Penn State football: 22 reasons to be optimistic in 2022

A lopsided Outback Bowl defeat to Arkansas left many Penn State faithful with negative vibes to begin the new year.

Blue White Illustrated is here to help.

We’ve compiled 22 reasons to be optimistic about Penn State football in 2022, starting with a blue-chip running back signee.

Nick Singleton

How can you not be excited about the Gatorade national player of the year? On3 Consensus 5-star prospect Nick Singleton is the first Penn State commit to win the award. He racked up 2,043 yards this season and found the end zone 41 times. He could revitalize a struggling Penn State running back room.

Continuity at offensive coordinator

For the first time since 2019, Penn State will enter the season with an offensive coordinator who is not in his first season. Certainly Mike Yurcich’s performance last year left something to be desired, but some stability should serve the Nittany Lions well.

Parker Washington

One of a few positives to come out of the Outback Bowl for Penn State, Parker Washington showed he’s capable of being a No. 1 wideout at this level. He finished 2021 with 820 yards, and it will be exciting to monitor his progression in 2022.

Another season of Anthony Poindexter

It seemed like Poindexter was nailed-on to take the vacant head coaching job at Virginia, but he’s sticking around in Happy Valley for another season. Given his work with Penn State’s safeties in 2020, that’s a big win for the Nittany Lions.

Quarterback depth

We saw firsthand what the absence of quarterback depth can do to a season in 2021. That won’t be the case in 2022, with Sean Clifford, Christian Veilleux, Beau Pribula and Drew Allar all in the room.

Manny Diaz’s defense

Losing Brent Pry hurts, but Penn State replaced him well with Manny Diaz. Diaz will look to install a defense that makes plays in the backfield and creates takeaways, and it should be a fun group to watch.

The return of Adisa Isaac

We missed out on a chance to see Adisa Isaac in extended action for the first time, as he suffered an injury prior to the season. He’ll be ready for 2022, though, and the former four-star prospect should be a nice asset for the Nittany Lions.

The recruiting class

We’ll touch on a few names specifically throughout this story, but Penn State’s recruiting class as a whole deserves its own place. The Nittany Lions hold the No. 7 overall class in 2022, their highest-ranked group since 2018.

Mitchell Tinsley

Penn State dipped into the transfer portal already, bringing in Western Kentucky wideout Mitchell Tinsley. Tinsley caught 87 passes for 1,402 yards in 14 games this season, also finding the end zone 14 times. He’ll be a very nice addition to the wideout room.

The young linebackers

They elected not to burn their redshirts in the Outback Bowl, but Kobe King and Jamari Buddin each showed nicely during their true freshman season. The Nittany Lions have some gaps to fill at linebacker next year, so look for them to compete for those jobs.

Drew Allar

The No. 2 quarterback in the 2022 cycle per the On3 Consensus is a Penn State Nittany Lion. Drew Allar might play. He might not. But that’s reason enough to be excited.

Another year of growth for Curtis Jacobs

Curtis Jacobs showed signs of what made him an elite prospect coming out of high school in his first season as a starter. The lone returnee starter for Penn State in 2022 at linebacker, he’ll get his chance to build on it.

Kalen King

Kalen King played more than any other Penn State true freshman this season, earning a 66.7 defensive grade from FFP. His snaps will only increase next season, as Penn State looks to replace Tariq Castro-Fields.

Ji’Ayir Brown’s decision to return

Penn State’s secondary got a big boost when Ji’Ayir Brown announced that he’ll come back for another year. His six interceptions this season tie him for the most in the country, and the Nittany Lions will need his ability to make game-changing plays without Jaquan Brisker.

More transfer portal additions

James Franklin made it very clear that the Nittany Lions will dive into the transfer portal as they did last season. Having already landed Mitchell Tinsley, expect Penn State to find a few more impact players.

Dani Dennis-Sutton

Penn State landed one of its top priorities on the defensive side of the ball in Dani Dennis-Sutton, a freak athlete who could help them from day one. Following his progression will be one of the more exciting aspects of the new season for fans of the Nittany Lions.

Jaylen Reed

Another true freshman who lost his redshirt this season, Jaylen Reed showed that he can make an impact for the Nittany Lions on defense next season at safety. It will be interesting to see if he can compete for the open safety job alongside Brown.

Ohio State at home

Michigan took the crown this season, but Ohio State will be the Big Ten favorite again in 2022. It helps that the Nittany Lions will play them at home in what will likely be the White Out game.

Fresh faces on the offensive line

We all know that Penn State’s offensive line wasn’t good enough in 2021. But Landon Tengwall and Olu Fashanu — a true freshman and redshirt freshman — each played relatively well in the Outback Bowl. Penn State fans should be optimistic about their futures.

Joey Porter Jr is coming back

Penn State will return two of the four starters from its excellent secondary last season, with Joey Porter Jr. joining Brown. Porter didn’t have a perfect season in 2021, but he was certainly an asset, and should only get better next season.

So is PJ Mustipher

After suffering a season-ending injury against Iowa, PJ Mustipher elected to return to Happy Valley for another season. That’s a huge boost to the Nittany Lions, who can bank on one of the best defensive tackles in the Big Ten in 2022.

The start to the 2023 recruiting class

It’s early, but Penn State’s Class of 2023 is off to a great start. The Nittany Lions rank sixth in the country, with six verbal commitments. If the Lions can continue that momentum, they could end up with back-to-back great classes.