Penn State preseason primer on running backs: BWI Daily
Penn State’s running back production wasn’t good enough last season. No matter how you slice it, qualify it or try to explain it, that’s the bottom line. Heading into the 2022 season, the open question of improvement rests on the shoulders of two true freshmen. It’s also the question that host Thomas Frank Carr and senior editor Nate Bauer will try to answer on the BWI Daily Edition. Today, they preview the running backs.
Penn State freshmen take center stage
Bauer and T-Frank start with a review of the situation to set the scene for the upcoming season. With Keyvone Lee as the presumed starter, how much room is there for improvement? The conversation about the running back rotation can’t go very far without bringing up freshman running back Nick Singleton. The five-star Governor Mifflin running back in the Class of 2022 has impressed coaches and teammates since enrolling early in January. The proposition for Singleton is to provide explosive runs and provide the spark that Penn State lacked last season. However, the expectations at this point might be that he takes over the job eventually.
Which other players will break out of crowded room?
Can Lee, Devyn Ford, Caziah Holmes, or fellow freshman Kaytron Allen carve a role for themselves? Bauer and T-Frank have different thoughts about the realistic expectations for the first-year back heading into the fall.
Finally, they declare if the running back room’s stock is up or down heading into fall camp.
Penn State preseason primer: Tight End
Penn State’s tight end room disappointed in 2021, partially for their play and the expectations set for them before the season. That’s because head coach James Franklin called this group the deepest and most talented he’s coached at Penn State. It was a statement that is hard to argue with, thanks to the physical skills at the table.
Yet those skills never materialized last season. Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson finished fourth and fifth on the team in receiving yards, but only Strange eclipsed 50 yards receiving in a single game last season. The impact simply didn’t match the hype.
With the entire cast of characters returning in 2022, this group relies on improvement, not new blood, to kickstart more production this fall.
Penn State tight end roster
| No | Player | YR | HT | WT | PFF Career Snaps |
| 86 | Brenton Strange | R-Jr. | 6-3 | 246 | 1,052 |
| 84 | Theo Johnson | So. | 6-6 | 260 | 635 |
| 44 | Tyler Warren | So. | 6-6 | 256 | 232 |
| 16 | Khalil Dinkins | R-Fr. | 6-4 | 234 | 0 |
| 88 | Jerry Cross | Fr. | 6-5 | 256 | 0 |
Stock Watch
Despite the disappointing season, it’s hard to see this group’s stock declining. They’re still talented and have three players capable of contributing to the offense. However, the tight ends must improve their production when targeted. Despite their hulking size and movement skills, the group was not a matchup problem for defenses in man coverage last season. According to PFF, the trio accounted for 10 catches and 99 yards against man coverage. In addition, they caught one touchdown and broke two tackles as a group.
If you want to read the rest of the Penn State tight end preview, click here.
