As we begin to move closer to the start of a new college football season in Happy Valley, the staff at Nittnay Lions Wire is spending some time sounding off on some big questions facing the Nittany Lions this fall. Today’s focus is on potential breakout players for the Nittany Lions in 2022.
Penn State appears to have some good talent across the roster in 2022, and we have profiled a number of players expected to be key contributors to the program this fall. But who is a player you feel is flying under the radar and could emerge as a key breakout player for the Nittany Lions in 2022?
Sam Dehring, Contributor
@sam_dehring68
Penn State has quite the intriguing offense. They brought in guys like [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Singelton[/autotag]. They even brought in two transfers with Cornell offensive tackle [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag] and Western Kentucky wide receiver [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag]. It’s hard to call Tinsley a sleeper when many analysts already have him mocked in the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Speaking of sleepers, I’m heading over on the defensive side of the ball for defensive tackle [autotag]Coziah Izzard[/autotag]. When it comes to the defensive line, many will think of [autotag]PJ Mustipher[/autotag], and rightfully so. Mustipher going down with an injury last season resulted in several new faces getting some more playing time on the field. In his first season, Izzard didn’t see much production. But in 2021, he finished with 21 total tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. I think Izzard has a strong chance to break out for the Nittany Lions this season.
Izzard saw the majority of his 2021 production against Rutgers, where he finished with four total tackles and a sack. He is currently slated to start up front. Those stats mentioned are a solid stepping stone to potentially have a breakout season for the Nittany Lions in 2022.
Mustipher developed into a leader for Penn State, and Izzard, now being one of the upperclassmen, has a good chance to do that as well.
Two other names I wanted to throw out there are wide receiver [autotag]Malick Meiga[/autotag] and offensive tackle [autotag]Juice Scruggs[/autotag], both now going into their second years under offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag].
Kevin McGuire, Editor
@KevinOnCFB
There are a few new faces on the roster that I anticipate will have some big seasons for the Nittany Lions, but it would be unfair to suggest wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley or freshman running back Nick Singleton are flying under the radar. So I’m also going to go on the defensive side of the football and point to linebacker Kobe King.
While Kalen King is already primed and ready for a solid sophomore season in the backfield, his twin brother Kobe could emerge as a fixture in the middle of the Penn State defense. Kobe King may not start the year as a starter but I do anticipate he will be a consistent contributor when on the field. And with that will come a growth that will lead to him being cemented in the middle of the defense moving forward.
What struck me was this spring when King noted that picking up and adjusting to the new defensive style of new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz was easy to pick up and run with, compared to the style of former defensive cooridnator Brent Pry. It may be a mix of a system being easier to grasp and a player having a year of college football experience already under his belt, but that stood out to me in the spring and I hope that it translates to success on the field this fall.
Andrew Harbaugh, Contributor
@MandrewNFL
Theo Johnson who comes into the year being underutilized so far in his Penn State career is someone I think could make a giant leap this year. He and Brenton Strange are both on the John Mackey Watchlist but Johnson is who intrigues me. His blend of speed and size could make him one of the best tight ends in the country if they utilize him in such a way. With this being Clifford’s last season I think they go all out and gameplan every weapon they can around him.
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