Penn State vs. Indiana depth chart: Offense

Penn State comes out of its game against Ohio State with more than just a loss. The Nittany Lions have an injury situation on the offensive line that went from bad to worse this week. While the team doesn’t release a depth chart, Blue White Illustrated has the pulse of the problem and details it this week in our weekly depth chart.

Penn State Offense

Quarterback

14 Sean Clifford (Sr.+)+
15 Drew Allar (Fr.)
11 Christian Veilleux (R-Fr.)
9 Beau Pribula (Fr.)

The Lowdown: 

While head coach James Franklin hinted this week that he’s broached the conversation of switching quarterbacks with key staff members, he made it clear that Sean Clifford is the starting quarterback for Penn State this week during practice. Observation of practice brings us to the same conclusion. Like it or not, it seems Clifford is the starting quarterback for another week despite the turmoil around the position this week.

Penn State running backs

13 Kaytron Allen (Fr)
10 Nick Singleton (Fr) OR 24 Keyvone Lee (So.)
38 Tank Smith (R-Jr)

The Lowdown: 

Kaytron Allen has out-snapped freshman teammate Nick Singleton in three of the last four games and got his first start of the season on Saturday against the Buckeyes. Allen has been the most reliable and consistent back on Penn State’s roster this season and should be the starter until someone takes the position from him.

While he doesn’t have the explosive runs for touchdowns on his resume, he’s forced more missed tackles on fewer carries and has more runs of 10+ yards than Singleton. Both will be an integral part of every game plan, but when discussing the prestige of the starting role, Allen has out-played his teammates for that right.

As an addendum to this situation, Franklin divulged that veteran Keyvone Lee has been limited or out for the last five weeks of the season, dating back to his injury against Auburn.

Lions receiver

Wide receiver

1 KeAndre Lambert-Smith (So.)
6 Harrison Wallace (R-Fr.)
80 Malick Meiga (So.)

Slot

3 Parker Washington (So.)
82 Liam Clifford (R-Fr.) 
19 Jaden Dottin (R-So)
7 Kaden Saunders (Fr.)

Wide receiver

5 Mitchell Tinsley  (Sr+)
18 Omari Evans (Fr.)

The Lowdown:

KeAndre Lambert-Smith put in a vintage performance against Ohio State with only two targets, two catches, 58 yards, and a score. While the catch and run came in garbage time, the veteran receiver tallied 34 snaps, which is the most since Central Michigan. He’s still the fourth option in the offense behind both tight ends, but that may change based on the opponent, according to Franklin.

Another minor note is that redshirt freshman Liam Clifford has secured the backup slot duties behind Parker Washington.

Penn State tight ends

86 Brenton Strange (R-Jr.)
84 Theo Johnson (Soph.) 
44 Tyler Warren (Soph.)
16 Khalil Dinkins (R-Fr.)

The Lowdown: 

After clearing the early-seaosn injury to Theo Johnson, Penn State is now all-in on the two tight end offense. Johnson and Strange have out-snapped Penn State’s third receiver over the last three weeks, which was not the case for the first five games of the year. Strange operates as the team’s H-back and lines up in a broader and more diverse set of positions, while Johnson remains the team’s Y tight end.

However, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich deployed a two-fullback formation last week with both players lined up beside Clifford in the pistol. As a result, the diversity and flexibility to shift from run to pass is finally showing up. That, along with the creative use of formation, is opening up the offense.

Lions offensive line

Left tackle

74 Olu Fashanu (Soph.)
66 Drew Shelton (Fr.)
51 Jimmy Christ (R-Soph.)

Left guard

64 Hunter Nourzad (R-Sr.) OR
58 Landon Tengwall (R-Fr.)
56 JB Nelson (R-So.)

Center

70 Juice Scruggs (R-Sr.)
64 Hunter Nourzad (R-Sr.)
52 Dominic Rulli (Fr.)

Right guard

77 Sal Wormley (R-Jr.)
71 Vega Ioane (Fr.)
78 Golden Israel-Achumba (R-So)

Right tackle

79 Caedan Wallace (R-Jr.)
72 Bryce Effner (R-Sr.)
51 Jimmy Christ (R-Soph.)

The Lowdown: 

Things are getting desperate along the Penn State offensive line. Injuries have hit the unit hard during the middle of the season, and right now, center Juice Scruggs is the only player who hasn’t missed time with an injury. In addition, left tackle Olu Fashanu left the game early and wasn’t at practice on Wednesday, raising red flags for the assembled media.

Penn State may have to turn to freshman Drew Shelton if he can’t go. No matter what, some combination of Bryce Effner, Jimmy Christ, and Shelton feels more likely this week than at any other time. If he does play, Shelton will reach his maximum four-game threshold before burning his redshirt.

Things aren’t any better on the interior. Saleem Wormley was in and out of the lineup against Minnesota, and left guard Landon Tengwall has been M-I-A for several weeks and Wallace left that game with an apparent shoulder injury and hasn’t returned. Franklin did say that Tengwall’s situation isn’t season-ending but didn’t have any further information. Like tackle, if anything else happens at guard, Penn State is dipping into the emergency reserves. JB Nelson and freshman Vega Ioane are two more redshirt candidates Penn State wants to preserve but might not get the chance to.