College Football Preview: Best of the Rest: Penn State Nittany Lions

28. Penn State Nittany Lions
QB Rob Bolden- Sophomore
FB Joe Suhey- Senior
WR Derek Moye- Senior
DE Pete Massaro- Junior
DB Drew Astorino- Senior
It was a tough year for the Nittany Lions who fell out of contention in the Big Ten and the nation. Joe Paterno hopes it was just a hiccup as Penn State returns a lot of talent only losing OL Stefen Wisniewski and RB Evan Royster. Quarterback Rob Bolden returns for his second season as starter. He is a good scrambler and his passing is improving. Junior Matt McGloin is the backup of Bolden and has the smarts behind center like a NFL quarterback. Maybe even junior Kevin Newsome will get some snaps also. Without Royster the backfield is definitely depleted. Tailback Silas Redd is alright but he won't change the game like Royster does. Next is fullback Joe Suhey, a guy I really like. He's a powerful back that can get the ball often. The options for Bolden are decent with his best being senior Derek Moye. Moye didn't have a great season last year but he'll still be fine. Juniors Justin Brown and Devon Smith are the others. The offensive line is one of the weakest parts on the squad now without leader and anchor Wisniewski. Senior tackles Quinn Barham and Johnnie Troutman. The defense was always the Nittany Lion's strength but isn't that strong this season. The defensive line is solid with junior Pete Massaro, Devin Still, Jordan Hill and Jack Crawford all returning starters. The linebacker core is helped by the return of Michael Mauti and senior Nate Stupar. The secondary is back with defensive back Drew Astorino who may be the best player on the team. He's smart and hits hard. He won't pick off balls and might not even get too many tackles.

Heisman Hopeful: Rob Bolden
Big Ten Rank: 5th