Penn State Football: 3 breakout candidates for Nittany Lions in 2021
Adisa Isaac
Penn State football is going to be without both of its starters at defensive end from 2020 as Shaka Toney and Jayson Oweh are both headed to the NFL.
That leaves a big opening for the Nittany Lions to fill. There are a number of candidates and certainly, the defensive line is one group where depth matters, but one guy who really needs to emerge for Penn State is defensive end, Adisa Isaac.
Isaac is a 6-foot-4, 250-pound pass rusher who has played both as a freshman and sophomore for the Nittany Lions with 27 tackles and three sacks.
But the Nittany Lions are going to need more out of the former top-100 recruit in 2021 and he’s expected to not only start but likely lead the team in sacks.
There was some thought that Isaac would have a breakout season in 2021 but that didn’t happen. And Penn State’s pass rush wasn’t as good as it has been as the team registered just 21 sacks in nine games.
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That pressure on opposing quarterbacks will need to improve and while there are some other talented guys on this roster, including some incoming freshman, Isaac feels like he’s due for a breakout season.