2 Penn State seniors are trending up, another down before Ohio State game

Penn State has an uphill climb to take any positives from its remaining five games.

Tilts with No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana are up next, followed by more-winnable games against Michigan State, Nebraska and Rutgers. The Nittany Lions need victories in at least three of those games to reach bowl eligibility.

Even if they reach that mark, any potential bowl game would be completely overshadowed by the search for a new coach in Happy Valley.

Thus, these final few games are largely about two things.

First, seeing which younger players should be priorities to retain. Secondly, allowing senior standouts to show their worth to the NFL.

Let’s take stock of some young and veteran names.

UP: Freshman wide receiver Koby Howard

Penn State’s passing game needs any boost it can get, ranking 110th nationally entering play this week. The high-profile transfer trio of Kyron Hudson, Trebor Peña and Devonte Ross hasn’t panned out as expected.

Howard will be looked to this week to help remedy that.

Interim coach Terry Smith has been adamant that Howard and redshirt freshman Tyseer Denmark will see more time in the receiving corps moving forward.

Howard’s slightly increased playing time paid off against Iowa. He corralled a 14-yard reception for a first down among his five snaps.

The first-year player has good quickness and an ability to win 1-on-1 routes. It’ll be tough against Ohio State, but PSU needs to change things up. Howard is the top name to watch.

UP: Senior running back Kaytron Allen

Allen hasn’t really been “trending up” so much as he’s been steadily consistent all season, so his place in this ranking is a bit disingenuous. But he earns the spot because Penn State finally committed to him as the featured running back at Iowa.

He turned a career-high 28 carries into 145 yards and two touchdowns, nearly enough to push Penn State over a tough Hawkeyes defense all on his own.

The Lions need to keep feeding Allen if they want to win any games down the stretch. It’s also clear he’s earning himself a lot of money at the next level.

UP: Redshirt senior safety Zakee Wheatley

First-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ scheme has been a train wreck. Penn State hasn’t adapted to it quickly enough, and it has led to brutal performances against UCLA and Iowa in two of the past three games.

The complex scheme has also slowed some of Penn State’s talented members of the secondary, but one stood out at Iowa.

Wheatley finally made the big play the Lions have lacked for so long. He snagged an impressive one-handed interception on the opening drive against Iowa. He then paired it with 10 tackles.

Wheatley’s role has expanded this year and changed how he plays on the field. But he now has nine or more tackles in each of his last four games.

DOWN: Senior defensive tackle Zane Durant

Even though Penn State had obvious concerns with its defensive line depth, Durant and Dani Dennis-Sutton were expected to overshadow those weak points.

That hasn’t happened, especially for Durant, as Penn State has fallen to this four-game losing streak. Durant and his fellow defensive tackles are being pushed around in the run game. That has contributed to massive rushing performances from UCLA and Iowa.

Durant came away with Penn State’s second-worst PFF grade against the Hawkeyes at 43, ahead of just linebacker Keon Wylie’s 40.2. Always take those grades with a grain of salt, but it’s hard to overstate how disappointing this season has been for a preseason All-American.

DOWN: Freshman defensive end Chaz Coleman

The Warren, Ohio, native burst onto the scene in fall camp as an unexpected contributor. He stormed through nonconference play with three tackles for loss and a strip sack that he nearly returned for a touchdown.

Then Coleman dealt with an illness that limited him, and the coaching staff decided to lean on other ends against Iowa because Coleman isn’t up to par as a run defender just yet. He’s played only 12 snaps in the past two games.

He’s a talented pass rusher and still has a bright future ahead of him. Penn State will want to keep him around next season.

But Coleman needs some more physical development before he becomes the star defensive end many thought he’d be in his first year. Pump the brakes just a bit on his stock.