Predicting Penn State’s End-of-Season Starting Lineup: Offense

Sponsor: For The Blogy’s 2022 preseason coverage is sponsored by FANATICS. Spare the embarrassment of showing up to Beaver Stadium in LAST year’s sweat- & alcohol-stained gear. Grab something fresh from our collection of Penn State jerseys, T-shirts, and more right HERE.

Warning: The superstitious should skip this article.

The reason? Well, because in the next dozen or so paragraphs we’re going to tempt fate and gaze in the future to predict the Nittany Lions’ starting lineup for the FINAL game of 2022. Yes, you read that correctly – the FINAL game of 2022, presumably a bowl game that (fingers crossed) will be played in 2023.

Around this time every preseason, several publications – be they physical or digital – print out their thoughts regarding Penn State’s Week 1 projected starters. To us, that seems kind of boring, especially since the lone up-in-the-air position battle on offense is whether Sal Wormley or Hunter Nourzad will line up at right guard four Thursdays from now. Instead, we’re projecting four months from now – Who opts-out? Which young player beats out a veteran early-season starter? That sort of thing.

For context, last year only 4 Penn State offensive players that started Week 1 at Wisconsin started in the same spot on January 1 vs. Arkansas…so there’s something to this exercise. One thing we’re not doing, though, is predicting injuries. Not putting that negative energy out in the universe.

So find some salt, spill it, then throw it over your left shoulder … Ok, ready? Let’s tuck in.

QB: Sean Clifford

Clifford came back for a sixth year and I’d be shocked if he doesn’t see this thing all the way through to the end. His future is in his NIL company, not the NFL. Can’t imagine a scenario where he faces the same play-or-sit conundrum that Pitt QB Kenny Pickett dealt with last December. With that said, if Clifford can lead Penn State to a significant bowl or (knock on wood) its first trip to the College Football Playoff, he’ll never pay for another drink in State College the rest of his life.

HB: Keyvone Lee

This might be the biggest upset on the list, because so many are expecting a repeat of the Akeel Lynch-Saquon Barkley narrative from 2015. Nick Singleton – the five-star freshman recruit – might muddy the waters but I’m expecting a breakout year from Lee, the third-year sophomore. If those big boys up front can do a better job of paving the Yellow Brick Road, Lee’s stats will finally line up with his talent.

TE: Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson

Get both these men on the field at the same time. Spread the box, use the play action like Cole Hamels used his change-up, loosen the middle and attack defenses between the hashmarks – a part of the field Penn State failed to exploit last year. Johnson has a startlingly similar physical profile to Penn State TE’s of yore: your Gesicki’s, your Freiermuth’s, your James’s. Johnson has the body, Strange has the hands, let’s make lots of money.

WR: Parker Washington, Malick Meiga

Eagle-eyed readers will notice there are only two names here: I’m anticipating Western Kentucky transfer Mitchell Tinsley will opt out of the bowl game to protect his NFL Draft prospects, much like Jahan Dotson did last season. Washington is widely regarded as the best slot receiver in college football; he reminds me of a young Juju. I love Meiga’s physical profile so much (6’4”/4.3-40) I think he leapfrogs KLS – who led the team with 4 drops in 2021 – on the depth chart by the end of 2022.

LT: Olu Fashanu

Barring any unforeseen circumstances (to borrow a Seinfeldism) Olu is the blind side of the future. He allowed 0 pressures in 52 pass rush snaps last season, including his first college start in the Outback Bowl. I’m excited to see how he handles his first full season of B1G competition.

LG: Landon Tengwall

Tengwall – a true freshman – was Penn State’s best-rated offensive lineman last year, per PFF. He played 117 snaps in three games at three different positions but maintained redshirt status. Lackawanna transfer JB Nelson is a long, mean, road-grading mauler who dropped some weight to enhance his athleticism, but might need a redshirt year to get up to FBS speed. The left side of the line is set for years to come.

C: Nick Dawkins

Dawkins was a stellar athlete playing defensive and offensive tackle in high school. Since deciding his calling was on the offensive line, he’s pivoted from mobility to immobility, tacking on about 45 pounds. I struggled with this one. I wanted to predict Juice Scruggs coming back for one more ride with Clifford, the way I wanted to see Pouncey come back for Big Ben’s farewell tour. I’d be thrilled to be wrong on this one, though.

RG: Sal Wormley

Wormley’s high school highlights are figuratively nothing but pancakes, but he missed last year with an undisclosed injury. To hold this post, Wormley will need to get back up to speed quickly with Cornell transfer Hunter Nourzad and his two remaining years of college eligibility breathing down Wormley’s neck.

RT: Caedan Wallace

Wallace led the team with five sacks and 35 pressures allowed last year so his job is by no means safe. But who exactly would be the threat to take his spot? For that to happen, I think you’d have to hope for sunshine and count on Jimmy Christ and/or Bryce Effner to progress significantly, or prepare for rain by giving Tengwall some reps here. Which camp (hoping vs. preparing) does it sound like I’m in?