Presenting the highs and lows of Penn State’s regular season

Dec. 23—It’s time to present our annual Penn State football awards, marking the highs and lows of the Nittany Lions’ 10-2 regular season before they play Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl Saturday in Atlanta:

Offensive Player of the Year: Left tackle Olu Fashanu became Penn State’s first consensus All-American offensive lineman since Jeff Hartings in 1995. Fashanu has not allowed a sack in 382 pass-blocking snaps and has played a large role in the Lions leading the Big Ten in scoring and rushing. He’s projected as a top-10 draft pick in the spring.

Defensive Player of the Year: Defensive end Chop Robinson had four sacks, five quarterback hurries and 7.5 tackles for loss despite often being blocked by two or three players. He has an exceptional burst of speed and is projected to be a first-round pick. He will not play in the Peach Bowl.

Rookie of the Year: Linebacker Tony Rojas added about 30 pounds from his enrollment in January to the end of spring practice. He has played behind Abdul Carter and made 16 tackles, three in the backfield, one interception and one forced fumble.

Transfer Players of the Year: Kicker Alex Felkins (Columbia) and punter Riley Thompson (Florida Atlantic) have made huge impacts in their first season at Penn State. Felkins has made 18-of-22 field goal tries, and Thompson has helped the Lions rank 10th nationally in net punting.

Unsung Hero of the Year: Penn State cornerback Johnny Dixon has lined up at multiple positions on the defense and has made plays. He has 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble. He was no better than an All-Big Ten third-team selection by the coaches.

Best play: After Indiana tied it 24-24 in the final three minutes, Drew Allar connected with KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 57-yard touchdown pass that sent the Lions to a 33-24…

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Author : Reading Eagle, Pa.

Publish date : 2023-12-24 04:50:00

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