2022 First Glance Preview: Penn State Nittany Lions

Written By: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

Week Ten: Penn State

Date & Time: Saturday, November 5, 2022, Time: TBA

Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

TV: TBD

Nittany Lions at a Glance

Head Coach: James Franklin

Entering his 9th year as Penn State’s Head Coach, Overall Record: 67-34 (42-28)

Last Season: 7-6 (4-5) Fourth in the Big Ten East

Nittany Lions’ Returning Leaders

Passing: Sean Clifford (261-428 passing (61%), 3107 yards, 21 TD, 8 INT)

Rushing: Keyvone Lee (108 rushes, 530 yards, 4.9 YPC, 2 TD)

Receiving: Parker Washington (64 receptions, 820 yards, 4 TD)

Tackles: S Ji’Ayir Brown (73 tackles, 61 solo, 5 PD, 6 INT)

Penn State Preseason Predictions

Athlon: 4th in Big Ten East

Phil Steele: 3rd in Big Ten East

Impact Newcomers for Penn State

- OL Hunter Nourzad (Transfer from Cornell)

- WR Mitchell Tinsley (Transfer from Western Kentucky)

- DE Chop Robinson (Transfer from Maryland)

- QB Drew Allar (5-Star Recruit)

Biggest Questions Facing the 2022 Nittany Lions

1. Can they consistently perform at their ceiling for an entire season?

2. Can the offensive line open lanes for the rushing attack?

3. Will the bend-not-break defense continue?

Program Preview

Entering 2020, Penn State was a program coming off a Big Ten Championship, a Rose Bowl appearance, a Fiesta Bowl win, and a Sugar Bowl win the prior four seasons. Since then, James Franklin’s Nittany Lions have been a bit of a whirlwind. 2020 was disastrous, as they started the season 0-5 before rattling off four wins to finish the year. The hot streak continued into 2021, winning their first five, but fizzled out quickly as they finished 2-6 in the last eight. This finds them just 11-11 in their last 22 games and searching for answers. With his new 10-year contract in hand, Franklin will look to steady the ship and maximize the talent on his roster’s potential for an entire season, rather than continue the rollercoaster they have been on.

Offensive Preview

He is back once again, folks. The Nittany Lions once again open fall camp with the QB1 position locked in by super senior Sean Clifford. Clifford comes off a season in which he threw for over 3,100 yards and 21 touchdowns against 8 interceptions. He looked to be at his under-control best to begin the season, before playing through injury and ultimately not looking anywhere near like himself to finish the season. Most recently, he threw two picks and was just 14 of 32 in an Outback Bowl loss to Arkansas. Clifford will need to use his experience – he has started 33 games over his career – and command the lead of the offense for an entire season.

Despite losing his top target Jahan Dotson to the NFL, he will have Parker Washington and Keandre Lambert-Smith to help carry the load from the receiving corps. Mitchell Tinsley also joins from Western Kentucky’s air-raid offense, having hauled in 87 passes and 14 touchdowns last season for the Hilltoppers.

The biggest question mark, assuming Clifford can stay healthy and consistent, is how much weight his offensive line and rushing attack can take off his shoulders. The line has plenty of size and solid depth, but it did last year and produced poor results; despite two four-star tailbacks in the backfield, Penn State failed to produce a 100-yard rusher for the entire season. Keyvone Lee, their lead returning rusher, ran for just 57 more yards in 2021 as he did the prior season despite playing in three more games. Noah Cain transferred to LSU, so Lee and true freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will need to mature quickly. Unfortunately, they will be doing so behind a line that will likely boast just two players with prior playing experience at Penn State.

"Offensive line is the group that we come and talk about every single year, and I tell you this is going to be the year for the next step at that position," Franklin said at Big Ten Media Days. "I’m not going do that this year. I’m going to let them prove that to you on the field.”

Defensive Preview

If you just look at the final score, Penn State’s defense did more than enough last season to produce a better record than 7-6; only twice did the Nittany Lions allow more than 24 points, and both came in single-digit losses to Ohio State and Michigan State. When the defense allowed 20 or fewer points, Penn State was 7-1. It was a bit susceptible against the run, but it was stout against passing attacks and if it could have relied a bit more on its offense, could have very easily been 10-3. Heck, it was enough for Virginia Tech to come and poach DC Brent Pry as their new head coach, so it was doing something right. Franklin hired former Miami head coach Manny Diaz to replace Pry, and Diaz will look for similar results this season.

The star of the 2022 Nittany Lion defense, despite returning Ji’Ayir Brown in the secondary, could very easily be defensive lineman PJ Mustipher. Mustipher missed most of last season after going down with an injury in the Iowa game, ultimately playing in only five games, but was still able to register second team All-Big Ten honors. He was not available for spring drills, but according to Franklin at Big Ten Media Days, is now “mentally and physically 100% back.” He will be much needed, as the team totaled just 27 sacks all season last year, 9.5 of which came from Arnold Ebiketie, who has graduated.

"We are blessed and fortunate to have PJ back as a leader of our defense," Franklin said, "and I think you'll see big things out of him this year."

Franklin downplayed the strength of his secondary a bit at media days, but it should once again be a strength with cornerback Joey Porter and safety Ji’Ayir Brown both returning. Kalen King will likely win the battle at the other corner position, with younger depth filling in as needed. The bigger question mark will come in the linebacking corps, as both Ellis Brooks and Brandon Smith have moved on. The pair led the team in tackles last season, and now that burden will fall on Curtis Jacobs and Jonathan Southerland, but they will both be playing outside linebacker. Jacobs is the only returning starter, and Southerland they had to poach from the secondary to come play outside linebacker. The middle linebacker positions are up for grabs and will likely go “deep into camp,” said Franklin.

Special Teams Preview

Significant turnover will hit the Penn State specialists in 2022. Kicker and punter Jordan Stout has graduated, turning the keys back over to Jake Pinegar this season, who held the job before being beat out by Stout last year. Pinegar is 36 of 49 kicking field goals in his career but has digressed in percentage since his stellar 11 of 12 sophomore season. Jahan Dotson leaves an opening for someone at punt returner, after he handled 22 of 25 returns last year; Parker Washington may be the favorite to take over the spot.