End-Of-Season Roundup: Penn State Football’s Class Of 2022
Penn State football’s 2021 regular season season came to a close with a 30-27 loss to No. 12 Michigan State, dropping its record to 7-5. But despite the many negatives, the Nittany Lions’ future looks bright thanks to some talented incoming recruits
Penn State’s incoming recruiting class is currently ranked No. 6 in the country with many acclaimed recruits among the Nittany Lions’ Class of 2022. Here is how they fared during the 2021 high school season.
Drew Allar, QB (Medina, OH) ★★★★★
The No. 1-ranked offensive recruit in the country, according to 247Sports, had himself quite a senior season. Quarterback Drew Allar led his team to a 13-1 record en route to the Medina Battling Bees’ runner-up finish in Ohio’s Division I, Region I Championship.
On the year, Allar completed 305 of his 514 attempts for 4,443 passing yards, 48 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also added 415 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
Yeah, we could get used to this at Beaver Stadium
— Onward State (@OnwardState) October 29, 2021pic.twitter.com/b9G3aO4U9c
Any concern that Allar might decommit have likely been dispelled thanks to his enthusiastic endorsement of head coach James Franklin’s new 10-year contract. Allar is the Nittany Lions’ highest-ranked quarterback recruit since Christian Hackenberg and the highest of Franklin’s tenure.
Beau Pribula, QB (York, PA) ★★★
Quarterback Beau Pribula, who has been committed to Penn State since August 2020, also led his team to similar success. Earning a record of 11-1, Pribula was a massive contributor on two sides of the ball.
Pribula completed 72% of his passes passes for 2575 yards, 33 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Contrasting with fellow recruit Allar, Pribula is listed primarily as a dual threat passer by ESPN’s recruiting system. As a result, Pribula had 76 rushing attempts for 417 yards and eight touchdowns. Not to be confined to offense, Pribula also punted 18 times for 698 yards.
Nicholas Singleton, RB (Reading, PA) ★★★★★
Five-star running back Nicholas Singleton is currently 247Sports’ No. 1 running back in the nation and has earned himself comparisons to Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns. The football and track star for Governor Mifflin High School had a dominant senior season.
Over 11 games, Singleton earned himself 165 carries, amassing 2,049 yards and a whopping 41 touchdowns. Averaging almost 12.5 yards per carry, it’s no surprise Singleton was able to put up performances like his 330-yard, seven-touchdown showing this past November.
For the Nittany Lions, whose rushing offense ranked second-worst in the Big Ten in 2021, Singleton’s presence on campus should be an exciting prospect.
Kaden Saunders, WR (Westerville, OH) ★★★★
To call Kaden Saunders a wide receiver after his incredibly versatile season seems like an insult to the four-star recruit. Saunders was a jack of all trades for Westerville South High School this year.
Through 11 games, ESPN’s fourth-ranked Class of 2022 receiver (highest mark in the Big Ten) turned 37 receptions into 362 yards and five touchdowns. Similarly efficient on the ground, Saunders recorded 28 rushing attempts for 324 rushing yards and another five touchdowns. Saunders also completed 10-of-16 pass attempts for 102 yards and a touchdown, because why wouldn’t the former D1 baseball prospect get a chance to sling the pigskin around?
Unsatisfied by simply being an offensive powerhouse, Saunders also compiled 20 tackles and an interception on defense, while punting 12 times for 284 yards and putting in a little work as a return man, too. If his senior year is any indication, Saunders will be quite the athletic weapon for years to come.
Anthony Ivey, WR (Lancaster, PA) ★★★★
Committed to Penn State since October 2020, four-star wideout Anthony Ivey was his team’s most productive offensive player during his senior season.
Ivey totaled in 49 receptions for 654 yards and eight touchdowns on the year, including a single game that saw him secure 13 catches for 175 yards and two scores. The speedy wideout also worked as a return specialist for both kickoff and punt returns. Together, Ivey totaled 10 returns for a strong 425 yards, with one kickoff return going a full 100 yards.
Zane Durant, DL (Orlando, FL) ★★★★
Four-star defensive lineman Zane Durant was all over the field throughout his senior season. The 36th-ranked player in notoriously competitive Florida was a mismatch for opponents, in more ways than one.
In his ten games, Durant recorded 66 tackles, caused four fumbles, recovered a fumble, and deflected one pass. Of Durant’s 66 tackles, 38% were sacks. That impressive ratio was good for 25 sacks on the year. The 251-pound prospect has elite athleticism, leading Lake Nona to play him in unexpected packages.
Durant rushed six times for 43 yards and four touchdowns. Additionally, he caught a two-yard touchdown. Durant even had a pass attempt, though it fell incomplete.
Ken Talley, EDGE (Philadelphia, PA) ★★★★
Four-star edge rusher Ken Talley rolled his opponents’ offensive lines over the course of this year. Through ten games, Talley tallied 95 tackles, with 20 resulting in a loss of yardage. Talley was also a menace to rival quarterbacks, recording 12 sacks and a pass deflection.
With defensive stalwarts like Arnold Ebiketie and Jesse Luketa presumably departing for the NFL Draft, Talley and his counterpart Zane Durant will be welcome additions for the program.
247Sports’ ninth-ranked Pennsylvanian in the Class of 2022 also articulated some very high expectations for his time at Penn State earlier this year on his Twitter account, shouting out fellow members of his class.
Very soon we will win the Big ten championship and College football national championship lead by qb1 @AllarDrew , Nations best wideout @KSaunders03 and the two best LB’s in college football me and @ab22j
— KEN “” TALLEY (@KenTalley22) October 31, 2021
Cam Miller, DB (Jacksonville, FL) ★★★★
Another highly touted recruit had another remarkably flexible senior season. Defensive back Cam Miller was busy on both sides of the ball in his twelve appearances this year.
As a primary defender, Miller was responsible for 56 tackles, six pass deflections, causing a fumble, and wrangling in a fumble recovery. Offensively, the 32nd-ranked player in Florida also ran the football five times for 32 yards and a touchdown, while making five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown as well. Miller made 23 returns for a combined 493 yards, too.
Tyrece Mills, DB (Scranton, PA) ★★★
In seven games this season, three-star defensive back Tyrece Mills was a strong defensive contributor for Lackawanna College. Mills totaled 35 tackles, five pass breakups, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.
The Remaining Class of 2022:
- Kaytron Allen, RB (Bradenton, FL) ☆☆☆☆
- Tyler Johnson, WR (Ridgeway, VA) ☆☆☆
- Jerry Cross, TE (Milwaukee, WI) ☆☆☆☆
- Drew Shelton, OL (Downington, PA) ☆☆☆☆
- JB Nelson, OL (Scranton, PA) ☆☆☆
- Andre Roye, OL (Baltimore, MD) ☆☆☆
- Maleek McNeil, OL (Cortlandt Manor, NY) ☆☆☆
- Dani Dennis-Sutton, DL (Owings Mills, MD) ☆☆☆☆
- Kaleb Artis, DL (Fresh Meadows, NY) ☆☆☆
- Keon Wylie, LB (Philadelphia, PA) ☆☆☆
- Abdul Carter, LB (Glenside, PA) ☆☆☆☆
- Cristian Driver, DB (Argyle, TX) ☆☆☆☆
- KJ Winston, DB (Hyattsville, MD) ☆☆☆
- Omari Evans, DB (Killeen, TX) ☆☆☆
- Alex Bacchetta, P (Atlanta, GA) ☆☆☆
- Mehki Flowers, Athlete (Harrisburg, PA) ☆☆☆☆
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