Penn State football: The five biggest surprises of the 2021 regular season

From breakout players to disappointing position groups, there were plenty of surprises for Penn State football in 2021.

As we await Penn State’s Outback Bowl clash with Arkansas, let’s break down the five biggest surprises for the Nittany Lions from the regular season.

Penn State’s run game sputters

The Nittany Lions relied on their run game to help drag them out of an 0-5 hole late in the 2020 season.

With Noah Cain returning from injury and Baylor transfer John Lovett entering the fold, the run game seemed like it might be a strength in the leadup to the 2021 campaign.

Instead, it proved disappointing.

The Nittany Lions averaged 3.2 yards per attempt against FBS opposition during the regular season, which ranked 120th in the country. It is the worst mark at Penn State since 2014, James Franklin’s first year on the job.

The Nittany Lion offensive line struggled in the run blocking phase of the game all year long. Only Rutgers, Nebraska, Maryland and Purdue registered worse run-blocking grades from Pro Football Focus.

It made Penn State’s offense one-dimensional. In situations when the Nittany Lions needed to depend on their running game, they were often unable to do so.

Sean Clifford takes big leap forward

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford entered the 2020-21 offseason as a liability and emerged from it as a true asset.

The Nittany Lion signal-caller not only proved he could manage a game effectively — he showed he can be one of the engines for Penn State’s offense, too.

Crucially, Clifford cut his interceptions in half, throwing one every other game rather than one per game as he did in 2020.

He passed for 2,912 yards in 12 games with a 62.4 completion percentage and 20 passing touchdowns.

His absence was felt when he wasn’t available. After an injury against Iowa forced him to the sidelines, Penn State suffered a second-half offensive collapse.

Clifford didn’t merely take one step forward in 2021, as many hoped he would. He took two.

Arnold Ebiketie helps lead defense

Where would Penn State’s defensive front be without Arnold Ebiketie?

The Temple transfer had absolutely no problems making the step up from the American Athletic Conference to the Big Ten.

Ebiketie spearheaded a solid Penn State front seven, and rushed the passer at an elite level as well.

His 9.5 sacks accounted for 43 percent of Penn State’s sack total on the season, and ranked Ebiketie third in the Big Ten.

He also made explosive plays against the run. Ebiketie’s 18 tackles for loss put him atop that particular chart among his Big Ten peers and placed him sixth in the country.

Most expected Ebiketie to contribute upon his arrival, but he turned into an elite presence at defensive end for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State tight ends fall short of expectations

Franklin spoke highly of his tight end room before the season, noting that he felt he had one of the best groups in the country.

Things didn’t play out that way.

The trio of Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren collectively produced 500 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

They weren’t especially notable in the blocking game, either.

Certainly, there have been worse seasons from tight end units than this one, but the trio didn’t come close to the high bar that was set for the group before the season.

Jordan Stout becomes a true weapon in the punting game

Penn State special teams everyman Jordan Stout didn’t stand out during his first season as a punter in 2020, averaging 41.5 yards per punt.

A year later, he’s the Big Ten Punter of the Year.

Stout is the owner of the nation’s highest PFF punting grade. He put more hangtime on his punts, on average, than any other punter in the country.

He also added five yards to his average punt, finishing at 46.5 yards for the regular season.

Stout became a unique tool in Penn State’s belt when it came to flipping field position, giving the Nittany Lions the second most efficient punt unit in the country according to Football Outsiders.