Penn State schedule, roster, recruiting and what to watch in 2018

Bill Bender

Penn State schedule, roster, recruiting and what to watch in 2018 image

Four points kept Penn State out of the Big Ten championship game and, consequently, the College Football Playoff in 2017. The Nittany Lions lost by one point to Ohio State, then by a field goal to Michigan State; that was the difference in an 11-win season that ended with a victory in the Fiesta Bowl.

James Franklin has guided Penn State to consecutive 11-win seasons, and quarterback Trace McSorley returns to lead a high-flying offense that averaged 41.1 points a game in 2017.

MORE: Big Ten conference primer

Penn State is ranked No. 10 in Sporting News' updated way-too-early top 25. Here's an early look at the Nittany Lions heading into 2018:

Penn State schedule 2018

DateOpponentLocation
April 21Blue-White Spring GameUniversity Park, Pa.
Sept. 1Appalachian StateUniversity Park, Pa.
Sept. 8at PittsburghPittsburgh
Sept. 15Kent StateUniversity Park, Pa.
Sept. 21at Illinois (Friday)Champaign, Ill.
Sept. 29No. 4 Ohio StateUniversity Park, Pa.
Oct. 6ByeOff
Oct. 13No. 16 Michigan StateUniversity Park, Pa.
Oct. 20at IndianaBloomington, Ind.
Oct. 27IowaUniversity Park, Pa.
Nov. 3at No. 17 MichiganAnn Arbor, Mich.
Nov. 10No. 6 WisconsinUniversity Park, Pa.
Nov. 17at RutgersPiscataway, N.J.
Nov. 24MarylandUniversity Park, Pa.
Dec. 1Big Ten championshipIndianapolis
Bold denotes Big Ten games

Penn State 2018 recruiting

Penn State had the No. 5 recruiting class in 2018 according to 247Sports' Composite team rankings, the second-ranked class in the Big Ten behind Ohio State. Five-star defensive end Micah Parsons (Harrisburg, Harrisburg, Pa.) is the highest-ranked player in the class and is already on campus. The Nittany Lions also added five-star receiver Justin Shorter (South Brunswick, Monmouth Junction N.J.) and all-purpose back Ricky Slade (C.D. Hylton, Woodbridge, Va.). It's another loaded class that shows Franklin's recruiting influence within the Big Ten is strengthening.

MORE: One big thing for each top-10 class

Penn State football roster 2018

No.PlayerPos.Year
1KJ HamlerWRR-Fr.
2Tommy StevensQBR-Jr.
2Isaiah HumphriesSFr.
3DeAndre ThompkinsWRSr.
3Donovan JohnsonCBR-Fr.
4Nick ScottSSr.
5Tariq Castro-FieldsCBSo.
6Cam BrownLBJr.
7Jake ZembiecQBR-So.
7Koa FarmerLBSr.
8Mark AllenRBSr.
9Trace McSorleyQBSr.
9Jarvis MillerLBR-Jr.
10Brandon PolkWRR-Jr.
11Micah ParsonsLBFr.
12Mac HippenhammerWRR-Fr.
13Ellis BrooksLBR-Fr.
14Sean CliffordQBR-Fr.
14Zech McPhearsonCBR-So.
15Michael ShusterQBR-So.
16John PetrishenSR-Jr.
17Garrett TaylorSR-Jr.
18Jonathan HollandTE/HR-Jr.
18Shaka ToneyDER-So.
19Torrence BrownDESr.
19Trent GordonCBFr.
20Jabari ButlerCBR-Jr.
20Johnathan ThomasRBSr.
21Amani OruwariyeCBSr.
23Ayron MonroeSR-Jr.
24Miles SandersRBJr.
24DJ BrownCBR-Fr.
25Brelin Faison-WaldenLBR-Fr.
26Jonathan SutherlandSR-Fr.
29John ReidCBR-Jr.
30Kevin GivensDTR-Jr.
31Christopher WeldeRBR-Jr.
32Journey BrownRBR-Fr.
33Jake CooperLBSr.
34Shane SimmonsDER-So.
35Justin NeffSR-Fr.
36Jan JohnsonLBR-Jr.
37Drew HartlaubSR-Fr.
38Lamont WadeSSo.
39Frank Di LeoLBR-Jr.
40Nick EuryRBR-So.
40Jesse LuketaLBFr.
41Joe ArcangeloTER-Jr.
41Dae'Lun DarienLBR-So.
42Ellison JordanDTR-So.
44Brailyn FranklinLBR-Fr.
45Joe DuMondDER-So.
46Nick TarburtonLBFr.
47Will BlairLBR-So.
48Shareef MillerDER-Jr.
49Daniel JosephDER-So.
50Max ChizmarLBR-Fr.
51Jason VranicLBSr.
51Alex GellerstedtOLR-So.
52Ryan BatesOLR-Jr.
53Fred HansardDTR-Fr.
54Robert WindsorDTR-Jr.
55Antonio SheltonDTR-So.
58Evan PrestaDTR-Fr.
62Michal MenetOLR-So.
64Zach SimpsonOLR-Jr.
66Connor McGovernOLJr.
68Hunter KellyOLR-So.
69C.J. ThorpeOLR-Fr.
71Will FriesOLR-So.
72Robbie MartinOLR-Fr.
73Mike MirandaOLR-Fr.
74Steven GonzalezOLR-Jr.
75Des HolmesOLR-Fr.
76Sterling JenkinsOLR-Jr.
77Chasz WrightOLSr.
79Charlie ShumanOLSr.
80Justin WellerWRR-Fr.
80Danny DaltonTE/HR-So.
81Cam Sullivan-BrownWRR-Fr.
82Tyler ShoopWRR-Jr.
82Zack KuntzTE/HFr.
83Alex HoenstineWRR-Fr.
83Nick BowersTE/HR-Jr.
84Juwan JohnsonWRR-Jr.
85Isaac LutzWRR-So.
89Colton MaxwellWRR-So.
90Damion BarberDTR-Fr.
91Chris StollSNR-Fr.
92Corey BoldsDTR-Fr.
93Blake GillikinP/KJr.
94Joe CalcagnoSNR-Fr.
96Kyle VaseySNSr.
97Ryan BuchholzDER-Jr.
97Carson LandisK/PR-Fr.
98Mike CurryLSR-Jr.
98Dan VaseyDL/LSR-Fr.
99Yetur Gross-MatosDESr.

What to watch in 2018:

1. Will offense miss a beat?

Offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead took the head coaching job at Mississippi State, and All-American running back Saquon Barkley left for the NFL. Franklin promoted Ricky Rahne, who spent the last four seasons as an offensive assistant, into the offensive coordinator role. Rahne made a strong first impression with the play-calling in the Fiesta Bowl victory, and will have an experienced quarterback to work with in 2018. Moorhead's impact can't be understated, but the continuity within the offensive staff should help.

2. Who is the running back?

Miles Sanders averaged 6.2 yards per carry in spot duty behind Barkley in 2017, and Mark Allen also saw some carries. But Barkley is a once-in-a-decade-type running back, and his kind of production won't be easily replaced. Slade put up big numbers in high school and could figure into the mix, but the Nittany Lions need to achieve the same balance that made the offense so dangerous in 2016 and '17. That could mean a breakout season for Sanders.

3. How good can the pass rush be?

Shareef Miller and Shaka Toney showed promise as pass-rushers in 2017, and Parsons adds another high-ceiling defensive end to the mix. Penn State is trying to build the same depth up front that the College Football Playoff regulars have, and that could make the difference in closing time. Keep an eye on how that defensive front develops.

Bill Bender

Bill Bender graduated from Ohio University in 2002 and started at The Sporting News as a fantasy football writer in 2007. He has covered the College Football Playoff, NBA Finals and World Series for SN. Bender enjoys story-telling, awesomely-bad 80s movies and coaching youth sports.