Penn State 2021 Football Preview

2020 Recap

Penn State‘s season opener was one of the most memorable finishes of 2020. The Nittany Lions led Indiana throughout the game, but gave up the lead late with a series of miscues and lost the game on a two point conversion in overtime. There’s no good angle to see if Michael Penix actually converted the two point conversion or not, but there was no good angle to prove he didn’t either. The heart breaking loss led to a rough start for the Penn State football team that snowballed some.

Coming off the tough loss Penn State lost to Ohio State in prime time and then things really unraveled. The Nittany Lions lost in convincing fashion against Maryland, suffered a seven point loss at Nebraska and then lost big to Iowa at home. After an 0 – 5 start to the season, things were looking gloomy in Happy Valley. To Penn State’s credit the team would bounce back down the stretch.

The Nittany Lions went on the road and beat Michigan in a game that proved to be a turning point for Penn State and also ended Michigan’s season as the Wolverines would not play again in 2020. Penn State would run off three straight solid wins to finish the season and build some momentum heading into 2021. 2020 was a strange season, but it was important for Penn State to finish on a positive note to set themselves up moving forward.

2020 Leaders

Projected Starters

Reasons For Optimism

The 1-2 Punch at WR

Penn State returns an explosive pair of receivers that will lead the passing attack in 2021. Jahan Dotson burst on the scene with a three touchdown performance against Ohio State in week 2 and carried that momentum forward en route to an excellent season. He tallied five 100 yard games on the year and finished with 52 catches for 884 yards and 8 touchdowns. While Dotson was a veteran who finally got the opportunity to showcase his ability, Parker Washington burst on the scene as a true freshman in 2020. He did a good job of providing a steady threat opposite Dotson that would keep defenses honest. Washington made 36 catches for 489 yards and 6 touchdowns in nine games. Dotson is a proven star and Washington is on track to join him. Penn State will have one of the better receiver combos in the country and that will lead to big plays for the offense.

A Strong Secondary

With both starting cornerbacks returning from the 2020 team, Penn State was setup well at the position. They also added South Carolina transfer Johnny Dixon who played well last year. With Tariq Castro-Fields, Joey Porter Jr and Dixon the Nittany Lions have three good cornerbacks ready to lead the way in 2021. At safety, Jaquan Brisker returns after a strong 2020 season for the former junior college player. He will provide stability on the back end and the other safety spot will feature a new starter. Ji’Ayir Brown has been with the program for a few seasons and has the range to perform opposite Brisker and should win the other starting spot. This is a talented group for Penn State that will solidify the defense and will allow the defensive coaches to take risks in the front seven.

Transfers Filling In The Trenches

Penn State took advantage of the transfer portal to add key players in the trenches this off-season that will solidify both lines. At defensive end, Arnold Ebiketie is a proven player on the edge who can help replace Jayson Oweh and Shaka Toney who both moved on to the NFL. At defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo transferred in from Duke and will help plug the gap left by Antonio Shelton who transferred to Florida. Tangelo made four tackles for loss for Duke in 2020 and will be a contributor in Happy Valley. On the offensive line, Penn State lost a couple of starters to the NFL, but Harvard transfer Eric Wilson should bring a veteran presence to the offensive line. The Nittany Lions have used the transfer portal to replace key talent they lost in the trenches and that should provide a boost in 2021.

Causes For Concern

Sean Clifford Needs To Bounce Back

Sean Clifford’s performance suffered in 2020 as his numbers regressed from 2019. His yards per attempt dropped from 8.3 to 7.5 and his touchdown to interception ratio went from 23:7 to 16:9. Part of this could be attributable to the uncertainty of the off-season and preseason in the Big Ten, but quarterback play is imperative to success and Penn State needed Clifford to build on his first season. 2020 is in the past and 2021 is a new opportunity for Clifford to show the progress fans expected from him last season. With a talented pair of receivers, Clifford has every opportunity to have his best season in 2021 and he will need to if Penn State is going to compete in the Big Ten.

2020 an Aberration or a Trend?

For the most part Penn State has been very successful during James Franklin’s tenure. The Nittany Lions have recruited well and have competed at a high level. They have been Ohio State’s stiffest competition in the Big Ten East and are annually a threat to win the conference. 2020 was a strange season, with never before seen challenges. It’s easy to see how that could lead to a situation where a tough start to the season snowballs into a disastrous season, but it’s important to follow that up with a strong season the next year. Penn State will need to rebound and prove 2020 was just an aberration because two bad seasons in a row may be the beginning of a trend.

2021 Schedule

Top 25 Players

2021 Projection

Penn State has enough talent on the roster and has recruited well enough that they will bounce back from the tough 2020 season. The schedule is certainly not an easy one, an out of conference matchup with Auburn and crossover games against Iowa and Wisconsin will all be challenging. Add in Big Ten East showdowns with Ohio State, Indiana and Michigan and there are few easy wins on the ledger. Penn State will be motivated to prove last year was a fluke and get Indiana, Auburn and Michigan at home this year. Still with road games at Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin it will be tough for the Nittany Lions to win ten games in the regular season. A nine win season is likely and would ease the concerns from 2020, but an upset of Ohio State and a one loss Big Ten record will be needed to get to the Big Ten Championship Game in 2021.