Five Things We Learned About Penn State-Purdue

A freshman was the Lions' camp surprise, and Purdue is anxious about Penn State's defensive strength.

Penn State coach James Franklin kept a few secrets Monday in previewing the team's season opener at Purdue. For example, he wouldn't list the freshmen who might play against the Boilermakers, though it's clear running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen will headline the group.

But Franklin did release a bit of surprising news, saying that freshman Drew Allar will be the team's No. 2 quarterback for the opener. Though he called the situation "fluid," and did not discuss quarterback Christian Veilleux's availability for the game, Franklin understood the announcement's impact.

"No other questions matter. Everybody's head is down, tweeting, texting," Franklin cracked.

Still, other news emerged during Monday's media sessions. Here's what else you should know about the Penn State-Purdue game.

'The surprise of training camp'

Freshman running back Kaytron Allen arrived from IMG Academy as companion to Singleton, the Gatorade National Player of the Year and SI's top-rated 2022 running back. However, Allen, or "Fatman" as teammates call him, has kept pace with Singleton, giving Penn State the potential to add two big-play freshman backs to its offense.

"To be honest with you, the guy that maybe to everybody but him was the surprise of training camp was Fatman," Franklin said. "Kaytron probably was the surprise of camp in terms of his production and big-play ability as well. He has a little bit of a different style than Nick, but both are big, strong, powerful backs who can make you miss and break tackles."

Breaking in the freshman backs

Defensive tackle PJ Mustipher returned for his sixth season in time to introduce himself to those freshman running backs. He's a big fan, too, but made sure to welcome them properly to college football.

"For being young, they're some of the best backs I've seen since I've been here, and I've played with some really good ones," Mustipher said. "... They're all ball, and their focus is getting better each and every day, and it really shows up on the practice field when you're going against them. I like to hit them sometimes even when I'm not supposed to, just to let them know that this is my A gap. But they welcome all that and they want those challenges."

Penn State freshman running backs Nicholas Singleton (10) and Kaytron Allen should see plenty of action against Purdue :: Dan Rainville/USA Today Sports Network

Kicker Jake Pinegar returns to the starting lineup

Jake Pinegar, a fifth-year senior kicker who attempted just two field goals last year, reclaimed the starting job he lost to Jordan Stout. Pinegar will take field goals and extra points, while Sander Sahaydak and Gabe Nwosu will kick off.

Pinegar was the primary kicker from 2018-19, then shared the role with Stout in 2020. A preseason injury limited him in 2021, when Stout handled all the kicking duties.

Pinegar's career field-goal success rate is 72.5 percent, and the key for him will be distance. He's 10 for 19 on field goals of 40+ yards in his career.

"He’s had a really good camp, and I think he’s going to have a big year for us," Franklin said.

More praise for Chop Robinson

Transfer defensive end Arnold Ebiketie became a star at Penn State last season. Can Chop Robinson do the same this year?

Robinson, who played linebacker at Maryland in 2021, has been among the defensive standouts of camp. Franklin said that the coaches "have fallen in love with him," and Mustipher noted that Robinson brings more than just pass rush to the line.

"He has true pass-rushing ability, but I don't want to take away from what he does in the run game, because he's very physical," Mustipher said. "He showed up on a lot of plays where he overpowered the man across from him. With his speed, his hands, his technique, he's a great addition to this defensive line."

The view from Purdue

Purdue coach Jeff Brohm wasn't thrilled with his team's last game against Penn State, a 35-7 loss in 2019 that was over quickly. Brohm's scouting report this week hinted that he's anxious about a repeat.

Here's what Brohm had to say about the Lions:

On Penn State's defense: "Even when you look at the Arkansas game where they lost in the [Outback Bowl], Arkansas didn't throw the ball on them. That didn't happen. The quarterback had to run around and make plays, which that's not our strength right now. So we have to play to our strength [in throwing the ball]. But that's their strength as well [pass defense]."

On PJ Mustipher: "They didn't have their best player on the defensive line in the bowl game, who is definitely a force. He's somebody we're going to have to account for at all times because he's one of the best in the country, in our opinion."

On Penn State's offense: "They have really good tight ends, really good running backs, and the quarterback has a ton of experience, and a couple good receivers. We're going to have our hands full there and really play a good solid brand of football in order to win."

Penn State visits Purdue at 8 p.m. Thursday on Fox.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.