Penn State football 2019 Schedule roster recruitin

James Franklin enters his sixth season at Penn State with the same challenges in the Big Ten East.The Nittany Lions are coming off a 9-4 season, a year that changed when Ohio State rallied in the fourth quarter on Sept. 29. Penn State finished third in Chase Daniel Jersey the Big Ten East behind the Buckeyes and Wolverines moving Franklin to just 2-8 against those Big Ten contenders. Its not a coincidence those are the only two conference opponents on the schedule that are ranked higher in preseason publications.MORE: Penn State must replace quarterback Trace McSorley and lost playmakers on both sides, but Franklin has brought in some program-building depth through top recruiting cla ses. That should show up in 2019.Penn State is ranked No. 12in Sporting News' pre-preseason top 25.Here's a closer look at theNittany Lions heading into 2019:Penn State football schedule 2019DateOpponentLocationAug. 31IdahoUniversity Park, Pa.Sept. 7BuffaloUniversity Park, Pa.Sept. 14PittUniversity Park, Pa.Sept. 21ByeOffSept. 27at MarylandCollege Park, Md.Oct. 5PurdueUniversity Park, Pa.Oct. 12at IowaIowa City, IowaOct. 19No. 10 University Park, Pa.Oct. 26at Michigan StateEast Lansing, Mich.Nov. 2ByeOffNov. 9at MinnesotaMinneapolisNov. 16IndianaUniversity Park, Pa.Nov. 23at No. 5 Columbus, OhioNov. 30RutgersUniversity Park, Pa.Dec. 7Big Ten championshipIndianapolisBold denotes Big Ten gamesMORE: Penn State football recruiting 2019Five-star linebacker Brandon Smith is the top recruit for the Nittany Lions, which had the No. 2 Mike Singletary Jersey cla s in the Big Ten and No. 13 overall cla s according to . Franklin has done an outstanding job on the recruiting trail the last few cycles, as evidenced byfour-star defensive endAdisaIsaac, who is talented enough to work into the rotation William Perry Jersey as a freshman. Four-star running backs Noah Cain and Devyn Ford add depth at the position, which the Nittany Lions certainly need.Penn State football roster 2019Ohio State's football roster will be updated in the spring and fall .MORE: What to watch from Penn State in 20191.Will Stevens shine?Tommy Stevens waited his turn to play quarterback at Penn State behind and he even played a different position. Stevens had offseason surgery on an undisclosed injury, but now its his turn to lead the offense. He's a dual-threat quarterback in the mold of McSorley, and he fits RickyRahnesoffense well. Offensive linemen Ryan Bates and Connor McGovern left for the NFL Draft, so there will be some extra shuffling on the offensive line. Stevens should be prepared for the starting job, and the schedule is set up for him to get comfortable in that role before facing the toughest part of the Nittany Lions' Big Ten slate.2.Who are the game-breakers?Running back Miles Sanders left for the NFL and receiver Juwan Johnsontransferred, so Penn States offense needs to find more home run-hitters. KJ Hamler fits that description after averaging 18.0 yards per catch with five touchdowns as a redshirt freshman. George Campbell, a former five-star recruit, transferred from Florida State. The Nittany Lions will have a committee of sorts at running back early in the Nick Kwiatkoski Jersey season, but Ricky Slade has an opportunity to take over as the lead back. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry with six touchdowns last season.3.Will the defense be better?Penn State had a top-25 scoring defense in 2018, surrenderingjust 20.5 points per game.YeturGro s-Matos led Penn State with 20 tackles for lo s and eight sacks. Robert Windsor andShakaToney combined for 17 tackles for lo s and 11.5 sacks last season.Micah Parsons should be ready for a more pronounced role. Franklin has built depth up front, and that should be a strength. Lamont Wade moves to safety and could be an impact player at the position. Penn State has Riley Ridley Jersey more talent on this side of the ball. There should not be a drop-off.