Penn State Football: 5 freshman who can make big impact on 2021 season

Penn State Football has plenty of experience at the top of the depth chart, but several freshman could play marquee roles at key positions in 2021

Penn State Football is less than three weeks from their season opener at Wisconsin.

While this is an experienced Nittany Lions team, there are key spots that under classmen will be asked to fill. Most of the starting jobs are already set, but many second team and special team positions are there for the taking.

Head coach James Franklin has never been shy about playing freshmen in the past, especially if some upper classmen were struggling.

Last year, Penn State Football started two true freshmen at wide receiver in Parker Washington and Keandre Lambert-Smith. By seasons end, freshmen were starting and producing at key positions like running back and tight end.

While Washington and Lambert-Smith benefitted from some roster turnover at their position, there isn’t as much turnover for this year’s freshmen to take advantage of.

Despite this, there are multiple true and redshirt freshmen who could play important roles for Penn State Football in 2021.

1. Zuriah Fisher

A 4-star recruit in the 2020 class, Zuriah Fisher became one of the more coveted players in Pennsylvania during his recruitment. The Nittany Lions were able to land Fisher, recruiting him as a linebacker.

Now a redshirt freshman, Fisher has moved to defensive end, where he may be counted on to play meaningful snaps.

Franklin noted during his media day session last week that Penn State likely won’t have projected starting defensive end Adisa Isaac this season. An already thin position is now thinner. The Nittany Lions did bring in Temple transfer Arnold Ebiketie, but after him there isn’t a lot of experience.

Nick Tarburton, who was expected to be a key rotational piece, will now likely slide into the starting role, leaving his second-team spot wide open. The candidates for the second team group are Fisher, redshirt sophomore Smith Vilbert and then linebacker Jesse Luketa and defensive tackle Hakeem Beamon, who will both be playing hybrid roles for Penn State’s defense.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, Fisher is physically ready for playing time. How he develops during Fall camp will go a long way in how much action he sees at the beginning of the season.

With not much depth, and even less experience ahead of him, Fisher breaking out this year would be much needed for Brent Pry and the Penn State defense.