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Penn State football is back, so let’s catch up on The Inquirer’s offseason coverage

To refresh your memory with how some Nittany Lions see the season, here are 10 previously published stories about the team and what to expect.

Quarterback Sean Clifford celebrates after throwing a second-quarter touchdown to Jahan Dotson against Memphis in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 28, 2019.
Quarterback Sean Clifford celebrates after throwing a second-quarter touchdown to Jahan Dotson against Memphis in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 28, 2019.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

The Big Ten announced on Wednesday that its football season will start on Oct. 23, and that means that Penn State football is back in action.

To refresh your memory with how some Nittany Lions see the season – the schedule is to be announced – here are 10 previously published stories about the team and what to expect:

  1. Defensive tackle Judge Culpepper’s father played nine seasons in the NFL, and his mother appeared for two seasons on the television show Survivor. Going into his redshirt sophomore season, he wants to make an impact.

  2. Tight end Zack Kuntz was a four-star recruit out of high school who was expected to provide a solid 1-2 punch at the position with Pat Freiermuth. He said it’s time for him to fulfill those expectations.

  1. Receiver Jahan Dotson caught 27 passes and averaged more than 18 yards per catch last season. He is expected to succeed KJ Hamler as the Nittany Lions' go-to receiver.

  2. Kicker Jake Pinegar, a junior who kicked 11 field goals in 12 tries last season and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention, knows the importance of every player being accountable.

  3. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields played “like a first-round draft choice” early last season, according to his position coach, before injuries slowed him down. As a senior, he is the most experienced player in the defensive backfield.

  4. Defensive end Shane Simmons, a fifth-year senior, came to the Nittany Lions following an excellent high school career but has not met the expectations that followed him to Happy Valley. But he is optimistic he can make an impact in his final season.

  5. After departures at wide receiver, Penn State coaches hope that four freshmen can bring energy and production to the position in 2020.

  6. Running back Journey Brown, entering his redshirt junior year, broke away from a tightly bunched pack to become Penn State’s No. 1 back last season, wrapping up his year with a program bowl-record 202 rushing yards in the Cotton Bowl.

  1. Defensive end Shaka Toney, a fifth-year senior from West Philadelphia, is the most experienced defensive end returning. He had 6½ sacks and eight tackles for loss last season.

  2. Quarterback Sean Clifford has been studying the team’s retooled offense and drawing plays on a whiteboard to “find that extra inch,” he said.