No. 13 Penn State heads into its Big Ten opener against Wisconsin with a long injury list, and a few of those absences land in spots the Nittany Lions can’t just paper over.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. EDT Saturday evening, with Penn State at 3-0 and Wisconsin at 2-1 after the non-conference portion of the schedule. Because conference play has started, the Big Ten’s official injury reports are now in play, and Penn State’s designations point to a few places where depth will be tested right away.
The biggest losses are on the edges and at receiver. Wide receiver Koby Howard and defensive end Max Granville are both out, with Penn State already expecting to be without them for an extended stretch.
Granville’s latest injury is season-ending, while Howard’s issue is long-term. They join a group of unavailable players that also includes tight end Cooper Alexander, cornerbacks Tyler Armstead, Christian Askew and Joshua Johnson, defensive ends LaVar Arrington II, Dayshaun Burnett and Mason Robinson, linebacker Cam Smith and offensive lineman Will Tompkins.
At defensive end, Caleb Bacon remains part of the mix, but Penn State needs more than just one steady body on the edge. Yvan Kemajou is going to have to shoulder a larger load, and Jackson Ford is expected to be involved too.
Defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn said Tuesday that Ford, a true freshman, will have a role in that edge rusher rotation. Alexander McPherson and Ikenna Ezeogu are also names to watch when it comes to snap distribution.
The receiver room has its own set of questions. Chase Sowell needs to make more of an impact, Brett Eskildsen can’t disappear, and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has to show more trust in Zay Robinson and possibly Amarion Jackson. Mouser said coming out of fall camp that he was comfortable with a lot of receivers getting game-day opportunities, and Week 4 is the chance to back that up.
Penn State also listed two offensive linemen as questionable: Brock Riker and Dominic Rulli. Riker has handled center well, but Vaea Ikakoula is fully capable of stepping in, as he did in Week 3.
Playing at home should help the center-quarterback connection for Ikakoula and Rocco Becht. Campbell, though, didn’t sound overly worried about either Rappleyea or Riker.
Rulli, meanwhile, has been a steady special teams piece since returning from a preseason injury, and limited work from him wouldn’t change much in this game.
The Nittany Lions also have a couple players listed as probable. Safety Omarion Davis and Black fall into that group, though neither has been a major storyline so far.
Davis, a transfer from Boston College, hasn’t played yet this season, and that safety room isn’t set up for him to have a major role either way. Black should continue to show up more on special teams.
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