The Penn State football roster: Who’s back, who’s new and who’s gone?
Penn State football found several key additions from the transfer portal last season along with making important pickups in its freshman class.
Arnold Ebiketie was one of the team’s best players after coming from Temple, while Derrick Tangelo and Eric Wilson both started after joining from Duke and Harvard, respectively.
This offseason the Nittany Lions added a few more portal targets, along with some highly rated freshmen that could have an impact early on in their careers.
Here’s a look at where Penn State’s scholarship roster stands with just over three months until the team’s season opener against Purdue.
Note: New transfer destinations are in parentheses.
QUARTERBACK
Returning: Sean Clifford, Christian Veilleux
Additions: Drew Allar, Beau Pribula
Gone: Ta’Quan Roberson (UConn)
Quick notes: There isn’t much game experience beyond Clifford, but he has plenty to go around. The redshirt senior is entering his fourth year as the starter before one of the other three quarterbacks — who are all freshmen from an eligibility standpoint — is ready to take over in 2023. If not sooner.
RUNNING BACK
Returning: Keyvone Lee, Devyn Ford, Caziah Holmes
Additions: Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen
Gone: Noah Cain (LSU)
Quick notes: Cain was widely seen as the team’s best back heading into the 2021 season but his departure shouldn’t do much damage to the room. Singleton could steal the show here as one of the best freshmen in the country. Lee should start out of the gates but the freshman could be quickly eating into his workload.
WIDE RECEIVER
Returning: Parker Washington, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Jaden Dottin, Malick Meiga, Liam Clifford, Harrison Wallace III
Additions: Mitchell Tinsley, Kaden Saunders, Omari Evans, Anthony Ivey, Tyler Johnson
Gone: Jahan Dotson, Cam Sullivan-Brown, Daniel George (Akron), Norval Black
Quick notes: There isn’t a greater loss on the roster than Dotson. He’s one of the most prolific receivers in Penn State history and replacing him will have to be a group effort. There’s a good crop of talent here that could make an impact, but Tinsley stands out. He provides size and physicality the team didn’t have at the position last year. His addition should be an important one for the Penn State offense.
TIGHT END
Returning: Theo Johnson, Tyler Warren, Brenton Strange, Khalil Dinkins
Additions: Jerry Cross
Gone: None
Quick notes: There wasn’t a more under-utilized position on the roster last season than this one. All four returning players are very talented, led by Johnson — who has a chance to be the best tight end in the country with his size and athleticism. Cross isn’t likely to commit early but should be a major threat as a receiving option down the road. For the time being, Johnson, Warren and Strange will lead the way and should see an increased role this season.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Returning: Caedan Wallace, Olu Fashanu, Juice Scruggs, Sal Wormley, Jimmy Christ, Ibrahim Traore, Landon Tengwall, Nick Dawkins, Bryce Effner, Golden Israel-Achumba
Additions: JB Nelson, Hunter Nourzad, Drew Shelton, Vega Ioane, Maleek McNeil
Gone: Rasheed Walker, Eric Wilson, Anthony Whigan (Akron), Des Holmes (Arizona State), Mike Miranda
Quick notes: Walker is the most notable departure, but there may not be much of a drop off at his left tackle spot. Fashanu quickly established himself as the favorite to start and has a chance to be the Nittany Lions’ best offensive lineman this season. Nourzad and Wormley could have a similar impact on the interior after the former transferred in from Cornell and the latter missed 2021 with an injury.
DEFENSIVE END
Returning: Adisa Isaac, Nick Tarburton, Davon Townley Jr., Zuriah Fisher, Amin Vanover, Rodney McGraw, Smith Vilbert
Additions: Demeioun Robinson, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Ken Talley
Gone: Arnold Ebiketie, Jesse Luketa
Quick notes: The team’s top pass rusher is gone with Ebiketie heading to the NFL and the Nittany Lions did well to replace some of the 9.5 sacks he had last season. Robinson is young and talented off the edge with the upside to be a high-level player for Penn State, while Dennis-Sutton has as much potential as any player in the program. Combine their arrivals with the return of Isaac, who tore his achilles and missed the 2021 season, and Penn State should be even better at defensive end this season.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Returning: PJ Mustipher, Hakeem Beamon, Jordan van den Berg, Fatorma Mulbah, Dvon Ellies, Coziah Izzard
Additions: Zane Durant, Kaleb Artis
Gone: Derrick Tangelo, Joseph Appiah Darkwa (Temple), Cole Brevard (Purdue), Fred Hansard, Aeneas Hawkins
Quick notes: Somebody will have to step up to replace Tangelo as a starter, but Mustipher’s injury last season gave players like Ellies and Izzard a chance to show they’re more than capable of soaking up those snaps. Beamon didn’t play last season for an undisclosed reason and his return will improve the team’s interior pass rush, as will the emerging Durant — one of the team’s standout players during spring practice.
LINEBACKER
Returning: Curtis Jacobs, Jonathan Sutherland, Kobe King, Jamari Buddin, Tyler Elsdon, Charlie Katshir
Additions: Keon Wylie, Abdul Carter
Gone: Brandon Smith, Ellis Brooks
Quick notes: Penn State has plenty of questions to answer at linebacker with two starters leaving. Sutherland moving down from safety should help, but he will need to start right away and that’s not ideal. Elsdon and King competed for the starting middle linebacker job during the spring and that competition should grow to include Carter this fall. This is the spot on the roster where the Nittany Lions could most use a transfer addition.
CORNERBACK
Returning: Joey Porter Jr., Kalen King, Johnny Dixon, Jeffrey Davis Jr., Daequan Hardy, Marquis Wilson
Additions: Cam Miller
Gone: Tariq Castro-Fields
Quick notes: Castro-Fields and his years of experience are gone but there is plenty of talent on the roster to replace him. Porter Jr. and King are the top two outside corners on the team and should be impactful this season — with the former already drawing first round buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hardy is as consistent as they come in the slot and should be the starter there once again this season.
SAFETY
Returning: Ji’Ayir Brown, Keaton Ellis, Jaylen Reed, Zakee Wheatley
Additions: Mehki Flowers, Cristian Driver, Tyrece Mills, KJ Winston
Gone: Jaquan Brisker, Enzo Jennings, Tyler Rudolph (UMass)
Quick notes: One of the best safety duos in the nation has been broken up with Brisker’s departure but Brown returns as one of the best players in the country at the position. The real question comes next to him where plenty of players have competed to earn Brisker’s former job. Wheatley was the standout in the spring after moving over from corner and has the size and strength to be effective in the run, while using his coverage ability from his time as a corner to play at a high level against the pass.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Returning: LS Chris Stoll, K Jake Pinegar, K Sander Sahaydak
Additions: P Alex Bacchetta
Gone: K/P Jordan Stout
Quick notes: Stout was a do-it-all specialist last season and will be difficult to replace. Sahaydak and Bacchetta have the most talent and could be considered the favorites to replace him at kicker and punter, respectively.
