Penn State newcomers make early impressions with chance to contribute

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State invested heavily in the NCAA transfer portal during the offseason, and there’s a slew of newcomers who are competing for starting spots on both sides of the ball this month. Plus, there are some freshmen from the small but talented Class of 2021 who could thrust themselves into the mix.

The secondary is one of the areas where the newcomers might be able to make the most significant impact, and it helps to make it one of the Nittany Lions’ most intriguing position groups entering the 2021 season.

“Transfers, they came in and they fit right in with us, whether that’s in the locker room or that’s on the field,” safety Jaquan Brisker said at Penn State Media Day last week. “They came in and we brought them in just like family, especially Johnny Dixon, people like that. We brought them in, and they’ve just been family. They fit right in, whether it’s offense, defense transfers, it’s a family. We feel pretty good about our transfers.”

Dixon, a junior cornerback, transferred to Penn State from South Carolina, where he appeared in 22 games and made nine starts in two seasons for the Gamecocks. The 6-foot, 186-pound Dixon could have the opportunity to start on the outside, and he saw extensive time with the first-team defense in the spring.

Cornerback Kalen King enrolled early at Penn State to get a jump on his college career, and the four-star recruit from Detroit was lauded for his performance. Coach James Franklin singled him out — while also highlighting his twin brother, Kobe, a linebacker — for his quick adjustment to the next level, and King appears set to see the field this fall.

Dixon and King joined a cornerback room that features a wealth of experience in fifth-year senior Tariq Castro-Fields, juniors Marquis Wilson and Keaton Ellis and redshirt sophomores Joey Porter Jr. and Daequan Hardy. Injuries forced younger players to get extensive experience, which helped build the depth at the position.

“They just bring more competition in the room,” Castro-Fields said. “Every day you come to practice, you know you got to come with your best ‘A’ game, and if you don’t, you’re going to get passed up, so I’m loving it so far.”

The additions of players like Dixon and King have also made Penn State more flexible, with Wilson listed as an “athlete” on the roster and working with the wide receivers and Ellis seeing time next to Brisker at safety.

But the newest addition to the secondary might be among the most intriguing for Penn State. Cornerback A.J. Lytton joined the Nittany Lions this summer after beginning his career at Florida State, and the junior is a former four-star recruit who was the No. 50 prospect in the Class of 2018 out of Wise in football-rich Prince George’s County in Maryland.

Lytton is speedy and athletic, and he could bring even more versatility to the secondary with the ability to play both cornerback and safety. He’ll still need to pick his way up the depth chart, but Brisker highlighted that Lytton’s previous experience — “He’s a vet, he played at Florida State, so he knows,” Brisker said — should make for a quick adjustment.

Plus, there’s already some relative familiarity in the secondary with Castro-Fields.

“His school was only like three minutes from mine, so of course I was aware of him, and I knew who he was,” said Castro-Fields, who was a four-star recruit out of Riverdale Baptist in the Class of 2017. “So it’s good to have a guy from Maryland like myself. We speak the same language, we speak the same slang. So it’s good.”

Dixon, King and Lytton aren’t the only newcomers who will be contending for playing time early this season. With the season-ending injury to defensive end Adisa Isaac, Temple transfer Arnold Ebiketie could be in prime position to seize a starting job, while Duke transfer Derrick Tangelo should factor into the rotation next to PJ Mustipher at defensive tackle.

Harvard transfer Eric Wilson is in the mix in the competition along the interior offensive line, while Baylor transfer John Lovett joined a competitive depth chart at running back.

It’s quite the list of additions who could factor into the action on the field quickly in 2021. Penn State is looking to rebound from a 4-5 season a year ago, and the Nittany Lions will need to hit the ground running with games against Big Ten rival Wisconsin, MAC champion Ball State and SEC foe Auburn to open the season.

And the transfers and newcomers are part of the plan.

“Everyone’s been here since, what, May, so everyone’s fitting in well, getting adjusted to how we do things here at Penn State,” Castro-Fields said. “So it’s been good.”