Much was made of Penn State’s youth movement last year, and rightfully so. Nick Singleton, Abdul Carter and the 2022 recruiting class played a major role in the Nittany Lions’ 11-win campaign. But Penn State also was buoyed by veteran leadership.
Sean Clifford and Jonathan Sutherland were fourth-year captains. Ji’Ayir Brown and PJ Mustipher were significant voices in the locker room. Juice Scruggs and Chris Stoll also provided guidance.
All of six of those captains are gone. On Saturday, the Nittany Lions took a step to replace them by announcing its six captains.
Olu Fashanu, Keaton Ellis and Dominic DeLuca already were named captains after the Blue-White game. Joining them will be Adisa Isaac, Theo Johnson and Malick Meiga.
Fashanu is the anchor of the offensive line at left tackle and one of the top players in the country. Ellis, a State College native and projected starting safety, long has been considered a leader in the secondary. And DeLuca, who was awarded a scholarship in January, has been lauded for his work on special teams and at linebacker.
Isaac made the trip with Fashanu, Ellis and James Franklin to Big Ten media days last month, representing Penn State in Indianapolis. So his addition isn’t a surprise. Isaac led the Nittany Lions with 11 tackles for loss last fall and is expected to wreak havoc yet again opposite defensive end Chop Robinson.
Johnson has been mentioned several times during the offseason as a leader. He will be looked at both on the field and in the tight end room, especially after the departure of Brenton Strange to the NFL.
Meiga has been more of a special teams contributor for the Nittany Lions, though the fourth-year player would love to break through in a crowded wide receiver room and contribute to the offense.
All six captains will play a part in Penn State’s highly anticipated season, which kicks off against West Virginia on Sept. 2 at Beaver Stadium.
