Victory Bell Rings
Fansided

Ranking Penn State Football’s top 5 returning players in 2021: Offense

By Lawrence Santa Maria

Parker Washington of Penn State after scoring Penn State's first TD of the game in the first half during Big Ten college football match up, Penn State at Rutgers in Piscataway, NJ on December 5, 2020.Big Ten College Football Penn State At Rutgers In Piscataway Nj On December 5 2020
Parker Washington of Penn State after scoring Penn State's first TD of the game in the first half during Big Ten college football match up, Penn State at Rutgers in Piscataway, NJ on December 5, 2020.Big Ten College Football Penn State At Rutgers In Piscataway Nj On December 5 2020 /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next

Penn State Football will bring back plenty of offensive firepower next season and could be one of the most explosive teams in the Big Ten.

The Nittany Lions will return nine offensive starters from their last game of the 2020 season in which they dismantled Illinois in an empty, cold Beaver Stadium.

Only center Michael Menet and right guard Will Fries will not be suiting up in the blue and white from the team that took the field that afternoon. The young nucleus of Nittany Lions that led the resurgence of the season and won four straight after on 0-5 start will be back for more in 2021.

The program got  a massive boost when a few players many thought might test the NFL waters announced they would be returning next season, most notably wide receiver Jahan Dotson and left tackle Rasheed Walker.

Penn State Football’s offense finished second in the Big Ten to only Ohio State in points per game(29.8) and yards per game(430).

The offense seemed to find its stride late in the season after a minor shuffling of the deck along the offensive line, as well as a pair of young running backs taking over in the backfield. Whether it is Sean Clifford, Ta’Quan Roberson or a player not currently on the roster behind center in 2021, the Nittany Lions should be explosive on offense.

Let’s take a look at the top five returning players on offense for Penn State Football next season:

No. 5: Keyvone Lee

Keyvone Lee entered the season as the fourth/fifth on the running back depth chart with an “or” designation next to his name along with fellow freshman Coziah Holmes.

However, just about 20 mins into the season, Lee was sprung into duty in the team’s first game of the season at Indiana after starter Noah Cain left the game with an eventual season ending injury on the first drive of the game. Journey Brown was also out for the season with a heart condition.

Lee finally broke out in week 6 when Penn State football traveled to Ann Arbor, with sophomore Devyn Ford out he rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown in the Nittany Lions first victory of the season.

The freshman took over as ‘the guy’ after that and ended up leading the team in rushing with 438 yards and four touchdowns. The florida native averaged a stellar 4.9 yards per carry.

Lee is a big, bruising back listed at six-foot and 230 pounds but showcased excellent vision and patience with an ability to bounce to the perimeter and get out in the open field where he is a menace for defensive backs to bring down.

The running backs room figured to be crowded yet again next season as Penn State Football has brought in transfer John Lovett from Baylor and expects to get Noah Cain back from injury. Regardless of who is or isn’t their, expect to see plenty of Lee next fall.

Home/Penn State Football