Tag: Malick Meiga

Nittany Lions Wire Roundtable: Who will be Penn State’s breakout player in 2022?

Our staff at Nittany Lions Wire shares our pick for Penn State’s breakout player in 2022 that may be flying under the radar.

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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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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Blue-White Game: 5 players to watch in Penn State’s spring game

5 Penn State players to watch closely in the Blue-White Game this weekend

Penn State will put a bow on its 2022 spring football practice schedule with the annual Blue-White Game this Saturday in Beaver Stadium. This will be the first opportunity to witness a defense coached by [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] in action, whether or not the offensive line has been able to improve to protect sixth-year quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag], or if the running game has found a way to get back on track.

Not every question we will have about Penn State in 2022 will be answered in full on Saturday. And odds are fairly good [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] won’t have everything figured out just yet either. But the spring game is always an opportunity for somebody to make a case for a significant role in the upcoming fall. Who will be the breakout star?

Here are five players to be monitoring during the Penn State Blue-White Game this weekend.

WATCH: Malick Meiga’s first career TD is a big one for Penn State

WATCH: Rutgers completely lost track of Malick Meiga and they paid for it on a long touchdown by PSU

Penn State slowly and methodically found a way to take control at home against Rutgers on Saturday afternoon despite having to ride with backup quarterback Christian Veilleux since late in the first quarter. But the Nittany Lions finally found a big explosive play through the air, and it came courtesy of a player you may not have been expecting.

Jahan Dotson and Parker Washignton each scored touchdowns for the Nittany Lions, but the longest touchdown of the game came from freshman Malick Meiga late in the third quarter. Meiga found a space in the field that was completely uncovered by Rutgers, and Meiga had absolutely nobody in his way of the endzone on a 67-yard touchdown play.

I mean, there was nobody in the same zip code.

Meiga just made a simple cross from the left side over to the right, and the Rutgers defenders seemed more focused on Parker running to the left side of the field or defending against a possible screen. Either way, Meiga still had to make the catch and go the distance, and he did just that.

The first touchdown for Meiga is also the third career touchdown pass for Veilleux, who replaced an injured Sean Clifford late in the first quarter.

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2021 Penn State depth chart projection: Wide receiver

After Jahan Dotson, what does Penn State have to offer at the wide receiver position in 2021? Projecting the depth chart…

It won’t take long to predict who the starting wide receivers will be in 2021 for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State’s top three wide receivers from a year ago are back and figure to lock down the starting roles at the various receiver positions once again in 2021.

Among those leading receivers returning is Jahan Dotson. Dotson was the Big Ten’s leading receiver in 2020 with 884 receiving yards in nine games. Dotson also tied for the Big Ten lead in touchdown receptions (eight) with Purdue’s David Bell. Dotson is still sitting behind a handful of very talented wide receivers around the Big Ten on the national radar, perhaps because he benefitted from his Big Ten-leading stats by playing in more games than most other receivers around the conference. But Dotson is no player you want to overlook.

The 2020 season also saw the rise of Parker Washington as the team’s second-leading receiver. Washington is expected to be the second receiving option once again this fall, with KeAndre Lambert-Smith the most likely candidate to be the third starting receiver on the field for the Nittany Lions.

Finding playmakers has been a goal for the Penn State staff this offseason. Marquis Wilson has been given the opportunity to make some plays on offense, a luxury Penn State has the option of playing with considering the depth in the defensive secondary.

Here’s what the depth chart at wide receiver may look like for the Penn State offense this fall.

2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Profile Card: Malick Meiga

One of Penn State’s imports from Canada is working hard to contribute to Penn State’s passing attack in 2021

Name: Malick Meiga

Number: 80

Position: Wide receiver

Class: Redshirt freshman

Height: 6′-4″

Weight: 204

Hometown: Saint Jerome, Quebec, Canada

High School: Cegap du Vieux

Twitter: @malick_meiga

Overview

Penn State has developed a bit of a Canadian pipeline of recruiting talent, and redshirt freshman wide receiver Malick Meiga is a part of that. Although he did not see any playing time as a redshirt player in 2020, Penn State hopes that he can be developed into being a reliable asset in the passing game during his time in Happy Valley.

Penn State wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield has noted one of the big pushes this offseason is getting guys like Meiga and Jaden Dottin on track to being able to contribute in the offense this fall. The wide receiver position is a mild concern aside from Jahan Dotson, but Meiga and some other options have the potential to be a breakout player that comes up with some good moments to help out this season

How many opportunities are there for Meiga to take advantage of in 2021 remains a bit difficult to predict, but his hard work will surely be paying off soon for him and the Nittnay Lions.

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