Tag: 2021 Penn State football

2023 Penn State football snapshot profile: No. 1 Jaylen Reed

Jaylen Reed should be a physical force in the Penn State secondary in 2023.

Going into the 2023 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season.

Continuing this effort is a look at one of the rising stars and potential key players on the defensive side of the football, safety [autotag]Jaylen Reed[/autotag]. Reed is entering his third season with the program, and he could be locking down a key role in a new-look defensive secondary.

Twitter Reacts to Penn State 9 OT Loss to Illinois

Twitter goes nuts about Penn State losing to Illinois in 9 Overtimes, yes you read that right, 9 overtime.

As sports fans, there will be games that will stick with you for the rest of your life or if someone asks you what was your favorite game you attended or watched.

On Saturday Penn State took on Illinois from Beaver Stadium and this game would make history by being the NCAA’s first 9 overtime game. Yes, you are reading that right, this season there was a new overtime rule that went into play that starting in the 3rd overtime, each team gets a chance to run a 2 point play, similar to how the shootout is played out in hockey, you keep going until someone makes a stop.

Illinois would take down No. 7 Penn State 20-18 in 9 overtimes.

Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter to this game, as you can see below, Nittnay Lions fans are a little upset about the new overtime rule.

2021 Penn State Football Schedule: Downloadable Wallpaper

Never miss a game this season with our downloadable 2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football schedule for your smartphone.

Never miss a game this season with our College Wire downloadable 2021 Penn State football schedule. Use as wallpaper for your lock screen on your smartphone.

Also, share it with friends and let them have the schedule with them at all times too!

Download the 2021 Nittany Lions football schedule here.

2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Profile Card: Henry Fessler

You may not know much about WR Henry Fessler, but his contributions help lead to Penn State’s success

Name: Henry Fessler

Number: 29

Position: Wide receiver

Class: Redshirt junior

Height: 5′-10″

Weight: 180

Hometown: Erie, PA

High School: Cathedral Prep

Twitter: @henry_fess14

Overview

Successful football teams aren’t always led by the stars you see making the big plays on television. Success comes through hard work on the practice field and preparing for your opponent. To properly do that, you have to have players committed to helping make everybody else better even if they don’t get much of an opportunity on the playing field on Saturdays. Case in point, redshirt junior wide receiver Henry Fessler for Penn State.

Penn State wide receiver Henry Fessler (29) during their NCAA football practice, Saturday, April 17, 2021, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

You are not going to find Fessler’s name in the box score or the stat sheets, but he is far from an underappreciated player in the program. Fessler is among the players who receive high praise for their work ethic during the week, as he earned multiple Developmental Players of the Week honors during a trying 2020 season for the Nittany Lions.

Fessler is also staying true to the iconic “Success With Honor” mantra instilled in the Penn State program by earning high marks in the classroom and earning Academic All-Big Ten honors in additional student-athlete of the week honors from Penn State.

Fessler’s family has Big Ten roots too. Henry’s brother, Billy Fessler, is a former Penn State quarterback and placekicking holder who has gone on to begin a coaching career that started as a graduate assistant at Mississippi State with former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead. Billy Fessler is now a graduate assistant coaching the offense for Ohio State. Fessler’s other brother, Charlie Fessler, played for Northwestern. And Fessler’s great-great uncle, Robert Weber, is a former Penn State football team captain from 1932-36.

To say Penn State and Big Ten football runs through Fessler’s veins is an understatement. If anyone deserves a chance to make a catch in a game, it just might be Fessler.

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2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Profile Card: Jaden Dottin

Could receiver Jaden Dottin be a rising star for the Penn State passing game in 2021?

Name: Jaden Dottin

Number: 19

Position: Wide receiver

Class: Redshirt freshman

Height: 6′-2″

Weight: 185

Hometown: Cambridge, MA

High School: Suffield Academy (Conn)

Twitter: @JadenDottin

Overview

While a couple of freshmen wide receivers saw a good amount of playing time in 2020, Jaden Dottin appeared in just one game. Dottin was among the newcomers to redshirt for the 2020 season, and he appeared in just the season finale against Illinois to get a brief taste of stepping on the field in Beaver Stadium for an actual game.

Dottin did not record any stats in his lone appearance in the 2020 season, but the bar is still being raised for him and a couple of other young receivers Penn State hopes come along in 2021. And there should be a good reason to expect good things from Dottin in 2021.

Dottin is a former four-star recruit for the Nittany Lions in the Class of 2020. The New England product may have benefitted from redshirting last fall as he looked to improve his physical presence at a demanding position. The potential for big plays is certainly there for Dottin, and he could be one of the answers for a Penn State offense looking for some big plays out of the passing game besides star receiver Jahan Dotson.

An improved Dottin could see some playing time in the offense this season, although he may have to work his way up the depth chart before getting any serious big-play opportunities this fall.

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2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Profile Card: Keandre Lambert-Smith

Will Keandre Lambert-Smith take some big steps forward to contribute to Penn State’s offense in 2021?

Name: Keandre Lambert-Smith

Number: 13

Position: Wide receiver

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6′-1″

Weight: 181

Hometown: Norfolk, VA

High School: Maury

Twitter: @klamb2_

Overview

If Penn State is hoping to see some players step up at the receiver position to take some of the pressure of Jahan Dotson, perhaps Keandre Lambert-Smith could be a name to keep a close eye on. A four-star recruit in Penn State’s Class of 2020, Lambert-Smith got a chance to dip his toes in the waters as a true freshman last fall by appearing in all nine games played by Penn State.

The talented freshman caught two passes for a total of 25 yards in his Penn State debut (against Indiana). He also started one game, against Maryland, along with Parker Washington. The freshmen became the first freshman receiving duo to start a game for Penn State since 2014 (Chris Godwin and Saeed Blacknall).

Lambert-Smith is searching for his first career touchdown as well as a more pivotal role in the Penn State offense. Coming off a full offseason after a full season under his belt, Lambert-Smith should be among the players who take some significant steps forward in the Penn State offense in 2021.

Lambert-Smith may have to prove he has earned more of a role in the Penn State passing game before getting his opportunity to shine more. Dotson is among the Big Ten’s top receivers returning in 2021 and Washington was the team’s second-leading receiver in 2020 with 489 yards on 36 receptions.

But the potential for a breakout season is right there for Lambert-Smith, and his development could make for a lethal passing attack for the Nittany Lions if he can work his way into the game plan more in 2021.

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Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Profile Card: Tariq Castro-Fields

Penn State’s defensive secondary is in great shape with the return of Tariq Castro-Fields.

Name: Tariq Castro-Fields

Number: 5

Position: Cornerback

Class: Senior+ 3(using the extra year of eligibility from NCAA)

Height: 6′-0″

Weight: 198

Hometown: Upper Marlboro, MD

High School: Riverdale Baptist School

Twitter: @ayeewonton

Overview

Penn State’s defense received great news when Tariq Castro-Fields decided to return for his final year of eligibility in 2021. Taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted to all college athletes as a result of the pandemic in 2020, Castro-Fields will have a chance to provide Penn State with a veteran presence in the defensive secondary and boost his own potential NFL draft stock in 2022.

Castro-Fields saw his 2020 season cut short due to injury, so it made sense for him to decide to come back and play one more season of college football. Castro-Fields will be a key starter for the defense this season and he will be the leader of a very talented secondary with plenty of options to work with in a variety of ways. Last season, Castro-Fields started three games and he recorded 12 tackles, six of which were solo tackles.

Despite his brief season, Castro-Fields earned honorable mention by Big Ten media and coaches for All-Big Ten consideration. As a junior in 2019, Castro-Fields was named All-Big Ten third team by the media, with an honorable mention nod from the Big Ten coaches. Castro-Fields started all 13 games for Penn State in 2019 after getting three starts as a sophomore in 2018.

Castro-Fields is already on his way to a big rebound in 2021. Coming out of the spring practice season, Penn State coaches named Castro-Fields one of the two defensive players of the spring (defensive lineman PJ Mustipher being the other).

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.

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Athlon Sports projects New Years Day bowl game for Penn State

Penn State is heading to a New Years Day bowl game according to bowl projections from Athlon Sports.

Penn State suffered a rare losing season in 2020 but had the option to still go to a bowl game if they wanted. They opted to stay home to close out the pandemic-ridden season and hope to return to the bowl festivities in 2021. According to Athlon Sports, Penn State will indeed be back in the bow lineup at the end of the 2021 season.

Athlon Sports released its bowl projections for the 2021 season, and it includes Penn State playing in a New Years Day bowl game. But don’t get too excited just yet. The Athlon Sports projections don’t have the Nittany Lions playing in the College Football Playoff or any of the other New Years Six bowl games. But if you like bloomin’ onions, you’ll be interested in this one.

The bowl projections released by Athlon Sports have Penn State squaring off in the Outback Bowl against the Missouri Tigers. And, as our recent look at Penn State’s all-time results against teams in the SEC shows, Penn State has had some success against the Tigers in bowl games. Penn State hasn’t played Missouri since 1980, so it’s been a long time coming for the Nittany Lions and Tigers to cross paths.

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As for the rest of the Big Ten, here’s how Athlon Sports is lining them up for postseason play:

  • Cotton Bowl (College Football Playoff Semifinal): Ohio State vs. Alabama
  • Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Oregon
  • Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. LSU
  • Music City Bowl: Michigan vs. Tennessee
  • Pinstripe Bowl: Maryland vs. Virginia
  • Las Vegas Bowl: Indiana vs. USC
  • RedBox Bowl: Northwestern vs. California
  • Quick Lane Bowl: Minnesota vs. Toledo
  • Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Nebraska vs. Kansas State

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2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Profile Card: Ta’Quan Roberson

Ta’Quan Roberson lacks experience but could end up being Penn State’s backup quarterback if the transfer portal search comes up dry.

Name: Ta’Quan Roberson

Number: 2

Position: Quarterback

Class: Redshirt Sophomore

Height: 5′-11″

Weight: 199

Hometown: Orange, NJ

High School: DePaul Catholic

Twitter: @taquanroberson_

Overview

Penn State added one of the nation’s top dual-=threat quarterbacks out of New Jersey in the recruiting class of 2018 with the addition of Ta’Quan Roberson. But with Sean Clifford already in place to succeed Trace McSorley, Roberson’s time remains down the line in Happy Valley as the 2021 season approaches.

The former four-star recruit has appeared in just two games for the Nittany Lions during his first two seasons with the program. While Clifford was the starter, Will Levis was in place to be the first secondary option off the sideline at times. Roberson has played briefly in the regular-season finales each of the past two seasons against Rutgers in 2019 and Illinois in 2020.

Scouts have noted Roberson makes up for a lack of size with great arm strength. He just has not been in a position to fully show what he may be capable of doing as he continues to be developed and prepared for any significant time behind Clifford (or in place of him if needed).

But Roberson’s place on the depth chart could potentially be more solidified in 2021. Following a pair of departures through the transfer portal, Roberson could end up being the next man up behind Clifford unless Penn State taps into the transfer portal for a quarterback between now and the start of the season.

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Where does Penn State rank in updated USA TODAY football preseason top 25?

Penn State has once again been given a top 25 preseason ranking, but the Nittany Lions still have to prove themselves to some doubters.

With spring football practices now well in the rearview mirror and the transition to full preseason mode underway, updated preseason top 25 rankings are beginning to make the rounds. So far, the general consensus seems to see Penn State as a legitimate top 25 team, although the Nittany Lions are viewed as a team with something to prove before regaining the national; respect as a potential Big Ten or even a playoff contender.

Sporting News and Athlon Sports each had slightly different takes on their outlooks for the Nittany Lions in 2021, and Pro Football Focus is on the record as well. All three have Penn State as a top 25 team, however. And the latest updated preseason ranking from USA TODAY backs that concept up. And once again, it looks like there is a pretty common theme for where Penn State is ranked by the latest offering from USA TODAY writer Erick Smith’s stab at a preseason top 25.

NEXT… USA TODAY’s ranking of Penn State football for 2021

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