Penn State Blue-White takeaways: Nittany Lions’ offense far from the finished product

STATE COLLEGE — The next time Penn State fans will be back in Beaver Stadium will be the Sept. 2 season opener against West Virginia. By then, the Nittany Lions will have gone through an offseason filled with internal hope and external expectations.

We’ll find out in due time if they’re going to live up to both.

But on Saturday, it was all about the Blue-White Game. Here are a handful of takeaways from the Nittany Lions’ annual spring scrimmage.

Dani Dennis-Sutton is going to be a problem

Penn State’s top-rated signee in the 2022 recruiting class wasn’t Nick Singleton or Drew Allar. It was actually Dani Dennis-Sutton.

Now, we’re splitting hairs. According to 247 Sports’ composite rankings, Dennis-Sutton was the No. 29 prospect in the class. Singleton and Allar were Nos. 31 and 32, and those rankings differ depending on where you look.

The point is, Dennis-Sutton is every bit a five-star talent. And if there was any question around that, take a look at the tape from the Blue-White Game.

Dennis-Sutton dominated whoever stood in front of him, barrelling through both left tackle Drew Shelton and right tackle Caedan Wallace. Dennis-Sutton was credited with two sacks, but boy did it feel like more. Coach James Franklin called him “unblockable.”

Franklin also said he looks at Dennis-Sutton as a starter. Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac, a pair of 2024 NFL draft prospects, are ahead of the rising sophomore on the projected depth chart. But if he keeps it up, Dennis-Sutton is going to make it difficult for defensive line coach Deion Barnes not to play him.

“He’s going to have a big year for us,” Franklin said. “I couldn’t be more excited about him.”

Penn State might’ve found another playmaker

Entering camp, the biggest concern on the roster was receiver. To an extent, it still is. Media members don’t see much by way of consequential spring practice reps, and the Blue-White Game is more of a spectacle than a scrimmage.

There’s only so much to evaluate. But Saturday, for what it’s worth, offered a bright spot or two in Marques Hagans’ receiver room.

Omari Evans had a nice day. Evans, a 2022 signee who had only five catches last season, secured five receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. Evans scored on a 28-yard catch and run from Drew Allar.

Evans drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty celebrating that touchdown. Franklin made him do 50 up-downs on the sideline as a punishment. But the coach couldn’t stay too mad at the young receiver who made his presence felt.

“I thought Omari really stepped up, and we need a third wideout to step up,” Franklin said. “That was exciting to see him make some plays. … We need that.”

“I’ve been working for this,” Evans said. “This is what I expected to happen.”

The safety room is going to be just fine

No Penn State defensive player logged more snaps than Ji’Ayir Brown in 2022. Brown tallied 679 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. The next closest was Kalen King’s 557.

You’d think Brown’s absence might put the safety room in crisis. But it hasn’t. Anthony Poindexter came into camp with three safeties who played plenty of snaps last year: Jaylen Reed (430), Keaton Ellis (391) and Zakee Wheatley (372). And now he emerges from spring with another option.

KJ Winston has made quite the impression. A few weeks ago, Reed claimed Winston would be an All-American before his time at Penn State was up. On Saturday, the 2022 signee showed why his teammate was so confident.

Winston recorded six tackles, second-most of the day behind only true freshman linebacker Tony Rojas, who also had a spring to remember. Winston was “flying all over the field,” Franklin said, showing off his range and physicality.

Don’t be surprised if he does the same in the fall.

This offense is far from the finished product

It’s easy to chalk up 10 points scored to a nasty defense. But the offense’s performance (or lack of performance) has to be put in context.

For starters, it’s April. Drew Allar and Beau Pribula were in the system last season but this spring was their first time taking ownership of the offense. Command of the playbook and of the line of scrimmage matters and can be improved upon.

The offense was also missing key pieces. Olu Fashanu, maybe the best left tackle in the country, sat out. Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren, the top two tight ends, took in the game on the sidelines. Dante Cephas, the high-profile wide receiver transfer from Kent State, plans to enroll after the semester. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen also had a light afternoon, combining for only 10 carries.

Obviously, posting 10 points isn’t great. But it is understandable given the circumstances that the offense wasn’t firing on all cylinders.

Expect more roster changes

In the winter, Penn State lost nine players to the transfer portal. None of the departures were surprises or even big losses. But when the portal is open and you’re a program like Penn State, roster attrition is expected. So are additions.

Well, Saturday was not only the Blue-White Game but also the re-opening of the portal for all FBS players. The portal window runs until April 30, giving Penn State’s players and coaches a short period of time to mull things over.

Penn State already has Cephas and Minnesota running back Trey Potts transferring in. But after the spring game, Franklin also identified defensive tackle depth as a spot worth looking into.

Remember, it was around this time last year that Penn State nabbed Chop Robinson out of the portal from Maryland. Look how that turned out. Now, if the Nittany Lions can get an impact player in the middle of the defensive line, they’ll be set.