STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State is going to need a team effort and breakout performances from younger players to stay in the national title hunt.
On offense, the Nittany Lions have Trace McSorley back, of course, but not Saquon Barkley, Mike Gesicki and DaeSean Hamilton. On defense, they'll have to replace most of the secondary, with the losses of Marcus Allen, Troy Apke and Grant Haley, in addition to leader Jason Cabinda.
The task is daunting, but James Franklin and company have a plethora of potential playmakers.
That's potential.
So here's a look at potential breakouts in 2018:
JUWAN JOHNSON
Size: 6-4, 214
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt junior
The Fiesta Bowl victory against Washington last year does not happen if this last-second touchdown against Iowa falls incomplete:
?This is how PSU/Glassboro's Juwan Johnson silenced Iowa!#psu #glassboro @Ju_heard_ #shhhh #SurrenderCobra pic.twitter.com/U9u6XwSn4g
— SJ SportsTalk (@sojerseysports) September 24, 2017
McSorley finds Johnson through some intense traffic in the end zone for the walk-off touchdown. It was the lone touchdown of the season for Johnson, however, it helped springboard Penn State into the Big Ten schedule in 2017 where they would lose only two games.
At 6 feet 4, Johnson provides a matchup nightmare for defenses with his long, athletic frame which bodes well when McSorley is looking for someone downfield and throws a jump-ball. Johnson hauled in 54 receptions for 701-yards.
Length and athleticism as well as strong hands will allow Johnson to become a featured part of the Penn State passing game which will give the redshirt junior the opportunity to make a splash this season for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State has to replace Hamilton's production and Johnson is the ideal guy to replicate what the offense was able to do with Hamilton. Developing into a guy who McSorley and offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne trust in every-down situation will go a long way for Johnson have a breakout season and become the next in a long line of Nittany Lions receivers who get the chance to play on Sundays.
MILES SANDERS
Size: 5-11, 207
Position: Running back
Class: Junior
Sanders, the Woodland Hills product profiled here, has the opportunity to line up beside McSorley in the backfield, a place Barkley called home the last three seasons. Sanders will get his fair share of touches both in the running and passing game which will allow him to have a big impact in how much success the offense does or does not have in 2018.
Success in the running game allows the passing game to open up and gives an added layer to an offense with home run potential on every play. With Sanders now the primary back and the promise he has shown, the offense has the opportunity to pick up where they left off in the Fiesta Bowl, scoring 35 points.
Sanders appeared sparingly on offense giving Barkley plays off when necessary in his first two seasons in the blue-and-white. In those two years, Sanders has accumulated 375 yards on 56 carries which breaks down to an average of 6.7 yards per carry. Despite the lack of experience in the backfield, Sanders found himself on the Doak Walker Award preseason list this week. While preseason watch lists are not a tell-tale sign of what is to come, it is impressive company to be in for a player who is on the cusp of his first season of full time use in the backfield.
Running behind an offensive line with experience bodes well for Sanders as he looks to make a name for himself rather than being the guy known for being Barkley's replacement.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Returning Starters: Will Fries, Steven Gonzales, Connor McGovern, Chasz Wright
Key Losses: Brendan Mahon and Andrew Nelson
The offensive line, once the weakest position group on the roster, returns eight letter winners this season after losing Mahon and Nelson to the NFL and graduation respectively.
Of those eight returning lettermen, the aforementioned Fries, Gonzales, McGovern and Wright were starters, while the other four also saw considerable playing time in 2017. With that experience, and the youth of the majority of the line, three of the four returning starters are juniors or younger, the offensive line serves to be a formidable force in the development of the Penn State offense in 2018.
Having experience up front will give Penn State the ability to use that experience to their advantage as they attempt to wear down opposing defenses late in games. Utilizing that experience and depth allows the Nittany Lions to deploy a two-deep to three-deep system up front that gives the offense the ability to maximize the talents and freshness of the line.
The offense will go as the offensive line goes that much is for sure and if they play to their potential, the offense should be able to put up numbers as good as, if not better than what they did under former offensive coordinator and current Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead.
LAMONT WADE
Size: 5-9, 195
Position: Safety
Class: Sophomore
In steps Clairton's Wade who appeared in 12 games as a true freshman in 2017. Wade stands to gain the most with a move to safety and the departures of Apke and Allen. The 5-foot-9 Wade recorded 31 tackles in 2017 and should be on the field more in 2018. The move to safety from cornerback will allow him to use his athleticism in the open field and let him see the ball longer in the air.
What that move also does is allows Wade to be a big part of run support as the last line of defense. In previous years, the defense has relied on safeties to be a major part of supporting the run and his predecessors in Apke and Allen did just that for the Nittany Lions during their careers. Being able to use his athleticism in stopping the run will play a big part in the season Wade has this year and should he stay healthy, big things could be ahead for the former WPIAL standout.
His athleticism coupled with another year of being on a collegiate lifting program gives Wade a big boost in having a breakout season on the defensive side of the ball, something desperately needed for the Penn State defense.
JOHN REID
Size: 5-10, 185
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt junior
Joining Wade in the secondary room is cornerback John Reid, who missed 2017 due to an injury in spring practice.
Penn State CB John Reid looking strong after missing the 2017 season.
Huge for Lions to get him back into lineup this year. pic.twitter.com/JulJzP3zB9
— Tyler Donohue (@TDsTake) February 28, 2018
A year to study, learn, and hit the weight room after a 2016 campaign where he started all 14 games could be just what the doctor ordered for Reid.
Reid, who redshirted in 2017, recorded 26 tackles and two interceptions during his freshman campaign in 2015 before following it up with 35 tackles and an interception in 2016. Coverage is where Reid's presence will be felt most and being paired up with Amani Oruwariye, who had a break-out season in 2017, on the other side of the field gives Penn State a couple of shut-down corners with experience at hand.
How Reid responds to coming back from injury is yet to be determined, but as the season progresses I would expect Reid to find his groove and develop into a player better than he was prior to his injury, giving the defense a quality back-end. The ability to have guys tight in coverage will allow the front-seven for the Nittany Lions to have a quality pass rush.
Reid and Oruwariye add experience as the only upper classmen at cornerback and with that provide valuable depth at their position.
CAM BROWN
Size: 6-5, 226
Position: Linebacker
Class: Junior
Reid and Wade have the task of replacing guys who've departed for the NFL and so to will Cam Brown, who will be replacing Cabinda in a round about way. Brown has got most of his work during spring practice at the Sam linebacker spot. However, with the inexperience of Mike linebacker Micah Parsons, Brown could be lining up at the Mike too.
The 6-foot-5 Brown has seen time at each linebacker position in his two seasons in Happy Valley thus far which gives defensive coordinator Brent Pry an added value knowing Brown has the knowledge to play where needed.
With Brown's height, he provides an added dimension in pass defense especially across the middle when quarterbacks are going through their progressions as he clogs up passing lanes. Brown played a huge role in limiting Rutgers to seven completions and only 43 passing yards in 2017.
In his two years on campus, Brown has also seen quality playing time on special teams as many underclassmen have for the Nittany Lions.
That flexibility bodes well for the defense as they work through growing pains during the beginning of the season and a strong showing from Brown while he is on the field will go a long way in solidifying Brown as a playmaker and determining how successful the Penn State defense can be.