What opposing coaches say about Penn State in 2022
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Penn State is a fascinating team to break down in the 2022 season. After two years of mediocre results in the win column, the general feeling is Penn State has the talent to put together a nice little rebound season in 2022. Or it could be another year with average at best results. Nobody really knows for sure!
One of the best ways to evaluate where Penn State stands in the Big Ten is by seeing what coaches around the conference think of the Nittany Lions. Athlon Sports gauges the opinions of schools for their preseason college football preview magazines by polling coaches around the conference for inside knowledge. It makes sense that coaches who are scouting against and have direct experience against Penn State would have valid opinions on where Penn State is situated going into the 2022 season.
As the anonymous quotes from Big Ten coaches reveal, there is a sense that Penn State has a few areas that need to improve. If they do, then this could be a nice season in Happy Valley. Don’t believe us? Take it from the Big Ten coaches!
Here is what opposing Big Ten coaches said in this year’s Athlon Sports college football preview magazine about Penn State in 2022.
Sean Clifford has consistency with Mike Yurcich
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
“Sean Clifford coming back is absolutely huge for them. I know they have his replacement signed, but having him back with that much experience and [Mike Yurcich] in Year 2 is gonna be huge for them. They’ve been really ineffective since [Joe Moorhead] left. They’ve got to fix the offensive line; they couldn’t run and they could pass protect. That’s how they ended up losing that much down the stretch. They’ve been recruiting well at OL, and they need immediate results there. They’re turning over the backfire;ld, so the new guys have to come up big for them.”
Enough can be said about the fact that [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] finally has a second season with the same offensive coordinator. How Clifford and [autotag]Mike Yurcich[/autotag] work together after a year together could be a valuable key to success in 2022.
Don't overlook the importance of Brent Pry's departure
AP Photo/Barry Reeger
“Brent Pry leaving is a huge deal because he’s been with James Franklin forever.”
Penn State lost defensive coordinator [autotag]Brent Pry[/autotag] to a head coaching opportunity at Virginia Tech. It was probably a matter of time before Pry got a shot to be a head coach after his long time on James Franklin’s staff at Penn State and Vanderbilt. Pry helped build a solid defensive unit at Penn State over the years, with last season being one of the best yet since Franklin’s hiring as head coach.
With Pry’s departure comes a key arrival…
Manny Diaz taking over as defensive coordinator
AP Photo/Barry Reeger
“Manny Diaz is gonna be really aggressive and press those young guys. It was no shock Jacke grabbed hum up; he’ll be a head coach on that defense. They’ve got some nice players, especially in the back end. They’ll go single high, they’ll blitz, they’ll get after it that way.”
There may have been no better way to replace Pry at defensive coordinator than gobbling up Manny Diaz as soon as he hit the market. The former head coach at Miami may not be in Happy Valley for too long before getting another shot at being a head coach, but he is the perfect addition to the staff given the current situation.
How hungry is Penn State in 2022?
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
“You would think this is a really hungry team and staff because they’ve fallen off the last few years, and they’re not as relevant nationally. Clifford needs protection, and they need to get creative with the playmakers they’ve got. Having an experienced passer and not installing a new system is a huge win for them. This could be a bounce-back season.”
Once again stressing the importance of not having to change up the offense, this anonymous Big Ten coach feels having some consistency could pay off for Penn State in 2022. But keeping Clifford up and healthy is essential, which is why the offensive line is in the spotlight this offseason.
