner. Washington has the ability to make defenders miss as well even if it’s not at as high of a level as Dotson. That combined with his sturdier build make him the likely alternative option if it’s deemed to risky to allow Dotson to return punts in normal circumstances this year.

Kick returner Devyn Ford

Washington could fit in as a kick returner as well this year, but his increased role on offense should push Penn State in another direction, especially because kick returns tend to leave players more vulnerable than punt returns do. Running back Devyn Ford provides plenty of the same upside as a returner while having shiftiness in the open field. He’s a natural runner with good vision to see blocks developing in front of him when he gets the opportunity to make returns.

His long speed allows him to take advantage of the gaps ahead and break away from opponents before they can get their hands on him and he can still run through arm tackles on special teams.

With the trend of fair catches becoming more prevalent now that any made inside the 25-yard line leads to a touchback, having an experienced returner should help and Ford returned five kicks in 2020 — tied for the team lead. He’ll likely get opportunities along with the team potentially using Washington, and Ford’s position mate, Caziah Holmes.

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.