Penn State Football: top storylines to watch as spring practice begins

Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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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 /

Potential breakout freshmen for Penn State Football

Seemingly every offseason, we hear about some true freshmen that have turned heads from the moment they stepped foot inside the Lasch Football Complex.

Last year, it was Kalen King, and the year prior was Parker Washington.

With nine early enrollees, there are plenty of fresh faces that could be the talk of the town this spring.

Nicholas Singleton, Kaden Saunders, and Drew Allar seem like the most likely candidates, but there are some others who fit the mold as well.

Defensive lineman Zane Durant has already been talked about during winter workouts as being ahead of the curve, and perhaps capable of making an impact right away as a true freshman.

JB Nelson, an offensive lineman from Lackawanna CC, also enrolled early and could potentially be ready to make a big jump in his first spring on campus. Being that he is a year and a half removed from high school, he is already ahead of where most of the early enrollees are from a physical development standpoint, so once he starts to put it together from a technique and fundamental perspective, he could really start to turn heads.

Finally, Kaytron Allen just might be the most underappreciated member of Penn State Football’s 2022 recruiting class. Playing his high school ball at IMG Academy, he was pushed daily by playing with and against some of the best high school players in the country.

He is excellent in pass protection, which is something that very few high school backs are expected to do much of. According to Allen’s 247sports evaluation, he does seemingly everything well and has no real weaknesses in his game, so he could be ready to make an immediate impact.

With so many talented players from the nation’s sixth ranked recruiting class already on campus, it is almost a guarantee that at least one of them will turn heads and be the talk of spring practice for Penn State Football.