As we continue our Penn State prep, Paul and I will be talking to a few football writers covering Penn State. I caught up with PSU football writer for Penn Live Dustin Hockensmith to get his insight on all things Penn State as we approach the season opener. He gave notes on the outlook for the Nittany Lions, what to expect in the opener and some players to keep an eye on.
Penn State has a couple big questions to answer going into its opener, but I think the most important is: How successful was first-year coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca installing his offense with zero spring practice? This team has athletes everywhere and might ultimately be better defensively this season than last, even without Micah Parsons, but four new assistants and a brand new offense is a lot to handle in the strangest offseason ever.
It's a good team and set up nicely with talent everywhere through some of James Franklin's best recruiting in 2018 and '19. The offensive line is very good and experienced, and quarterback Sean Clifford should make a jump in Year 2 as a starter. The No. 8 ranking in the AP poll is ambitious, I think, because of all the moving parts, but I do think the College Football Playoff is on the table in a best-case scenario.
As far as who to keep an eye on ...
Linebacker Brandon Smith - a freak of nature. Listed at 6-4, 244 but has a 7-foot wingspan. He isn't a replacement for Micah Parsons in terms of his position, but he very much looks like he can bring the same star power. He's a true sophomore. Jesse Luketa is a true junior who steps into Parsons' spot on the weak side.
Wide receiver Parker Washington - a mild surprise starter on the depth chart Penn State released on Tuesday. He's compact (5-10/205), but his skill set is tremendous and he's built to handle some punishment. Penn State has a lot of questions at the wide receiver spots, but Washington's emergence would do a lot to answer them.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. - a redshirt freshman and the son of former Steelers great Joey Porter. Another mild surprise as a starter, but the coaching staff has been raving about him. He beat out two kids from his recruiting class, Keaton Ellis and Marquis Wilson, who both played pretty well as true freshmen last season. Porter is tall and athletic and his arms are supposedly 35 inches long.
Running back Devyn Ford - don't be surprised if he has a bigger game than Noah Cain. Where Cain is a between the tackles grinder, Ford has more home run ability. Good hips, good balance, explosive. He's the guy to break a long run after a guy like Cain softens the D. Watch out for true freshman Caziah Holmes, too. He’s the first guy to wear Saquon Barkley’s No. 26.
Defensive ends Jayson Oweh/Adisa Isaac/Shaka Toney - I don't think Penn State has ever had more speed and quickness in its pass rush than these three guys. Oweh has twice been listed on Bruce Feldman's "freaks" list. He's a redshirt sophomore who has been projected by several outlets as a potential first-round pick in the '21 draft. He’s 6-5, 250ish and runs the 40 in the high 4.3s or low 4.4s, but this is his first season as a starter.
Penn State has a couple big questions to answer going into its opener, but I think the most important is: How successful was first-year coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca installing his offense with zero spring practice? This team has athletes everywhere and might ultimately be better defensively this season than last, even without Micah Parsons, but four new assistants and a brand new offense is a lot to handle in the strangest offseason ever.
It's a good team and set up nicely with talent everywhere through some of James Franklin's best recruiting in 2018 and '19. The offensive line is very good and experienced, and quarterback Sean Clifford should make a jump in Year 2 as a starter. The No. 8 ranking in the AP poll is ambitious, I think, because of all the moving parts, but I do think the College Football Playoff is on the table in a best-case scenario.
As far as who to keep an eye on ...
Linebacker Brandon Smith - a freak of nature. Listed at 6-4, 244 but has a 7-foot wingspan. He isn't a replacement for Micah Parsons in terms of his position, but he very much looks like he can bring the same star power. He's a true sophomore. Jesse Luketa is a true junior who steps into Parsons' spot on the weak side.
Wide receiver Parker Washington - a mild surprise starter on the depth chart Penn State released on Tuesday. He's compact (5-10/205), but his skill set is tremendous and he's built to handle some punishment. Penn State has a lot of questions at the wide receiver spots, but Washington's emergence would do a lot to answer them.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. - a redshirt freshman and the son of former Steelers great Joey Porter. Another mild surprise as a starter, but the coaching staff has been raving about him. He beat out two kids from his recruiting class, Keaton Ellis and Marquis Wilson, who both played pretty well as true freshmen last season. Porter is tall and athletic and his arms are supposedly 35 inches long.
Running back Devyn Ford - don't be surprised if he has a bigger game than Noah Cain. Where Cain is a between the tackles grinder, Ford has more home run ability. Good hips, good balance, explosive. He's the guy to break a long run after a guy like Cain softens the D. Watch out for true freshman Caziah Holmes, too. He’s the first guy to wear Saquon Barkley’s No. 26.
Defensive ends Jayson Oweh/Adisa Isaac/Shaka Toney - I don't think Penn State has ever had more speed and quickness in its pass rush than these three guys. Oweh has twice been listed on Bruce Feldman's "freaks" list. He's a redshirt sophomore who has been projected by several outlets as a potential first-round pick in the '21 draft. He’s 6-5, 250ish and runs the 40 in the high 4.3s or low 4.4s, but this is his first season as a starter.
