Inside the Den: Penn State running backs, tight ends take steps forward
Penn State's running backs are shaping up to be as deep and experienced as any recent season ahead of the 2021 campaign. Will Noah Cain return to his role as a starter or are other Nittany Lions poised to push him?
RELATED: Inside the Den: At quarterback, two themes dominate this offseason
The countdown to Penn State's 2021 season is very much on as the Nittany Lions continue their summer prep work.
With the Big Ten's preseason media days on deck, the start of preseason camp and then Penn State's own preseason media day shortly thereafter, we began collecting impressions through the program and a better understanding of where the Nittany Lions stand.
Wednesday provided the chance to dive into Penn State's situation at quarterback, welcoming the return of fifth-year senior Sean Clifford with a pair of untested backups in the wings in redshirt sophomore Ta'Quan Roberson and true freshman Christian Veilleux.
The circumstances for Penn State at running back and tight end are considerably different than that at quarterback, however.
Welcoming a healthy Noah Cain back to the fold, adding senior transfer John Lovett to the mix, with three big contributors from the 2020 season returning in Devyn Ford, Keyvone Lee, and Caziah Holmes, the Nittany Lions have options and expect to see contributions throughout.
Tight end, meanwhile, will boast a similarly robust situation despite losing Pat Freiermuth to the NFL in the second round of this year's draft. With experienced returning contributors in Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson, plus a newcomer in redshirt freshman Tyler Warren entering the mix, Penn State is highly optimistic about the potential for the group as a whole this season.
We surveyed insiders through the program and our offseason interviews to get a grip on how those positions are shaping up this summer.
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