Freshmen sensations: How 6 Penn State football rookies could spark 2024 season

Penn State football still needs a receiver, a running back and an offensive lineman to step up this summer.

A perfect true freshman opportunity.

While most of the Nittany Lions’ depth chart will be filled by returning, experienced players, there are a few glaring position needs to account for by any means possible in preseason camp.

Which means the next two months are particularly important for Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class, its members who began arriving on campus last January.

A half-dozen or so in the class should burn their redshirts this fall by playing in four or more games.

And at least a couple figure to carve out important roles, if only as top backups. Could anyone become the next freshman star like Nick Singleton or Abdul Carter two years ago?

Penn State offensive linemen Cooper Cousins (50) and Nolan Rucci (72) talk before a play during the Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in State College. Cousins may be the most advanced true freshman blocker in coach James Franklin’s decade at PSU.

Here are the Penn State rookies in line to play right away in 2024. They’re listed in order of expected contributions, from least to most likely:

6. Luke Reynolds, tight end

Luke Reynolds is arguably the top tight end recruit in the nation. Some recruiting industry sites consider him a rare 5-star prospect in the 2024 class.

Luke Reynolds made a stunning transition from a decent high school quarterback into one of the top tight end prospects in the country — and has seemingly continued that rise since arriving at Penn State. He’s bulked up to 230 pounds, which gives him a shot to contribute right away. The caveat is working in one of the most crowded position groups in the Big Ten. Will Penn State game days continue to feature three tight ends under new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki? Reynolds owns…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/freshmen-sensations-6-penn-state-080235774.html

Author : York Daily Record

Publish date : 2024-06-10 08:02:35

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