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

No. 4: Tariq Castro-Fields

Cornerback Castro-Fields shocked many when he announced he would be returning for his fifth season next year, especially after he had already accepted an invite to the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The decision makes more sense, however, when you factor in that the cornerback only played the first three games of last season before missing the remainder of the year with an injury. In three games, Castro-Fields amassed 12 total tackles and a pass breakup.

The senior really broke out as the anchor of the secondary in 2019 when he has two interceptions and 10 pass breakups to go along with 52 total tackles and three tackles for loss.

Castro-Fields’ experience in having played in 41 collegiate football games coming into 2021 is more valuable than any of his stats though however, especially due in part to the rest of the cornerback room being rather young. The rest of the corners in that room are redshirt freshman and sophomores respectively.

With the addition of cornerback Johnny Dixon from South Carolina and the emergence of Joey Porter Jr, Fields may not be guaranteed a starting job, and that type of competition and depth is just what Franklin is looking for.