Who will break out for Penn State football? Previewing the Nittany Lions’ 2022 season
Penn State kicks off its football season in just over a week and we’re winding down with some of our projections. Last week, we predicted the defensive MVP, with the offensive MVP coming the week before that. This week, we’ll take a look at our choice for the team’s breakout player during the 2022 season.
Jon Sauber: Redshirt freshman safety Zakee Wheatley
Wheatley was the buzz of spring practice after switching from cornerback to safety following his first season on campus, and for good reason. He has an excellent physical profile at 6-foot-2, 189 pounds with room to add more weight and strength. He’s awesome in zone coverage, where he can track the ball out of the quarterback’s hands and go get it with the best of them. He’s great in man coverage, where he brings those cornerback skills to tail receivers. And he’s a willing tackler, mixing it up inside when necessary.
The redshirt freshman has everything you want in a safety and, while he’s still fighting to earn his starting spot, it would be a surprise if he isn’t the clear second-best safety on the team by the end of the season. Wheatley is in a strong position to carry on what has become a trend of strong safety play for Penn State. He will follow current senior Ji’Ayir Brown, who followed former Nittany Lion and current Chicago Bear Jaquan Brisker.
The expectations rose for Wheatley in the spring. He’ll surpass them this fall.
Kyle J. Andrews: Redshirt freshman offensive guard Landon Tengwall
Tengwall may have actually grown an inch from last season as a freshman. Furthermore, the sophomore offensive lineman looks even more powerful and should have every opportunity to seize a starting role as the left guard. What stands out even more with Tengwall is the ability to play multiple positions on the offensive line, having played both tackle positions last season as well. The young lineman plays with a much-needed edge that could greatly aid Penn State’s offensive line for the next few seasons.
Josh Moyer: Redshirt junior defensive end Adisa Isaac
It’s easy to forget the hype that New York City’s former Mr. Football generated early in his Penn State career. But that potential hasn’t gone anywhere; it just hasn’t been on display recently, not with Isaac missing all of last season with an injury.
A month after Isaac turned 18 years old in 2019, as a true freshman, his Penn State teammates were already publicly stating he was a future first-round draft pick. Former DE Shaka Toney and former DT Antonio Shelton both told the media that, praising Isaac’s maturity and coachability. After playing 20 games as a backup his first two seasons, he was finally set to break out last year until a spring injury forced a redshirt.
Now, he’s (mostly) healed. He’s in line to be a starter. And his “twitch,” his athleticism, hasn’t taken a significant step back. It would surprise no one if he led the team in sacks in 2022. He boasts first-team All-B1G potential.
Bret Pallotto: Junior cornerback Johnny Dixon
The junior’s performance in fall camp has earned him heaps of praise from his coaches and defensive leaders. His name was the first uttered by coach James Franklin in response to a Media Day question that asked how the Nittany Lions’ secondary competition stacked up.
“One of the guys that’s really come on for us right now, is having a great camp, is Johnny Dixon. He’s had a really good camp, which is really important for us, not only in creating depth, but also guys that maybe people have pegged in as the starters are either being pushed to improve their game, to keep their starting job or could be replaced.”
Dixon is experienced. He’s played in 34 games, which includes nearly two dozen in his two years at South Carolina before transferring to Happy Valley. Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith said Dixon is one of the team’s leaders in interceptions during practice, adding that he’s had a “really, really good camp.”
Senior safety Ji’Ayir Brown — one of the team’s captains and leaders of the defense — has said Dixon has “taken an extra 10 steps this fall.”
“When you practice enough and you do enough reps and you learn the scheme and you grow within the scheme, you turn into the player you actually are,” Brown said. “And Johnny is a hell of a player.”
Matt DiSanto: Redshirt junior defensive end Adisa Isaac
If he can stay on the field, I expect big things from Isaac. The redshirt junior tore his Achilles tendon last offseason, preventing him from assuming a larger role along the Nittany Lions’ defensive line. But now, the highly touted edge rusher has a chance to truly break out this season with former starters like Arnold Ebiketie off to the NFL.
Isaac collected three sacks and 27 total tackles in limited playing time across the 2019 and 2020 seasons. With more experience under his belt and an opportunity in his hands, Isaac is poised to become one of Penn State’s next stars.
