The alphas for Penn State football are pretty well established: Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Abdul Carter, and K.J. Winston will set the Nittany Lions' baseline for success in 2024. But Penn State will climb the playoff ladder when its younger, or lesser well-known, players emerge to become playmakers.
Penn State coach James Franklin has noted often over the past two seasons that more receivers need to "take the next step." Well, that applies everywhere. And the Nittany Lions have plenty of breakout candidates for this season. Let's introduce a few.
He's certainly not unknown. In fact, Warren tied for the team lead (with fellow tight end Theo Johnson) in touchdown receptions last season with seven. But Warren, who caught 34 passes in 2023, largely flew under the national radar. In deciding to return to Penn State this season, Warren established himself as Penn State's most reliable returning pass-catcher.
By continuing his career arc, Warren will launch himself into the national conversation at the position. "I've told every single [NFL team] that he's going to be the first tight end off the board next year," Johnson said before the NFL Draft.
Another well-known player among Penn State fans, Dennis-Sutton played in the comfortable shadow of NFL draft picks Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac last season. Dennis-Sutton still played significant snaps, made 3.5 sacks and demonstrated a healthy burst off the edge. Now, he joins Carter in the spotlight.
"He outworks everybody," Robinson said of Dennis-Sutton. "Him being a young guy but also being so mature, he's kind of got an old soul. That's the good thing about him. He's different from everybody else."
Penn State is loaded at safety and likely will rotate Jaylen Reed and Zakee Wheatley through different permutations. But Winston is unlikely to come off the field. The junior, who was honorable mention all-Big Ten last season, is among the best run-stopping safeties in the conference and is elastic in coverage. He could be a first-round draft pick in 2025 with a breakout season.
Fans and teammates didn't see the best version of Wallace last year because of his injuries. But as Johnson said about training camp last year, "it was clear that this guy is wide receiver 1. And then stuff started rolling in for him and he’s had the year that he’s had."
A healthy Wallace (he played in just eight games) is the downfield threat Penn State's offense needs.
He was thrust into the starting lineup at the Peach Bowl, had some struggles against Ole Miss' passing game, and emerged better. "I just learned that I was ready for it," Miller said.
The 6-foot, 185-pound cornerback has the length and coverage skills to be a reliable defender. Plus, Miller has the right approach. "He has a whole routine," former cornerback Johnny Dixon said. "He's a pro right now."
The left tackle remains a bit of a 2024 unknown, having missed spring drills following offseason surgery. Still, Shelton benefited last season from not only playing behind Olu Fashanu but also getting plenty of situational snaps in the first-round pick's place. For instance, Sheldon played 72 snaps against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl and earned raves from his former teammate.
"Coming out of high school, I was really raw," Fashanu said. "I didn't really look too good in terms of run blocking and pass blocking. But [Shelton] was extremely polished coming out of high school. He moves very fluidly and has a great punch in pass protection."
The 6-1, 288-pound junior started 11 games at tackle last season, pushing past some more experienced interior linemen. Penn State returns a pair of sixth-year tackles in Dvon Ellies and Hakeem Beamon, but Durant carries the most presence. He made 5.5 tackles for loss last season (three against Northwestern) and should blow by that total this year.
The sophomore certainly is confident: "I believe before I leave Penn State, I will be one of the best defensive ends to leave out of here." He has reason to be. In a crowded defensive line room, Lyons played in eight games last season. The room remains competitive, but Lyons will get his snaps — and plans to capitalize on them.
Penn State still has a receiver issue to address and needs more than one to step out this season. We like Evans as a candidate. Yes, the junior has just nine career receptions (and burned his redshirt in 2022) but remains one of Penn State's most dynamic prospects at the position.
Freshmen rarely make an immediate impact on the offensive line at Penn State. Shelton was an outlier in 2022 who took advantage of his prep work and Fashanu's late-season injury to step in at left tackle. Cousins could be different this season. He started the Blue-White Game (returning starter Sal Wormley had the day off) and held his own. Cousins likely won't challenge for a starting slot early, but his spring emergence and versatility (he can play guard and center) will make him a valuable player up front.
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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.
MARK WOGENRICH
Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.
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