Penn State Football: 5 breakout freshmen to watch in 2018

The departure of Brendan Mahon leaves a major deficit in the interior of Penn State’s offensive line. Further increasing the need to find new talent on the offensive line is the range of injuries that will inevitably strike throughout the course of the season. Offensive line coach Matt Limegrover will need to identify youngsters that could step into playing time.

At guard, C.J. Thorpe is a 6-foot-3, 322-pound redshirt freshman behemoth. Throughout the spring he displayed a mean streak that rankled some of his teammates but that also drew attention from the coaching staff for its intensity. Thorpe will undoubtedly get some looks this year in the offensive line rotation.

But he might ultimately take a backseat to Mike Miranda, an interior offensive lineman who offers the versatility of being able to play center as well as both guard positions. After a redshirt season, Miranda holds 302 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame. Though lighter than Thorpe, Miranda has shown greater discipline and consistency in the trenches.

Miranda and Thorpe are both poised to feature on the Penn State offensive line for several years to come. But either or both of these players might not need to wait. These freshmen could ultimately see some significant playing time in 2018.