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Penn State Football: final thoughts on Nittany Lions’ historic 2022 Class

By Alec Whitaker

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin (Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin (Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Penn State Football, Nicholas Singleton
Governor Mifflin’s Nicholas Singleton runs past the 30-yard line on his way to the end zone to score a touchdown against York High at Smalls Athletic Field in York on Saturday, August 28, 2021.Hes Dr 082821 Yorkfootball /

2. Filling Holes

Penn State Football had some areas that they needed to address on the roster, and they ended up doing pretty well in most of those areas in the 2022 class.

Running back was a big one.

The Nittany Lions did not take a running back in the 2021 cycle and with Noah Cain transferring, there was only three scholarship running backs coming back in 2022. Adding Nick Singleton, the top-rated running back in the cycle was a massive win but adding 4-star Kaytron Allen to the mix was equally as big. Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider has brought in some impressive hauls over the years, but this looks like his best one yet.

Defensive end was another position that needed some replenishing and defensive line coach John Scott Jr. did pretty well. He was able to land 5-star Dani Dennis-Sutton over Alabama and Georgia.

Dennis-Sutton may be the most physically ready recruit in this class and could contribute in 2022. Joining Dennis-Sutton is 4-star Ken Talley. Talley is a little smaller than Dennis-Sutton, but he was a productive player in high school and has the tools to be successful in college.

There’s also 4-star Abdul Carter, who could play linebacker or defensive end, depending on how big his frame gets in college. A freak athlete, Carter should be an impact player at whatever position he ends up at. Scott supported his defensive end haul with two defensive tackles, Zane Durant and Kaleb Artis. Durant is a little undersized but uses his athleticism to his advantage to get past the offensive line, while Artis is a big-body space eater at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds.

The final position that is in far better shape going forward thanks to the 2022 class is safety. All-American Jaquan Brisker is off to the NFL and two depth pieces, Tyler Rudolph and Enzo Jennings, are in the transfer portal. While 2021 starter Ji’Ayir Brown is returning, as are key backups Keaton Ellis and Jaylen Reed, there wasn’t too much left behind them. Adding Mehki Flowers, K.J. Winston, Cristian Driver and Tyrece Mills in the 2022 class will certainly help that depth moving forward. It’s possible that Mills moves to the SAM linebacker position, but even if that does happen, the safety position will be fine.

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