Tariq Castro-Fields’ return gives Penn State Football’s secondary chance to be James Franklin’s best
Penn State Football senior cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields announced Saturday that he plans to return for a fifth season in 2021.
Penn State football cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields announced he will take advantage of an NCAA rule granting an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, and return for a fifth season to the Nittany Lions.
Castro-Fields started three games for Penn State Football this season before an injury sidelined him for the final six contests.
The senior tallied 12 total tackles and a pass breakup in those three games early on. In his career, Castro-Fields has played a lot of football, appearing in 40 games, racking up 106 tackles, three interceptions and 22 pass breakups. His veteran leadership having been through the highs and lows of the cornerback position will be invaluable to the Nittany Lions next fall.
After accepting an invite to the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl in October, it prompted many to believe this would be Castro-Fields’ final year in the blue and white, but the injury limited the game tape for NFL evaluators so Fields will opt to return. He is the first Penn State football senior to capitalize on the extra year, as fellow seniors Shaka Toney, Michael Menet, Will Fries and Shane Simmons have all already announced they are moving on.
Just a few short weeks ago Penn State head coach James Franklin went out and added former South Carolina cornerback Johnny Dixon via the transfer portal, so the return of Castro-Fields means this group has the potential to be the best cornerback group during Franklin’s tenure.
The secondary has been an issue for the Nittany Lions over the years when they face more explosive offenses, and in todays game where the best teams can put up 40 points on the scoreboard without breaking a sweat, you need to have the ‘dudes’ on the outside that can match up.
This past season, Penn State Football’s defense ranked third in the Big Ten in passing yards allowed per game with 198.6.
On paper the pass defense was very strong, however its the performance against Ohio State and late in the game against Indiana that fans will point to as a reason for concern. It is one thing to be effective against the likes of Rutgers and Illinois, but if this program wants to reach new heights, they will have to prove it against the Ohio State’s of the world.