Penn State football officially announced its captains for the 2020 season early Friday evening, the team shared in a press release. 

The captains, in order of seniority, are listed below:

• Michal Menet (redshirt senior, offensive lineman)
• Shaka Toney (redshirt senior, defensive end)
• Lamont Wade (senior, safety)
• Sean Clifford (redshirt junior, quarterback)
• Jonathan Sutherland (redshirt junior, safety)
• Pat Freiermuth (junior, tight end
• Jesse Luketa (junior, linebacker) 
• Jordan Stout (junior, kicker) 

Menet, Sutherland, Clifford, and Freiermuth are all returning captains for the second straight season.

Menet started all games last season (13) at center, and has made 25 career starts upon entering the 2020 season. The Birdsboro, Pennsylvania native was recently nominated to the Rimington Trophy Watch List. At last season’s team awards banquet, Menet was awarded the Dick Maginnis Memorial Award, which recognizes outstanding offensive lineman.

Sutherland, a special teams captain, blocked two punts against Idaho during the 2019 season. It marked the first time since Penn State blocked two punts in a game since 2000 versus Louisiana Tech. The Ottawa native is one of two FBS players with multiple blocked kicks in the 2019 season. 

Clifford’s first season as starting quarterback in 2019 ended with 189 passes for 2,654 yards and 23 touchdowns. The Cincinnati native is ranked third in the Big Ten in passing touchdowns, yards per completion (14.04, and yards per attempt (8.32). Clifford comes into the 2020 season with 13th all-time 25 career passing touchdowns, 18th all-time with 194 career completions and ninth all-time with 399 rushing yards by a quarterback.

Freiermuth was named AP and Athlon Sports Preseason first-team All-American entering the 2020 season. The Massachusetts native enters the 2020 season after putting up 43 grabs for 507 yards and seven touchdowns. in 2019 Freiermuth’s seven touchdown catches ranks fourth among FBS tight ends and seventh in the Big Ten.

Toney was selected to the All-Big Ten second team by the media and was named a Phil Steele All-Big Ten third team selection after starting all games in the 2019 season. Last season the Philadelphia native registered 41 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, a pass breakup, and a blocked kick last season.

Wade made 13 starts at safety during the 2019 season, and was named as an All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media the same year. Wade racked up 67 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in last season’s campaign. 

Luketa put up 24 tackles, a half-tackle for loss and four pass breakups in 13 games, including two starts during the 2019 season. Stout, who joined the program just last season, was the first Penn State kicker with multiple 50-yard field goals in a season.

This is the second year in a row where Penn State has more than three captains (offense, defense, and special teams), breaking usual tradition. After the success of last season, it appears this may continue to be implemented.