Tag: Adisa Isaac

Inside the Box Score: The key stats from Penn State’s Blue-White Game

Inside the box score with some key stats from Penn State’s Blue-White Game.

Penn State’s Blue-White Game showed the Nittany Lions are still a bit of a work in progress in some key areas, but there were still some players and developments worth being optimistic about moving into the summer. And the final box score from a spring scrimmage like Penn State’s can oftentimes be misleading or unnecessarily overanalyzed. Nonetheless, it is a starting point for evaluating just where the Nittany Lions are heading once the 2022 season begins.

So, with the caution of not wanting to get too carried away with the official stats shared by Penn State from the Blue-White Game on Saturday afternoon, let’s dive headfirst into the key stats from the final spring practice of the season before Penn State moves to the next stage of its offseason.

And why not start with the quarterback position?

Quarterbacks

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
  • [autotag]Christian Veilleux[/autotag]: 5-of-14, 75 yards
  • [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag]: 6-of-14, 61 yards, 2 interceptions, 1 sack
  • [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag]: 4-of-7, 41 yards, 1 touchdown
  • [autotag]Beau Pribula[/autotag]: 2-of-3, 7 yards, 2 sacks

Sean Clifford had some decent production in his time on the field, including the game’s only touchdown pass (to transfer addition Mitchell Tinsley. Clifford also had the best performance from passers in seven-on-seven drills, for whatever that is worth.

Christian Veilleux had the most complete performance among those vying for backup consideration to Clifford. This could have been expected given he already has some in-game experience from last season.

Don’t get too down when reviewing the stat line for five-star quarterback Drew Allar, because he was not given much help at times by his receivers dropping passes or having a ball bounce off their hands. But he did have a number of throws that seemed to be just a tad behind his intended targets. And Beau Pribula also had some freshman moments, which was to be expected.

NEXT: Who were the top running backs in the Blue-White Game?

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PJ Mustipher finding other ways to lead while continuing rehab

New Penn State defensive cooridnator Manny Diaz is among those impressed with the leadership of rehabbing PJ Mustipher this spring.

Penn State’s defensive line has been a fairly consistent unit over the years, and one where the ability to create playmakers has been demonstrated routinely. A year removed from sending [autotag]Odafe Oweh[/autotag] off to the first round of the NFL draft, the eyes are on [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag] to see if he can sneak into the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. Meanwhile, in State College, [autotag]PJ Mustipher[/autotag] is coming back for one more season with Penn State with the hopes of becoming another early-round draft pick. But before that, he needs to continue rehabbing from a knee injury that has placed him on the sidelines this spring.

Despite being inactive on the practice field, Mustipher has been providing the kind of leadership that he will be relied on in his sixth season of eligibility. And it did not take long for Mustipher to show new defensive coordinator [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] why he will be a valuable asset to the defensive line.

“[Mustipher] is not even practicing but, man, you feel his presence every day,” Diaz said to reporters, according to Lions 247. “And he makes sure that he’s on the defensive lineman. He’s on the defense in general.”

Mustipher has been helping to keep his teammates fired up and driving to improve this spring. Among those benefitting from Mustipher’s leadership and encouragement has been newcomer Zane Durant, who has been raising eyebrows this spring after enrolling early with other members of the Class of 2022.

The defensive line looks to be one of the most exciting position groups for Penn State in 2022, and the eventual return of a healthy Mustipher will be a key part of that equation. The early opportunity for Durant to get involved will be helpful, as will the eventual arrivals of [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] (five-star addition in the Class of 2022) and Maryland transfer [autotag]Demeioun Robinson[/autotag].

Despite not having any of those three players in the Blue-White Game, the entire defensive line unit will be worth watching in the Penn State spring game. The unit did lose promising Zuriah Fisher for the 2022 season due to a spring injury recently, but eyes will be on [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] (who is coming off his own injury from last season) and [autotag]Nick Tarburton[/autotag]. The Blue-White Game should also be a good opportunity for other players to get some good playing time, including [autotag]Smith Vilbert[/autotag], [autotag]Rodney McGraw[/autotag], and [autotag]Amin Vanover[/autotag].

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Where are they now? Penn State football’s Class of 2019

Here is where every player from Penn State’s Class of 2019 sits today, four years later

The 2022 college football season will mark the fourth year since the Class of 2019 was signed by Penn State. One of the top classes in the Big Ten, coming in at No. 2 in the conference according to 247 Sports, Penn State’s recruiting haul for 2019 was certainly full of potential for big things. And entering 2022, some of those players signed by the Nittany Lions are living the dream while others are looking for some clean starts, and others remain in Happy Valley hoping to end their college careers on a high note.

With so much happening in the offseason, we thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at Penn State’s Class of 2019 to see where everyone is currently stands.

What Penn State linebacker is spending time at fall camp playing defensive end?

Penn State starting linebacker Jesse Luketa will spend much of fall camp working at a different position. Here’s why.

With the news that one of Penn State’s top rising defensive ends may be lost for the 2021 season, what to do at the position has become a big question as fall camp opens for the Nittany Lions. And it appears Penn State is already working one of their linebackers at the position, just in case.

Penn State head coach James Franklin announced on Saturday that defensive end Adisa Isaac may not be likely to play this season due to an offseason non-football injury. With that in mind, Penn State has been working one of their linebackers at the defensive end position this offseason.

Jesse Luketa will still remain a linebacker, primarily, but the Nittany Lions are working him more at defensive end during fall camp to give him more time growing at the position should he happen to be needed at the spot. Given his experience at the linebacker position, Penn State doesn’t feel the need to work him too much at his regular position. But with a need at defensive end, a possible position change could come in handy if Luketa is deemed the top option to replace Isaac at the end of the line.

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5 questions for Penn State at Big Ten media day

5 questions Penn State will be asked during Big Ten media day

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The summer convergence of Big Ten media, coaches, and players will take place this week in Chicago. As they arrive in the Windy City from Happy Valley, Penn State head coach James Franklin and his player representatives will have some tough questions to answer after last season.

Penn State limped out of the gates of the modified 2020 season to a historically bad 0-5 record before turning a corner and ending the season on a four-game winning streak. The Nittany Lions missed an opportunity to even their record and avoid a losing season by deciding as a team not to participate in a postseason bowl game at the end of a trying year. But perhaps the biggest question for Penn State to answer in 2021 was whether or not you can chalk up the 2020 season to being a product of unique circumstances or if it is a sign of a program on the decline.

So what are we to actually make of 2020?

Head coach James Franklin will be very likely to be asked some questions riding along the lines of wondering how Penn State bounces back in 2021 after last year’s setbacks. You can fully expect Franklin to push forward and leave 2020 behind him, but it is an important question to raise for anyone trying to figure out who Penn State is in 2021.

Prior to last season, Penn State had won 11 games three out of the previous four seasons with three appearances in a New Years Six bowl game and winning two of them. This is why the 2020 results were so surprising for many. Injuries and player availability throughout the week were issues as well, as Penn State at times may have been riding a thinner roster than realized at times due to COVID protocols.

So when Franklin is asked about last season and what to expect this season, expect the standard response that Penn State has a lot going right in the program and they are ready to prove something after last season.

Will Penn State still add a transfer quarterback?

As things stand right now, Penn State’s offense is Sean Clifford or bust, or so it would seem. One of the main talking points during the spring football practice season was what Penn State will do to add depth and exp[erience at the quarterback position. Pulling a target from the transfer portal seemed obvious, and Penn State did make a push to add to its roster at the position before ultimately losing out on TJ Finley from LSU. Spring has now come and gone and the summer is half over and Penn State still has not found a suitable passer in the transfer portal to pad the depth chart.

When will Penn State grab a QB out of the transfer portal?

So, is this still part of the game plan, or is Penn State now going to move forward running the risk of not having experience behind Clifford? The ceiling may be pretty high for options like Taquan Roberson and Christian Veilleux, but Franklin made it seem pretty clear he’d much prefer to have a more experienced option available should he need it this fall.

NEXT: What is the confidence level of the defensive line?

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