Ranking Penn State football's 25 most important players ahead of spring practice: 6-10
In the leadup to Penn State football’s spring practice, which begins next week, Blue White Illustrated is ranking the 25 most important players on the Nittany Lions’ roster ahead of the 2022 season.
Today, we continue with Nos. 6-10 on our list.
Previous segments:
Ranking Penn State football’s 25 most important players ahead of spring practice: 21-25
Ranking Penn State football’s 25 most important players ahead of spring practice: 16-20
Ranking Penn State football’s 25 most important players ahead of spring practice: 11-15
Methodology: This list is our best attempt at ranking the players on Penn State’s roster according to their importance for the 2022 season. It is not a ranking of PSU’s best players, though on-field effectiveness will obviously be taken into account among several other factors.
Singleton arrived this winter as the first Penn State commit to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year award. A five-star prospect and the top running back in the Class of 2022, there’s no shortage of hype around Singleton, especially given the way Penn State’s running backs performed last season. There’s no guarantee that Singleton sees the majority of the snaps, but if he does acclimate quickly, he feels like a player who can elevate Penn State’s offense significantly. As a result, he cracks the top 10.
Your top corner is always going to be one of the most important players on the roster, and Joey Porter Jr. is no exception. Making the choice to return rather than heading for the professional ranks, Porter gives the Nittany Lions a valuable, physical presence on the outside — and, crucially, two years’ worth of starting experience. He finished last year with 50 tackles, four pass breakups and an interception.
RELATED: Penn State set to host Georgia defensive back this weekend
Washington’s showing in the Outback Bowl should help some Penn State fans feel slightly better about life without Jahan Dotson. Washington caught seven passes for 98 yards in that game, including a ridiculous one-handed effort. For the season, he finished with 64 receptions for 820 yards and four touchdowns. The Nittany Lions added veteran wideout Mitchell Tinsley in the transfer portal, and it will be interesting to see whether Washington or Tinsley emerges as Sean Clifford’s top target.
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After the departure of Arnold Ebiketie for the pros, the Nittany Lions are left without a proven pass rusher on their roster. Isaac seems most likely to grow into that role, making him a hugely important player for Penn State. Isaac, a top-150 recruit in the Class of 2019, did not play last season after suffering an injury before the year got underway. It remains to be seen what his availability will be this spring.
The Nittany Lions need Wallace to improve on his showing in 2021 if the offensive line is to take the necessary step forward. Wallace, who came into State College as the country’s No. 56 overall recruit, struggled in his second season as a starter. Pro Football Focus gave him a 56.4 pass-block grade and a 49.2 run-block grade. The former top-60 recruit is certainly capable of playing at a much higher level, and Penn State will need that from Wallace in 2022.
