Sorting through 2023 Penn State roster developments since Rose Bowl (2024)

There were no public declarations regarding 2023 plans during a postgame media session in Pasadena, resulting in some lingering questions as the team returned east. Answers have since arrived, as defensive starters Keaton Ellis, Adisa Isaac, and Curtis Jacobs each confirmed plans to push off professional football aspirations for another year.

Isaac was a mainstay at defensive end and completed his campaign trending up, gaining distance from a 2021 torn achilles. He collected a sack in three of the final four Big Ten contests, then secured two tackles for loss versus Utah, finishing with four total sacks and a team-best 11 tackles for loss.

Evaluated by 247Sports as a top-100 prospect in the 2019 class, the rising redshirt senior pointed toward a full offseason of work at Penn State as a major motivating factor. He did not have that in 2020 (COVID), 2021 (injury) or 2022 (recovery).

Jacobs will also carry senior status in 2023, projecting as a third-year starter. He opened 2022 as the first-team Will linebacker but ultimately slid back to Sam when freshman Abdul Carter ascended to a starting role.

A former five-star recruit, Jacobs finished third on the squad with 52 tackles (7.5 for loss) and four sacks with one forced fumble and one interception. The Nittany Lions return all three regular starting linebackers — Carter, Jacobs and Tyler Elsdon — while Dominic DeLuca and Kobe King bring Big Ten experience into Year 3 and the freshman class features a trio of Top247 prospects: early enrollees Ta'Mere Robinson and Tony Rojas, and Kaveion Keys.

Like Isaac, Ellis is on board as a fifth-year senior, providing veteran presence in a safety room that's trending younger. He served as a starting safety alongside Ji'Ayir Brown in 2022, though he trailed sophom*ore Jaylen Reed in game snaps and redshirt sophom*ore Zakee Wheatley was also consistently involved.

A State College native, Ellis broke through at cornerback to burn redshirt as a freshman in 2019 but made a mid-career transition to safety. He remains relatively new to that position group, which was part of his though process in coming back.

Confirmation from these veteran defenders onnext seasonfollowed similar pre-Rose Bowl declarations from offensive linemen Olu Fashanu and Hunter Nourzad. Meanwhile, with the official 2023 NFL Draft declaration window ending Monday, that means there were no "surprise" entrances (players such as cornerback Johnny Dixon and Theo Johnson were asked about that possibility in Pasadena).

Penn State entered this offseason tasked with replacing approximately 60 percent of production at receiver with the departures ofMitchell TinsleyandParker Washington. While the Nittany Lions have not yet publicly identified their next receivers coach, that person is set to inherit a blend of proven experience and tantalizing potential.

That potential comes in the form of eight players who will carry freshman or sophom*ore status(among that group, only Harrison Wallace carved out aconsistent rotational role in 2022). Veterans arrive via transfer, as the Nittany Lions addedDante Cephas(Kent State) andMalik McClain(Florida State) this week following several weeks of receiver recruitments.

McClain is already on campus and underway with university life, setting the stage for him to participate in spring practices. Cephas is scheduled to make the move to Happy Valley following this spring semester as he works to complete his Kent State degree. Both bring two seasons of eligibility to campus.

The 6-foot-1, 178-pound Cephas totaled130 receptions for 1,984 yards and 12 touchdowns in 23 games during the last two seasons at Kent State, twice earning first-team All-MAC recognition. The Penn Hills (Pittsburgh) High School product posted nine 100-yard performances during that span, including a 13-catch, 246-yard outburst against Ohio last October.He was considered a premier transfer prospect with a four-star rating from 247Sports.

The career stats are far more modest for McClain, who stands 6-4, 200 pounds andjoined Florida State in 2021 out of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). An Alabama native, he entered 25 contests through two seasons in Tallahassee, starting nine times as a true freshman, and produced 33 receptions for 396 yards and five scores. Considered a three-star transfer prospect, he provides some much-needed size to the positional unit and possesses a proverbial high ceiling ahead of his junior campaign.

Rising seniorKeAndre Lambert-Smithfinished his third season as a starter in strong fashion, shining against Michigan State as Big Ten action ended then delivering his first 100-yard performance in the Rose Bowl. He will be counted on to build upon those efforts, striving for increased consistency as a more prominent pass target in 2023.

The acquisitions Cephas and McClain alleviate some of that pressure on Lambert-Smith as "veteran" of the positional unit, and should help prevent Penn State from forcing young, emerging athletes intomore initial 2023 game work than makes sense based on development.

Now equipped with a strengthened receiver corps, quarterbackDrew Allarhas an enviable supporting cast when looking ahead to Year 1 as starter.

Penn State added an experienced Power Five cornerback to the roster last week, but another was quickly removed from that mix. One week after North Carolina transfer Storm Duck started classes in Happy Valley, Marquis Wilson confirmed his transfer portal entrance.

Wilson spent four seasons with the Nittany Lions, spending the 2021 campaign split between cornerback and receiver. He resettled in the defensive backfield in 2022, handling nearly 300 total snaps in 11 games with a career-best 20 tackles, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Prior to entering the portal, Wilson was not featured on a Jan. 14 roster update.

Wilson will utilize COVID-year eligibility to explore an extra collegiate campaign elsewhere. That was precisely the approach adopted by Duck, who announced his intentions to join Penn State in late December.

After playing every game as a freshman in 2019, Duck dealt with injury issues for a span of his Tar Heels career, then resurfaced as a consistent contributor last season. He earned 2022 second-team All-ACC recognition after totaling 46 tackles, nine pass breakups, and three interceptions.

In the aftermath of that pickup, butbeforehe speak on the record about Duck specifically, Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diazsaid,"For us to do what we want to do coverage-wise... we want to get up in people's face and we want to play man coverage, and that's not something that everybody can do."

Duck enters a cornerback room that featured other movement this winter (Jeffrey Davis transferred to Stony Brook after his second season with the program; Cristian Driver enters Year 2 labeled an "athlete" and trending toward receiver), and it's a positional group that again projects a strength.

Following the draft declaration of Joey Porter Jr., junior Kalen King appears primed to push for his own All-American campaign, while senior Johnny Dixon delivered a strong 2022 season in his second year post-South Carolina transfer, senior Daequan Hardy has extensive Big Ten experience, and sophom*ore Cam Miller burned redshirt while entering 11 contests as anewcomer.

There are also three freshmen to keep tabs on at cornerback, as we'll addressmomentarily.

Penn State welcomed half of its signed 2023 recruiting class to campus last week, as 11 early enrolled freshmen got underway with university life. The group is essentially split between defensive and offensive additions.

That influx features an Elite 11 finalist quarterback in Jaxon Smolik, who earned all-state honors at Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines, Iowa) High School. A late riser on the recruiting scene due in part to a junior-season injury, Smolik spent time committed to Tulane before jumping on a Penn State offer last summer.

The exit of quarterback Christian Veilleux, who will play at Pitt in 2023, leaves Smolik as one of three QB options on the current roster, along with 2022 signees Drew Allar and Beau Pribula. The Sean Clifford era is over after 46 startsand Allar is a lauded next man up. Meanwhile,Smolik has handled as many college game snaps as Pribula, though the returner did travel to every road matchup during his redshirt campaign.

The tight end room added multiple talents in Mega Barnwell and Joey Schlaffer, while Top247 prospect Andrew Rappleyea will make it three positional newcomers there come summer. Schlaffer is a highly accomplished in-state addition whose older brother, Michal Menet, previously started on the offensive line for Penn State, while Barnwell has been viewed as a position-versatile prospect standing 6-6, 250 pounds.

Following an impressive on-field campaign, the offensive line gains three blue-chip recruits to enhance spring practice competitions.

J'ven Williams, a five-star prospect, and Alex Birchmeier are both top-100 talents in 247Sports rankings. They will embark on their college careers at tackle, while four-star signee Anthony Donkoh is set to train inside at guard.

Penn State retains six offensive lineman who started at least five games last season, so don't expect these freshmento be rushed onto the field.

Defensively, cornerback gets the most notable boost after losing a couple of veterans in Porter and Wilson. Up to three early enrollees could call that position home in the coming years: Lamont Payne, Zion Tracy and Elliot Washington.

Payne, an in-state pickup and key peer recruiter, primarily played cornerback in high school but did get some run at safety. The Penn State staff is considering him for multiple paths in the defensive secondary, while Tracy has also warranted attention for his skill set at receiver (he will begin his college career at cornerback).

A former Alabama commit, Washington carries Top247 status and is considered a potential instant-impact addition. Penn State burned one redshirt at cornerback in 2022 (Cam Miller), while the other freshman (Cristian Driver) redshirted and is projected to play receiver this year.

The other two defensive additions address a linebacker room that, as previously mentioned, returns all three starters and additional depth beyond that unit. Tony Rojas and Ta'Mere Robinson are each considered Top247 recruits, adding to a unit that features 2022 Freshman All-American Abdul Carter.

Rojas, who rushed for more than 2,200 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior, flourishes in space and projects as a competitor at the Sam position. Robinson missed a substantial portion of his upperclassman career in high school due to a knee injury and ensuing recovery, but he is prepared to compete and initially slotted at the Mike spot.

Another defensive personnel infusion awaits this summer, but Diaz gains five compelling freshmen talents to sort through in the back seven through spring practice, in addition to Duck. Last spring, freshman defensive tackle Zane Durant was the only scholarship addition on defense.

College football roster structure is cyclical, so a new wave of Penn State football players means there's also an outgoing group. Aside from aforementioned cornerback Marquis Wilson, confirmedexits among veterans with remaining eligibilityinclude offensive lineman Bryce Effner, linebacker Charlie Katshir, running back Keyvone Lee, defensive tackle Fatorma Mulbah, and kicker Jake Pinegar.

Among that collection, Effner, Lee, and Pinegar logged starts for the Nittany Lions in 2022.

Pinegar was the team's full-time placekicker, converting 12-of-16 field goals and 57-of-59 extra points. He also stabilized things on kickoff, taking control of that job and producing 36 touchbacks on 52 attempts. One of three Penn State players to reach 300 career points, Pinegar could've used COVID eligibility for a sixth season but instead intends to push for professional football opportunities. (More on his possible replacements in a moment).

Previously viewed as a versatile backup, Effner rotated in at right tackle from Game 1 of the 2022 season and stepped up to start the final six games there after an injury to Caedan Wallace, who returned for Rose Bowl reps and remains with the team in 2023. Rather than stick around with COVID eligibility, Effner announced he is stepping away from the sport.

A two-time Nittany Lions leading rusher, Lee was the opening-game starter at running back, and scored the winning points at Purdue, but he was relegated to third-string duties by midseason. As Penn State's phenomenal freshman tandem took over the backfield, Lee was sidelined by injury for the last six regular-season matchups, thendidn't play in the Rose Bowl despite being deemed "available" beforehand. He entered the transfer portal last Friday, leaving Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton as the program's only scholarship running backs until summer.

Katshir spent five seasons with the Nittany Lions, routinely dealing with medicalsetbacks while supplying a veteran presence on the linebacker depth chart. He saw some work as a backup in 2022 but it was not surprising to see him move forward after Year 5 despite lingering COVID eligibility.

Mulbah faced an uphill climb to become a program mainstay at defensive tackle. He was the first player to enter the Transfer Portal post-Rose Bowl and will approach his fourth college campaignas a newcomer at West Virginia.

Pinegar's exit leaves special teams coordinator Stacy Collins in need of new starters at placekicker, kickoff specialist, long-snapper (Chris Stollwas out of eligibility), punter (so wasBarney Amor), and punt returner (Parker Washington was the primary man there). Each of those spots featured internal candidates coming out of the 2022 season, but notable competitionarrived via transfer.

Kicker Alex Felkins (Columbia) and punter Riley Thompson (Florida Atlantic) were each formally added to the roster last week, giving them a chance to impress during spring practices.

Felkins is Columbia's all-time leader in career points (183), though his career field goal conversion rate (67%) leaves something to be desired. He was 4-of-6 from 40-plus yards in 2022, featuring a long of 53 yards. Felkins also booted 91 touchdowns in 145 career kickoffs at Columbia.

Redshirt sophom*ore Sander Sahaydak, 247Sports' top-rated 2021 kicker recruit, was Pinegar's primary backup in 2022. Walk-on Gabe Nwosu is a competitor on kickoff and at punter, and 2022 signee Alex Bacchetta was the only player aside from Amor to attempt punts in game action last season while taking a redshirt.

Thompson is a 23-year-0ld Australian who finished 15th nationally last fall with a 45.4-yard average on punts for FAU. He dropped 26 of 61 total punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, with only three touchbacks along the way.

Less impactful to Penn State's 2023 fortunes but still worth spotlighting here, two Class of 2021defenders hit the transfer portal and one came back.

Linebacker Jamari Buddin made his move last week following a redshirt freshman campaign in which he recorded eight tackles in nine contests. Retained roster talent and an impressive freshman class at that position further complicated a potential path toward expanded playing time, and Buddin will now review other options.

Defensive lineman Davon Townley entered the transfer portal in December and was not with the program for its Rose Bowl experience. However, after hearing from other Power Five programs, he circled back to re-join the Nittany Lions for this semester.

The final signee of Penn State's 2021 class, Townley never traveled to Happy Valley as a recruit due to COVID and he weighed approximately 230 pounds as a high school senior. Now in the 270-pound range at 6-foot-6, Townley is reinvested with the Nittany Lions and that feeling is mutual. A transition to focus on defensive tackle is anticipated.

Townley has always been viewed as a long-term prospect, and now Penn State has another opportunity to ensure that progress happens on this campus instead of somewhere else.

We've covered a ton here, but Penn State's roster-building efforts won't be complete until mid-summer. The Nittany Lions remain on track to add at least 11 more scholarship freshmen, with more pickups possible ahead of a February signing period.

That group of incoming freshmen features five Top247 talents in linebacker Kaveion Keys, tight end Andrew Rappleyea, receiver Carmelo Taylor, and safeties King Mack and DaKaari Nelson.

The next open window for athletes' transfer portal entrance occurs April 15-30, setting the stage for more player movement. Last year, the Nittany Lions did not land a commitment from defensive end Chop Robinson until midway through spring camp.

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