Penn State Football: 3 breakout candidates for Nittany Lions in 2021

Penn State football is seeking a bounce-back season in 2021 and here are three Nittany Lions who are due for breakout seasons. 

The Penn State football team is hoping that the 2020 season was an anomaly, at least the start of it. Following five straight losses to open the year, the Nittany Lions ended the season on a four-game winning streak.

That, along with the return of quarterback Sean Clifford and a number of skill guys on offense, leads to some optimism heading into 2021.

Penn State football has a ways to go to catch up with Ohio State, but until proven otherwise, the Nittany Lions are the second-best program in the Big Ten East right now, at least in terms of consistently winning games.

Indiana is on the rise, while Michigan and Michigan State are hoping to recapture the success they found just a few years ago.

To stay ahead of the pack and hopefully catch up to Ohio State, here are three players who need to break out for Penn State football in 2021.

Theo Johnson

Looking back at the 2020 recruiting class, one of Penn State’s best recruits is Theo Johnson, a 6-foot-5 tight end who has a dynamic ability.

The Nittany Lions beat out Michigan to win his commitment and in his first year on campus, the former top-100 recruit caught four passes for 56 yards, showing a glimpse of what he could do.

Now, with a year under his belt, and a new offensive coordinator, Johnson should become one of the focal points of this offense. He’s a mismatch waiting to happen and he’s in the mold of Florida’s Kyle Pitts, an elite receiver who happens to play tight end.