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Penn State football: Which jersey numbers will first-year Nittany Lions wear in 2023?

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•02/15/23•

GregPickel

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(Greg Pickel/BWI)

Penn State football is in its second week of winter workouts. Many things throughout the year, like the grueling drills held throughout February, help pave the way to a new season. Another one of them is newcomers learning their jersey numbers for the first time.

The program’s online roster was updated Wednesday to reflect which digits each first-year player will wear in 2023. Read on for the full breakdown.

Which jersey numbers will the Penn State transfers wear?

We start with the transfers. Penn State welcomed four of them to campus for the January semester.

Former North Carolina corner and All-ACC pick Storm Duck will suit up in the No. 29 jersey. Onetime Florida State receiver Malik McClain, then, is taking No. 11.

“Storm is very businesslike,” Lions coach James Franklin said last week. “You know, academically, we got an academic report this morning, he’s killing it. To be honest with you, Malik McClain is as well. Doesn’t say a whole lot. Is just kind of about his business. It’s like that door in the recruiting process, with him, and he’s been that way since he’s shown up on campus. Everybody has been really impressed.”

Riley Thompson, who earned freshman All-American honors last year at Florida Atlantic, will wear No. 95. Walk-on two-time All-Ivy League kicker Alex Felkins, meanwhile, is taking the No. 91 uniform.

Which jersey numbers will the Lions’ Class of 2023 early enrollees wear?

Here’s the full list after 11 members of the top-15 class, according to the On3 Consensus rankings for the Class of 2023, arrived on campus early.

CB Zion Tracy, No. 12

LB Tony Rojas, No. 13

QB Jaxon Smolik, No. 14

CB Elliot Washington II, No. 16

TE Joey Schlaffer, No. 18

LB Ta’Mere Robinson, No. 24

CB Lamont Payne, No. 27

OT Alex Birchmeier, No. 63

OL Anthony Donkoh, No. 68

OL Jven Williams, No. 70

TE Mega Barnwell, No. 85

Regarding the overall roster, receiver Liam Clifford has changed from No. 81 to No. 2 and position mate Omari Evans is now in No. 5 instead of No. 18. Tackle Caedan Wallace, then, is now No. 73 instead of No. 79. Kicker Sander Sahaydak has switched from No. 93 to No. 94. And, safety Jaylen Reed is going from No. 7 to No. 1.

Other number changes can be expected before the season. For example, Cristian Driver and Kaytron Allen both wear No. 13. The former was OK to do that as a safety. But, now a receiver, the pair could not be on the field at the same time on offense if they continue to wear the same number. Because of it, Driver will end up with a new number at some point before September.

“I don’t know if Kaytron wants to change his number,” Driver told BWI. “I know for sure I am most likely for the season, so yes, still trying to kind of figure out my number, but I’m excited.”

Penn State starts spring practice next month. It culminates with the Blue-White game on April 15 at Beaver Stadium.

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