GleamDash

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The Nittany Lions haven’t released an official depth chart the last few seasons, making it all the more important that I frantically write down anything and everything that can be reported from preseason practices.

We’ll see how right or wrong I am when Penn State gets things going on Sept. 2. Until then, here’s my best guess at the three-deep.

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Offense

Quarterback: Drew Allar, Beau Pribula, Jaxon Smolik

The time has arrived for Allar, the former five-star recruit, to take control of the offense. Yes, there are going to be growing pains for the sophomore, but appearing in 10 games and having 60 pass attempts last season should help ease some of that. Whether or not the staff gets Pribula on the field in a certain package remains to be seen. It’s a young group, but this is what Penn State has been building toward.

Running back: Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Trey Potts, London Montgomery

Singleton and Allen are viewed as co-starters. However, you won’t find an “or” on my depth chart. And unless the Nittany Lions come out in a two-running back formation, they won’t be on the field at the same time. Still, the distribution of reps likely will be about the same for the two talented sophomores. If one struggles in a particular game, the other will take on a larger role. It’s a great problem to have.

Potts, the Minnesota transfer, has been a nice pickup. He can help on special teams, and I think we could see him catching some passes out of the backfield. Montgomery and classmate Cam Wallace are the newcomers. Montgomery looked good during the team’s open practice, especially after missing his senior season of high school with an ACL injury. Still, there won’t be many opportunities in the short term for meaningful carries beyond the top three backs.

Slot: Liam Clifford, Kaden Saunders, Cristian Driver
Wide receiver: Harrison Wallace III, Omari Evans, Malick Meiga
Wide receiver: KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Dante Cephas, Malik McClain

This group is still jumbled. I expected Cephas to emerge as a starter, but based off what we’ve seen this preseason that hasn’t been the case. I’ll pencil him in with the twos — for now. A few weeks into the season I don’t think this group will look the same. The coaches are still waiting for players to emerge, and that doesn’t end just because camp has finished.

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Lambert-Smith and Wallace are the two sure bets here, but the magic number is six. My top six would be: Lambert-Smith, Wallace, Clifford, Evans, Cephas and Saunders. Meiga, a newly named special teams captain, very well could be in that group too. McClain, a Florida State transfer, is a big target at 6 feet 4, 200 pounds. I do think we’ll see Lambert-Smith move around and work in the slot some this season, but there might be more depth there than on the outside. I like Saunders’ upside and one has to figure Allar’s roommate becomes a bigger factor this season.

Tight end: Theo Johnson, Tyler Warren, Khalil Dinkins, Jerry Cross

There shouldn’t be any surprises here. Penn State needed a third tight end to emerge, and Dinkins has done so. He was one of the biggest winners in the preseason, and Penn State will continue to rely heavily on three tight ends. The development of Cross, Andrew Rappleyea and Joey Schlaffer is important long term, but Penn State shouldn’t need to rely on anyone beyond the top three.

Left tackle: Olu Fashanu, Drew Shelton, JB Nelson, J’Ven Williams
Left guard: Landon Tengwall, JB Nelson, Anthony Donkoh
Center: Hunter Nourzad, Nick Dawkins, Addison Penn
Right guard: Sal Wormley, Vega Ioane, Alex Birchmeier
Right tackle: Caedan Wallace, Drew Shelton, Alex Birchmeier

The one spot truly up for grabs this preseason was at right tackle. I’m going with Wallace. He’s looked solid in the limited moments we’ve seen, and he said this has been the best preseason of his career. Now, he’ll need to do it consistently in games. That’s been the challenge during his time at Penn State. I think the coaches will default to the more experienced player for now. Shelton’s versatility is invaluable. He showed last year he’s a huge part of the future of this line. He said several times this offseason he’s more comfortable on the left side so that factored into my decision, too.

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Penn State hasn’t had Tengwall for at least part of this preseason as he’s dealt with what James Franklin referred to as “bumps and bruises.” The head coach would not elaborate on Tengwall’s availability when asked last week. We’ll see what that means, if anything, heading into Week 1. When Tengwall wasn’t able to practice, Nelson was the next player in.

I’m really curious what Year 2 looks like for Ioane. He’s a behemoth of a man at 6-4, 350 pounds. Williams, Birchmeier and Donkoh, all true freshmen, have been impressive but shouldn’t factor into the rotation in 2023.

Defense 

End: Chop Robinson, Amin Vanover, Jameial Lyons
End: Adisa Isaac, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zuriah Fisher

The coaches believe they have three starting-caliber defensive ends. Robinson’s spot is locked in while Isaac and Dennis-Sutton will keep competing for snaps. I’ll default to the veteran. but I believe Dennis-Sutton’s ceiling in the long run is higher. The interesting thing here is looking at this three-deep.

Smith Vilbert is out for the season due to injury while Fisher is back after missing the majority of 2022 with an injury. Vanover has flashed this preseason. I have Lyons, a freshman, cracking the three-deep. Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith said in the preseason that he believes Lyons can help the team this year. There are three known players and three that we’ll all get more familiar with this year. Still, these top three ends would make any other college football team quite happy.

Tackle: Dvon Ellies, Jordan van den Berg, Coziah Izzard
Tackle: Hakeem Beamon, Zane Durant, Kaleb Artis

It’s been challenging trying to get a good read on this group. There was a lot of mixing and matching during the open practice. Some combination of Beamon, Durant and Ellies make the top three, and those three will all play a lot. Van den Berg’s big offseason — including landing on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List — should earn him a spot among the top five.

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Now, freakish-ness aside, van den Berg needs his weight-room feats to translate to production on the field. Izzard could be ahead of van den berg at this point, but he wasn’t scrimmaging during the open practice so it’s too difficult to tell if he’s the fourth or fifth player. Converted end Davon Townley Jr., who is 6-6 and 267 pounds, could work his way into this group as well.

Will: Abdul Carter, Curtis Jacobs, Tony Rojas
Mike: Kobe King, Tyler Elsdon, Keon Wylie
Sam: Curtis Jacobs, Dom DeLuca, Kaveion Keys

King and Elsdon are viewed as co-starters. I could be wrong with this, but I think all of the praise King has received this preseason from teammates, and even Franklin, has to mean something, right? It’s difficult to envision King not taking a big step forward. Now, is that a starting role in Week 1? I’m not so sure, but everything I’ve heard dating back to this spring was that he was more confident, knows the defense inside and out and was making sure everyone else was in the right spot. We’ll see if he holds off Elsdon or not, but there’s real value in solidifying the one linebacking spot that’s been the most unstable, and Penn State seems to have accomplished that.

Carter and Jacobs are proven players at this point and how Carter follows up an impressive freshman season is a key storyline. I do think Rojas burns a redshirt this season. He can help on special teams right away and I think he will eventually contribute on defense as the season progresses. Carter and Jacobs both have a good deal of position flexibility, which is why I put Jacobs as a reserve at will.

Keep in mind that freshman Ta’Mere Robinson also repped at middle linebacker this preseason. He’s not likely to factor in this season but store that away for the future.

Cornerback: Kalen King, Daequan Hardy, Elliot Washington
Cornerback: Johnny Dixon, Cam Miller, Zion Tracy
Nickel: Daequan Hardy
Prowler package: Hardy, Dixon

Penn State’s top four cornerbacks are solidified in this order: King, Dixon, Hardy and Miller. The coaches view Hardy as a starter, and he can play both inside and out. Miller was praised for the work he’s done this offseason and he showed last year as a true freshman that stepping into this defense wasn’t too big for him. Newcomers Washington, Tracy and Lamont Payne are all part of the future. Mississippi State transfer Audavion Collins didn’t crack my three-deep just yet, but Smith has been pleased with his progression.

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The versatile spot in the prowler package on third downs — previously held by Ji’Ayir Brown — will be something to watch early on. Hardy and Dixon have both worked there, with Dixon speaking glowingly of the spot in the spring.

Safety: Keaton Ellis, Zakee Wheatley, Mehki Flowers
Safety: KJ Winston, Jaylen Reed, Tyrece Mills

Ellis was named a team captain in the spring and seemingly has one spot locked up. But Franklin mentioned the need for Ellis to become that playmaker like Brown and Jaquan Brisker were before him. That leaves the door open for Wheatley, who is going to play a lot regardless if he’s a starter or not. There’s an abundance of talent between Wheatley, Winston and Reed.

According to his teammates, Wheatley had one of the top plays of the preseason, snaring a one-handed interception — in front of two players — along the sideline. The secondary is looking for someone to be a ball magnet, and Wheatley just might be that guy.

Winston worked with the first-teamers at times this preseason while Reed wasn’t participating in the scrimmage portion of the open practice. Again, both of them will play a lot. Anthony Poindexter has four standout safeties to work with, and freshman King Mack is also among the top challengers to burn a redshirt this season. Mack’s quick transition to college ball has been highlighted by several teammates and coaches.

Special teams

FG and PATs: Sander Sahaydak OR Alex Felkins OR Ryan Barker

Kickoffs: Sahaydak, Gabe Nwosu

Punter: Riley Thompson OR Alex Bacchetta, Nwosu

Snapper: Tyler Duzansky

Holder: Beau Pribula

Kick returns: Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Omari Evans, Trey Potts, King Mack

Punt returns: Daequan Hardy, Kaden Saunders, Zion Tracy

The last we saw special teams work was at the open practice, and it was a downpour. It’s tough to gauge too much off pf that. So, I’m breaking my own rule and going with “ors” here. Franklin would not tip his hand when asked Wednesday night, either.

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“However this thing plays out I do think going out and getting some veterans to come in here and create competition has been really good for us,” Franklin said. “I think Sander’s development because of the competition I think is dramatic. I don’t know if that happens without the competition.”

We’ll all be surprised on Saturday with the specialists.

(Top photo of KeAndre Lambert-Smith: Michael Hickey / Getty Images)

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