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Penn State football: First-look 2019 depth chart projections

By Maitland Rutledge

PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 17: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs onto the field with his team before taking on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at HighPoint.com Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 17: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs onto the field with his team before taking on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at HighPoint.com Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /
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Penn State
STATE COLLEGE, PA – NOVEMBER 24: Tommy Stevens #2 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes with the ball against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half at Beaver Stadium on November 24, 2018 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Offense

Notable Losses: When the Nittany Lions offense take the field in spring ball, there will be notable absences. McSorley was one of the best quarterbacks for Penn State in recent memory. In 2018 he passed for 2,530 yards and threw 18 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. The senior also contributed heavily in the Lions’ running game with 798 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns. McSorley’s dual-threat ability will be missed. Sanders declared for the NFL Draft after rushing for 1,274 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. With their past two running backs now off to the NFL, the pressure is on for another to emerge as the Nittany Lions’ workhorse.

QB: Tommy Stevens, Senior | Sean Clifford, Sophomore

Stevens has been a Nittany Lion since 2015 and the Indianapolis native has finally been given the keys to Penn State’s car. He only appeared in six games last season but showed promise. Stevens threw for a total of 110 yards and a touchdown, but also demonstrated his skills as a mobile quarterback like his predecessor. He carried the ball 28 times, rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Clifford played in four games during his redshirt freshman year throwing for 195 yards and two scores. While Stevens will enter spring camp as the projected starter, Clifford makes for a solid backup.

RB: Ricky Slade, Sophomore | Journey Brown, Sophomore

Losing Sanders is tough, but the Nittany Lions have two young talented backs set to replace him. Slade showed great promise as a true freshman. While appearing in nine games, he rushed for 257 yards and six touchdowns. He was one of 16 true freshmen on the team to make his début last season. Brown saw limited action in five games during his redshirt freshman season, only rushing for 44 yards and a touchdown. Despite the youth in the backfield entering 2019, Penn State’s rushing attack, paired with another mobile quarterback in Stevens, should be a force in the Big Ten yet again.

WR: Mac Hippenhammer, Sophomore | Justin Shorter, (RS) Freshman 

WR: K.J. Hamler, Sophomore | Isaac Lutz, Junior

WR: Jahan Dotson, Sophomore | Dan Chrisena, Senior

Hamler is the standout receiver of this bunch. As a true freshman, Hamler established himself as one of the up-and-coming targets in the Big Ten. He led the team in receiving yards with 754 while scoring five touchdowns, second on the team. With Juwan Johnson leaving to Oregon as a graduate transfer and Brandon Polk also departing, this receiving corp will look very different entering 2019.

TE/H: Pat Freiermuth, Sophomore | Jonathan Holland, Senior

Fortunately, Penn State has both projected starters at tight end returning. Freiermuth was a Freshman All-America selection for The Athletic, 247Sports and ESPN last year. The true freshman was one of the team’s biggest weapons in the passing game with 368 yards and eight touchdowns, which led the team. Holland only had 114 receiving yards on seven catches, but his senior leadership is valuable and gives this offense arguably one of the better tight end tandems in the country.

LT: Will Fries, Junior | Charlie Shuman, Senior

LG: Steven Gonzalez (RS) Senior | Mike Miranda, Sophomore

C: Michal Minet, Junior | Zach Simpson, Senior

RG: Des Holmes, Sophomore | Juice Scruggs, Sophomore

RT: Chasz Wright, Senior | Will Knutsson, Sophomore

Three of five starters return on the offensive line. Steven Gonzalez decided to come back as a fifth-year senior, providing much-needed leadership for an offensive line that saw two key players leave. Ryan Bates and Connor McGovern were both three-year starters, leaving the right side of the line a bit cloudy. The favorites to replace them from now on seem to be fifth-year senior Chasz Wright and Des Holmes.

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